Day 7 - Horses & Crystal

We breakfast early and leave Dublin en route to Waterford. On the way, we stop at Kildare to see the Irish National Stud Farm. It's dedicated to rearing world-class thoroughbreds since 1946.
The farm is set in beautifully landscaped grounds with a spacious and tranquil Japanese Garden on site.There is time to explore this garden later at our leisure. The climate is cold and drizzling rain is on and off, so it's rain jackets or not, and umbrellas up or down.
We are able to get up close and personal with several horses and a number of our travellers love this experience. We hear that some of our American friends have horses on acreage at home.

We are introduced to the most famous horse at the stud, born in 1997, and he is called 'Invincible Spirit'. This horse is the most lucrative at the stud, holding a 2017 Stud Fee of 120,000 Euros. It is said that he is the reason the stud has been able to continue through some earlier harsh financial times. Many of his prodigy have naturally become Group 1 winners too. Hence he is in demand.
Invincible Spirit is far away in his paddock when our group comes by, and then the guide leads the group away. Another keen photographer and I linger a few more minutes, hoping for a closer view, and miraculously, as if he senses it, Invincible Spirit wanders right over to where we are behind the fence, cameras poised. How wonderful! We are delighted to have an exclusive.
We have free time for lunch in Kildare, and Tony and I go upstairs at the Kilkenny Department store to find a busy restaurant with musicians playing to the crowd. I'm delighted to find a raspberry gf scone and Tony is happy enough with some kind of pastie.

We arrive in Waterford, a beautiful seaport on the south-east coast and the oldest city in Ireland. It was founded by the Vikings in 914AD and parts of its ancient walls remain.
We find an Irish pub and enjoy a drink and a meal before our tour of the Waterford Crystal factory. It is now located in the centre of town. We see the craftsmen at work and admire their skill and the delicate etchings they make on the glass.
We check in at Dooleys Hotel, an establishment run by two Dooley sisters long ago, then bought by a woman in 1947. Since then her daughter and now grand daughters manage the extended hotel with 113 rooms. Old style furnishings and furniture complete the rooms. It is a quaint hotel and I like it, but, I suffer from dust inhalation for a day or so afterwards. A little bit too sensitive. I love the sign near the luxurious white bath towels: 'If you enjoy using our towels and decide to take them home, your credit card will be charged accordingly: 17Euros per bath sheet'. That's telling 'em!

Today, the day we arrive in Waterford, is a huge day for the township here, with the return of the Waterford Hurling team after the season's final match last night.
Hurling is an old Gaelic sport played only in Ireland and the Irish are as passionate about it as the Aussies are with their Aussie rules football. The Galway and Waterford teams went head to head. Waterford were the losers but there is a great reception planned for the runners-up today. As we drive into the town, the blue and white flags, bunting and banners are on every fence and shopfront and building. Barricades are up along the esplanade road with police and other security personnel in place for the reception soon after 7pm. The crowds are swelling and every child from the age of five is carrying their hurling stick. A band is playing up on stage with large screens erected so everyone can see. Families seem to be pouring in from everywhere, all dressed in the team colours.
We wander about getting some McDonalds fries and coffees while we wait. The lads arrive eventually on an open top bus all suited up but looking decidedly dejected, well pretending to, not even waving back at the crowd at first. The mayor gives the first speech and waits at relevant intervals for the crowd to cheer, which they do. I love his Irish accent, especially when he says, 'The lads have fought trough (pronounced 'true') tick and tin to get to the top'. Then he adds, 'and we want to give them a tousand tanks for their efforts'.
We learn the next day that the Hurling team stays at Dooleys overnight and our Peter is woken with all this weird banging on doors. He calls Reception to hear it is the Hurling lads arriving in slightly inebriated form at 2.30am. Reception says they are trying to get the team to quieten down. Tony and I slept 'trough' all the commotion.