BRIAN REID PHOTOGRAPHER

Ireland Day 3 - Co Wexford and into Co Tipperary

Monday 11 September 2023 23:25

It has been a day of variety, places and weather. The morning was generally grey with spits and spots of rain and by mid afternoon those spits and spots had become a steady downpour. Fortunately I managed to enjoy the majority of the plan starting at Hook Point, site of the oldest original operating lighthouse in the world. The story is that it was built 800 years ago and who am I to doubt it. The design is certainly different from ‘modern’ slender towers and is pretty imposing. I then moved inland to New Ross but stopped along the way to visit the John F Kennedy Memorial Arboretum. There was a power cut but this was not a problem as I probably would not have used the cafe or shop and due to the issue the entrance was free. It is a large site with around 500 species of tree and a little museum. I did not expect a mockup of a Mercury space capsule with a mannequin of John Glen inside but was pleased to see it. As well as trees there was a little wildlife and some beautiful flowers. At New Ross I had chosen an ESB charger with the intent of enjoying a walk around town and grabbing some lunch while the car charged and that is exactly what I did. Murals on walls is quite a theme here and the Kennedy connection continued with JFK extending his hand of friendship and a flame recording the mass emigration arising from the great famine and a replica of one of the ships that took Irish souls to the new world. By the ship was a chilled rook. Who’s a pretty boy? From New Ross it was further inland to Kilkenny, one of the previous capitals of Ireland, dominated by its large castle. By now the rain was pretty steady but not too heavy. Again murals were in evidence. The castle garden was very nice with its fountain centrepiece. After a damp wander around the town I headed west to Cashel to look at the Rock of Cashel, although not entering. A quick whinge - Everywhere seems to require booking now and my timing and the weather were variables I did not want to or could not control, so a visit to the actual site was not possible. As it happens it would have been miserable as the rain was now varying between heavy and torrential. So a quick look around the outside had me on my way to Clonmel for the night with the road awash in places. Fortunately I found a parking spot right by reception at my country house hotel. Not a bad day at all. If anyone is concerned about charging a battery electric vehicle in the rain I can confirm that it is not a problem. My plan while touring is to keep the car well charged, as I did with fuel when touring in petrol/diesel cars, and my 15 minute top up point at Ionity in Cashel, during moments of torrential rain, was fine. Just a little wet plugging and unplugging the cable.