Travel Mistakes

I found an article on the biggest travel mistakes and thought I would share some of them.

1. Passport renewal. Passports have an expiration date, so you’d think they’re good up until that date, right? Well, not necessarily. Some destinations require at least 3-6 months remaining on your passport in order to travel. If you need a visa for your trip, this is mandatory, but check the rules for your destination long before the trip begins.
2. Not packing a change of clothes in your carry on. In 2013, the airline industry lost about 21.8 million bags, according to SITA, an aviation communications and technology company that tracks baggage performance. It’s likely this will happen to you eventually, so make sure you put a change of clothes and any “must-have” items in your carry on.
3. Putting medicine and other valuables in checked baggage. If there is something you absolutely must have when you step off the plane, you better make sure it’s with you in your carry on. Medicines have no place in checked baggage. Neither do expensive items like iPads, cell phones and jewelry.
4. Over packing. Please! It’s so not worth it. Read up on how to pack light before your next trip and stop over packing! You’re going to have to cart all that luggage around with you. Wouldn’t you rather it not contain 3 extra pairs of shoes and half a wardrobe that you won’t even wear?
5. Using your cell phone without a plan. You can’t just turn on your phone in a different country and use it without incurring a $1000 phone bill. Before boarding the plane, put your phone in airplane mode to avoid unwanted charges. If you need your phone for voice or data while away, be sure to negotiate the plan with your carrier before leaving or just use the free hotel wi-fi.
6. Not buying souvenirs right when you see them. I buy a T-shirt for my nephew in every country we visit, but I’ve repeatedly passed up a perfectly good one, only to never see another shirt for the rest of the trip. If you see it now, buy it now. You may not have a second chance and sometimes that’s a tragedy when you find something you love.
7. Trying too hard for a bargain. I love a deal, but I promise you won’t be glad you booked the cheapest hotel or spent 14 hours on the bus from hell rather than forking out for the more expensive option. Some things just shouldn’t be done on the cheap.
8. Using expensive money changers. This goes right along with trying too hard for a bargain. Sure, there are “best places” to exchange your money for the best deal, but do you really want to hunt around the city for said place for an extra $.10 on the dollar? We always withdraw cash from the ATM at the airport. It’s a fairly favorable rate, it’s convenient, and you won’t have to wander the city penny-less until you find that change bureau you heard about.
9. Not negotiating a taxi rate beforehand. Many countries don’t have meters in taxis and the price is negotiable if done in advance, but exorbitantly expensive if neglected. Even if you’re sure you’re not going to be overcharged by a taxi driver, ask for the price in advance anyway and save yourself the burden of being ripped off. 
10. Taking too many pictures. You know what I mean if you’ve ever walked around sightseeing with your camera glued to your face and then couldn’t remember the actual experience afterward. Take a picture, but then put the camera down and experience the moment in real life. I mean, do you really need 300 photos of a Buddha statue.
11. Trying to use your credit and debit cards without alerting your bank. We did this approximately one time before we learned our lesson. Now banks make it easy to let them know you’re traveling. Just look for a “travel notification” link on your bank’s website. This will ensure you won’t be locked out of your account when you desperately need cash.
12. Drinking the water. I know how much of a pain it is buying bottled water and making sure you have enough to last the night (even to brush your teeth with!), but I also know the pain of Montezuma’s revenge. End of story.
13. Not printing the details. I’m not one to advocate killing trees to print everything, but sometimes you just have to. I know it’s a digital world, but what if your battery dies and you can’t access any of your plans. I did this once and was left standing in the street in Dublin with no idea where my hotels was located.
14. Spending all your time in transit. We like to hop around when we’re on vacation, which leads to increased transit times. Make sure you book early morning or late night journeys to avoid spending your entire day in the airport or train terminal. There’s nothing worse than losing a whole day in transit. 
15. Not having the right credit card. You should be aware that many credit cards charge a 3% International transaction fee, and if you’re using that card for everything for a week or two on vacation, the fees really add up. Get a card with no transaction fee, even if you only use it for travel.
16. Paying for rental car insurance. You do need some form of car insurance when renting a car, but it doesn’t have to be the exorbitantly expensive insurance given by the rental company. Credit card coverage and even your own home car insurance can often cover you. Just be sure to read the fine print and learn the details before you leave home. The coverage varies by country.
17. Paying for rental car damage. Have you noticed that more rental car companies are not doing a pre-check of the vehicle before you drive away? Don’t let that get you in hot water. Take pictures and note all damage to the car before you take it. If there is damage caused on your watch, you’ll already know the details of your insurance (See “Paying for rental car insurance” above), so you won’t be wrongly charged.
18. Setting expectations too high. We all do it. It’s hard not to when you’ve spent tons of hard-earned money and a week or two of your saved-up vacation time on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, but you really need to set a reasonable bar for your expectations. Nothing is as perfect as it seems in a brochure or online enticement.
19. Too tight connection time. I’ve been tempted by short connections a number of times. But it’s usually a huge mistake. If your first flight is delayed even 15 minutes (and let’s be honest – what flight isn’t?), it could spell disaster for the rest of your trip. If there’s a choice, go with the longer layover.
20. Packing liquids or valuable “no-nos” in your carry on. I still regularly see people attempting to cart full-sized bottles of expensive lotions and hair products through security at the airport and look dumbfounded when the bottles are tossed. Got a Swiss Army knife you treasure? Don’t take it with you or you’ll never see it again.
21. Hanging your purse on a chair in a restaurant. This might sound benign — after all, we do it all the time at home, right? That doesn’t mean you should do it on vacation (or ever, really!). Nothing is worth losing your passport and credit cards.

Brownshill Dolmen - Sunday May 29th

We are planning a couple side trips as we drive to each destination.  Our first side trip will be on our way to Waterford on Sunday May 29th.  This is about halfway between Dublin and Waterford.

We have a couple seasoned Irish travelers with us.  My husband of course who has been many times and his best friend who has been several times.  They really liked Brownshill Dolmen and thought everyone would enjoy it also. 

Brownshill Dolmen

 

Brownshill Dolmen

 

Gate-stone flanked by the two portal stones supporting the capstone

Brownshill Dolmen - seen from the road; silhouette of tourists indicates scale

The Brownshill Dolmen (Dolmain Chnoc an Bhrúnaigh in Irish) is a megalithic portal tomb situated 3 km east of Carlow, in County Carlow, Ireland. It lies just off the R726 regional road and is clearly visible from the road. The capstone at Brownshill, weighing an estimated 100 metric tons, is reputed to be the heaviest in Europe.  The tomb is listed as a National Monument.

Name

Officially known as the Kernanstown Cromlech, it is also spelled as Browneshill Dolmen. It is sited on a hill on which sits the former estate house of the Browne family from which the hill takes its name.

History

It was built between 4000 and 3000 BC by some of the earliest farmers to inhabit the island. It is also known as Brownshill Portal Tomb, so-called because the entrance to the burial chamber was flanked by two large upright stones (orthostats) supporting the granite capstone, or roof, of the chamber. The capstone is thought to have been covered by an earthen mound and a gate stone blocked the entrance. At Brownshill both portal stones and the gate-stone are still in situ; the capstone lies on top of the portals and gate-stone and slopes to the ground away from the entrance. Not much additional information is available on Brownshill because it has never been excavated.  A fourth upright stands close by and could be the remains of a forecourt. The extent of the chamber cannot be determined.

DINGLE IRELAND - JUNE 1ST

Dingle

 

 

One of our B&Bs in Dingle is Murphy's which is the green front building with Murphy's Pub attached on the right.  Murphy's pub has the red front on bottom and yellow on top.

Dingle (Irish: An Daingean or Daingean Uí Chúis, meaning "Ó Cúis' fort") is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 50 kilometres (30 mi) southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Killarney.

Principal industries in the town are tourism, fishing and agriculture: Dingle Mart (livestock market) serves the surrounding countryside. In 2006 Dingle had a population of 1,920.  Dingle is situated in a Gaeltacht region. There used to be two secondary schools but they have now amalgamated to produce Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne. A friendly dolphin named Fungi lives in the harbour.

History

Development of the port

In Ireland the town was developed as a port following the Norman invasion of Ireland. By the thirteenth century more goods were being exported through Dingle than Limerick, and in 1257 an ordinance of Henry III imposed customs on the port's exports.  By the fourteenth century, importing wine was a major business. Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, who held palatine powers in the area, imposed a tax on this activity around 1329.  By the sixteenth century, Dingle was one of Ireland's main trading ports, exporting fish and hides and importing wines from the continent of Europe. French and Spanish fishing fleets used the town as a base.

Connections with Spain were particularly strong, and in 1529 Thomas Fitzgerald, 11th Earl of Desmond and the ambassador of Charles V of Spain signed the Treaty of Dingle.  Dingle was also a major embarkation port for pilgrims to travel to the shrine of Saint James at Santiago de Compostela. The parish church was rebuilt in the sixteenth century under "Spanish patronage" and dedicated to the saint.

In 1569 the commerce of the town was increased when it was listed as one of fifteen towns or cities which were to have a monopoly on the import of wine.

The Second Desmond Rebellion

The Dingle Peninsula was the scene of much of the military activity of 1579–80. On 17 July 1579 James FitzMaurice FitzGerald brought a small fleet of ships to Dingle. He made landfall, launching the Second Desmond Rebellion, but was to die soon after in a minor skirmish with the forces of a cousin.  The fleet left the town after three days, anchoring at Dún an Óir at the western end of the peninsula, leading eventually to the Siege of Smerwick of 1580.

Walled town and chartered borough

The residents of Dingle applied in 1569 for a "murage grant" to construct walls around the town. The grant was not forthcoming on that occasion. Following the defeat of the Desmond Rebellion, Queen Elizabeth directed that a royal charter be granted to incorporate the town as a borough, and to allow for the construction of walls. Traces of these town walls can still be seen, while the street layout preserves the pattern of burgage plots.

Although Elizabeth intended to grant a charter, the document was only obtained in 1607. On 2 March of that year her successor, James I, sealed the charter, although the borough and its corporation had already been in existence for twenty-two years.  The head of the corporation was the sovereign, fulfilling the role of a mayor. In addition to the sovereign, who was elected annually on the Feast of St Michael, the corporation consisted of twelve burgesses. The area of jurisdiction of the corporation was all land and sea within two Irish miles of the parish church. The borough also had an admiralty jurisdiction over Dingle, Ventry, Smerwick and Ferriter's Creek " as far as an arrow would fly".

The charter also created Dingle a parliamentary borough, or constituency, electing two members to the House of Commons of the Parliament of Ireland.

Linen

Dingle suffered greatly in the Nine Years' War and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, being burnt or sacked on a number of occasions. The town started to recover in the eighteenth century, due to the efforts of the Fitzgerald family, Knights of Kerry, who established themselves at "The Grove" at this time. Robert Fitzgerald imported flax seed and by 1755 a flourishing linen industry had been established, with cloth worth £60,000 produced annually. The trade collapsed following the industrial production of cotton in Great Britain, and was virtually extinct by 1837.  The town fell victim to a cholera plague in 1849.

Fishing

Dingle is a major fishing port, and the industry dates back to about 1830. The 1870s saw major development, when "nobby" fleets from the Isle of Man came in search of mackerel. Lowestoft herring trawlers subsequently joined the fleet, allowing for a longer fishing season. The pier and maritime facilities were developed by the Congested Districts Board, and the arrival of rail transport in 1891 allowed for the transport of fish throughout the country, and a canning and curing industry developed.

Places of interest

Dingle's St. Mary's was a neo-Gothic church built to designs by J. J. McCarthy and O'Connell. The foundation stone was laid in 1862. It originally had a nave and aisles separated by arcades, supported on columns capped by octagonal tops. The arcades were demolished in one of the most radical reordering schemes to have been executed in Ireland. The project also saw the demolition of the exterior walls to below the original clerstory level, and, most notably, of the attic and upper ranges of the west elevation.

There are many opportunities to hear traditional Irish music in the town, particularly during the summer tourist season. Dingle has a number of pubs as well as restaurants and cafes. There is also an aquarium, "Oceanworld Aquarium", in the town, and a number of art and craft shops.

Dingle Distillery—one of only five in Ireland—was launched in Dingle in 2012.

Sport

Dingle is home to the Dingle GAA club, which plays the popular  traditional Irish game of Gaelic football. The most noted tournament in which Dingle competes is the Kerry Senior Football Championship.  Cuman Rugbai Chorca Dhuibhne, the local rugby team, and Dingle Bay Rovers F.C. are based in the area.

People

• Fungie (Dolphin), an adult Bottlenose dolphin who has been courting human contact in Dingle Bay since 1983
• Famous Gaelic Athletic Association commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh was born east of Dingle, near Lios Póil in 1930.
• Also from Dingle are Joe O'Toole, Senator, Pauline Scanlon, singer, and Joe Higgins T.D.
• Páidí Ó Sé, Kerry Footballer and Senior Manager, born in Ventry, west of Dingle,
• Walking on Cars band members are from Dingle

Name

In 2005, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív announced that anglicised place names (such as 'Dingle') of Gaeltacht towns and villages would no longer feature on official signposts, and only the Irish language names would appear. The English-language version of the town's name was thus officially dropped in early 2005, with the Irish name An Daingean being advanced.

In the case of Dingle, the move was particularly controversial, as the town relies heavily on the tourist industry, and there was fear that the change could prevent visitors finding the town. Detractors noted that tourists might not recognize the Irish name on sign-posts, and that there could also be confusion with a similarly named town (Daingean) in County Offaly. Supporters rejected this argument, pointing out that there are numerous towns in Ireland with similar names. The minister added to the controversy by suggesting that a name change to English could be brought about by removing the town's Gaeltacht status, thereby losing its entitlement to government grants for Irish-speaking areas.

In late 2005, Kerry County council approved the holding of a plebiscite for the change of name to the bilingual "Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis" which took place in October 2006.  The result was announced on 20 October, and 1,005 of the 1,086 returned ballots (electorate: 1,222) favored the change to the bilingual version.  Éamon Ó Cuív stated, however, that there was no remit to act on the results of the plebiscite. Nevertheless, in 2008 Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley, announced his intention to amend the local government laws to allow names chosen by plebiscite to supersede any Placenames Order under the Official Languages Act 2003.  This would mean that "Daingean Uí Chúis" would be the official name of the town in Irish, with "Dingle" the official name in English. However, the name of the town on road signs within the Gaeltacht will continue to display the name of the town in Irish only. In the meantime, some locals took matters into their own hands by spray painting "Dingle" on road signs that bore only the Irish version of the name.

 

 

 

COBH IRELAND - MAY 31st

Cobh (/ˈkoʊv/ KOHV,  Irish: an Cóbh), known from 1850 until the late 1920s as Queenstown, is a tourist seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and is home to Ireland's only dedicated cruise terminal. Tourism in the area draws on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town - including its association with the RMS Titanic.

Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island, and on a high point in the town stands St Colman's Cathedral, one of the tallest buildings in Ireland and seat of the diocese of Cloyne.

Name

The port, which has had several Irish-language names, was first called "Cove" ("The Cove of Cork") in 1750. It was renamed "Queenstown" in 1850 to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria. This remained the town's name until the late 1920s, when it was renamed Cobh by the new authorities of the Irish Free State.^[1] Cobh is a Gaelicisation of the English name Cove and it shares the same pronunciation but has no meaning in the Irish language.

History

 

 

 

 

 

Statue on the waterfront of Annie Moore and her brothers. Annie Moore was the first person to be admitted to the United States of America through the new immigration center at Ellis Island, New York on 1 January 1892.

19th century

International upheaval led to Cobh experiencing rapid development in the early 19th century. Due to the natural protection enjoyed thanks to its harbor setting, the town became important as a tactical center for naval military base purposes, never more so than at the time of the Napoleonic Wars between France and Britain. Today, the Irish Naval Service headquarters is based on Haulbowline island facing Cobh.

The wars against the French led to the town becoming a British Naval port with its own admiral, and many of the present-day buildings date from this time. The eventual cessation of hostilities dented Cobh's prosperity for a while but it soon became known as a health resort, and many convalescents came to avail themselves of its temperate climate. Notable amongst these people was Charles Wolfe who wrote "The Burial of Sir John Moore After Corunna". Wolfe is buried in the Old Church Cemetery outside the town.

RMS Titanic

One of the major transatlantic Irish ports, the former Queenstown was the departure point for 2.5 million of the six million Irish people who immigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950. On 11 April 1912, Queenstown was famously the final port of call for the RMS Titanic when she set out across the Atlantic on her ill-fated maiden voyage. She was assisted by the PS America and the PS Ireland, two ageing White Star Line tenders, along with several other smaller boats delivering first-class luggage. Local lore has it that a Titanic crew member, John Coffey, a native of Queenstown, jumped ship, although there is no record of his name on the crew list. 123 passengers boarded in all; only 44 survived the sinking.

Penal transportation

Cobh was also a major embarkation port for men, women and children who were deported to penal colonies such as Australia. The records of such deportations can be found in ships' log books in the Cobh Museum, which since 1973 has been housed in Scots church (a Presbyterian church until its 1969 closure) overlooking the harbor.

Shipbuilding

A significant shipbuilding industry was developed in the town, and the remnants of the Verolme Shipyard today maintain many of the original cranes and hoists now forming part of an industrial and maritime heritage.

The original pier (as it appeared in 2007) where passengers boarded tenders to get to the Titanic at its anchorage near the mouth of Cobh harbor. The corner of the office building of the White Star Line can be seen on the right. The building today houses a Titanic museum.

The age of steam brought association with several achievements to Cobh, most notably that of the first steam ship to sail from Ireland to England (1821) and of the first steam ship to cross the Atlantic (Sirius 1838), which left from Passage West. In 1849, the name of the town was changed to Queenstown, to honour Queen Victoria who had visited Ireland during that year.

RMS Lusitania and the First World War

A tragically notable ship to be associated with the town, the Cunard passenger liner RMS Lusitania, was sunk by a German U-boat off the Old Head of Kinsale while en route from the US to Liverpool on 7 May 1915. 1,198 passengers died, while 700 were rescued. The survivors and the dead alike were brought to Cobh, and the bodies of over 100 who perished in the disaster lie buried in the Old Church Cemetery just north of the town. The Lusitania Peace Memorial is located in Casement Square, opposite the arched building housing the Cobh Library and Courthouse.

During First World War, Queenstown was a naval base for British and American destroyers operating against the U-boats that preyed upon Allied merchant shipping. Q-ships (heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks) were called Q-ships precisely because many were, in fact, fitted-out in Queenstown. The first division of American destroyers arrived in May 1917, and the sailors who served on those vessels were the first American servicemen to see combat duty in the war. When that first convoy arrived in port after enduring a rough passage in what were little more than open boats, its members were met by a crowd of sailors and townspeople, thankful for their anticipated help towards stopping the U-boats that were blockading western Europe. The British commodore present met the captain of the American flagship, jumping onto the dock and asking how soon the weather-beaten American ships could be put to use. "We're ready now, sir!" was the widely quoted answer from the American.

The United States Navy established the Queenstown Naval Air Station on 22 February 1918 to operate flying boats. This naval air station closed shortly after the Armistice of 11 November 1918.

Due to its tactical military importance, under the terms of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty the port remained a UK sovereign base. Along with the other Treaty Ports it was handed over to the government of the Irish Free State in 1938.

Demography and people

The population of the Cobh area has increased in recent times with new housing estates established on the outskirts of the town, placing pressures on the transport infrastructure. The town boundary has not yet reflected these changes in order to accommodate the new housing developments in areas such as Rushbrooke and Carrignafoy. Cobh is gradually becoming a satellite town to the nearby Cork City, reflected in the commuter train service and the Carrigaloe–Passage car ferry.

Economy and tourism

Tourism is a large employer in Cobh. Large cruise liners visit Cobh each year, mainly during the summer months, although many of the tourists are transported out of Cobh by bus to other tourist destinations. In all, almost 100,000 cruise liner passengers and crew arrive in the town each year when their ships berth right in the centre of the town at Ireland's only dedicated cruise terminal. Tourist attractions are focused on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town and include the Queenstown Story at the Cobh Heritage Centre, Titanic Experience, Titanic Trail walking tour, Cobh Museum, Cobh Road Train, Spike Island tours and St Colman's Cathedral. The town has remained largely unchanged since RMS Titanic departed from Cork Harbour in 1912, with the streetscape and piers still much the same. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island. The latter is the headquarters of the Irish Naval Service, formerly a British naval base.

Rail

Outside of the Dublin metropolitan area, Cobh is one of the few towns in Ireland served by a commuter train service. Regular commuter services run between Cork city and Cobh, calling at, among others, Fota railway station, Carrigaloe railway station, and Rushbrooke railway station, along the way. Trains run every day and the journey time to Cork is under 25 minutes.  The final train from Cork back to Cobh is 7:00pm daily.   So those interested in spending a few hours in Cork might like this option. 

Train schedule:  http://www.irishrail.ie/fares-and-tickets/cork-cobh-midleton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts and culture

The Sirius Arts Centre is a hub for the arts in Cobh and is located on the waterfront. It hosts cultural events and music concerts both in-house and around Cobh.

Cobh was the setting for the 2009 Connor McPherson film The Eclipse and also used as a filming location for the 1999 movie Angela's Ashes.

Links:

St Colman’s Cathedral -- http://www.cobhcathedralparish.ie/
Cobh Heritage Center -- http://www.cobhheritage.com/
Cobh Museum -- http://www.cobhmuseum.com/
Titanic Experience -- http://www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie/
Annie Moore Statue -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Moore_(immigrant)