Memories of Holidays in the Kingdom

I was thinking of the early 80's when the only family holiday we could look forward to was maybe a week in Ballyheigue.... not far from Caherdaniel… may visit to refresh those hidden memories!!!! Can you imagine the planning that took...all the packing into black plastic bags... shouting & roaring at each other...check the car for road worthiness.... an early form of the NCT...Jack was ahead of his time!!! The only time he checked the tyre pressure on the auld cortina was when we went on that insanely long journey over the Cork & Kerry mountains?! Those journeys could go on for what seemed like days.... you’d be quicker getting to GFHP now!!!
Stop for ice cream.... stop to put water in the car.... Jack, don't overtake, you'll kill us all.... but we always survived the journeys...makes me think of those pilgrims or sheepherders in Iran who travel hundreds of kilometres.... days it would take!!!
But tell me was it not worth it... those whitewashed walls of Kerry.... the smell of the heather...long sandy beaches...no wonder they call it the kingdom!! When you’re at that impressionable age it really does have an affect on you for life!!! When you go on holidays in places like that it always seems as if your in your own private holiday resort...your own beach because it was so massive.... if you saw other people you felt like a pygmy seeing people for the first time.... we probably stopped and stared for a while!!!!
Looking back on it now we must have looked like the dirtiest shower of idontknowwhats to grace the highways & byways of the kingdom...but those holidays will always remain in my mind as a voyage of discovery...an adventure.... my first long distance journey to a foreign land...sure why would you want to go off foreign when they speak a different language only a few miles down the road!!!!

.............maybe the memories aren't that hidden after all??
Better get the auld walking shoes on Rosy.... exercise that heart...another 40...maybe 50 years left girl with the help of God and of course all that free Gym time...
So hurtful Rosy.... Just checked out Caherdaniel on the map.... fair auld distance.... down to Killarney, through Molls Gap, down through the Gap of Dunloe...a mighty spin Roisin!!!! It's not far from Ballinskelligs...I think I was through that way with the Marcus the Couch & the Duck before but can't remember Caherdaniel. Probably steaming to the gills in the back of the fiesta for that part of the journey. I only get as far as the Gap of Dunloe in the memory banks!!
Check out The Kerry Way website, a fine walk it is girl.... we’ll be doing the harder, more testing walk! Looks like there are a few watering holes to be checked out alright!!! Did you book it through the Supervalu Stamps or off your own back...

God we traveled all over Kerry in that old fiesta, over mountains, through bogs, a 1981 c reg it was...he used to fly in it too.... I’d always be in the back with Daffy riding shotgun.... the Ska blaring out through the one speaker...couldn't hear the other speaker cause we had so much gear in the back seat...squashed wasn't the word!!!! One thing about that car was that if he went over a bump (and there was a lot) in the road the boot used to pop open! So I used to have to hold onto the boot for the near Rally like sections of the journey...And the Couchmeister used to drive like Fisher always riding up the back of some fella trying to pass him on the straight!!!!!!!!!!!Do you know when your younger like that starting out drinking...you'd always be pissed out of your brain...disgracing ourselves singing stupid rebel songs!!!! Wouldn't trade those memories for the world...camping with your buddies, everyone should do it!!!! Saying that though the only time I see the big C is when I get my Southern Fry and what with all the health kick at the Mo' Sure I won't probably see him for years!!! A man guaranteed to bore you to tears with his "stories"!!!

Oh, the memories Rosy!!!