Ireland 2001

For our main holiday this year we bundled the dogs into the car and headed off to the Emerald Isle for two sun-filled weeks of long walks and even longer drives! We both caught the sun and instantly forgot all those dreadful rain-filled holidays we had both had in the British Isles before.

Phil's college friend Jane (who lives in Kerry) booked us a fabulous cottage. We eventually found it at 2am and settled into the ground floor - we didn't need the other three bedrooms! Toby liked the taste of the doormat so we had to do some creative trimming! Benson and Toby settled very quickly in the grounds and Toby loved to paddle in the stream and then walk through the house, muddy paws and all. Both dogs discovered the joy of chasing cats as every time we returned home there would be a couple waiting for us. Within about 10 seconds the dogs had chased them away. The fantastic scenery, the national park, and the beaches lent themselves to long walks with the dogs and long drives exploring the peninsulas. We drove around the famous Ring of Kerry, avoiding the coach loads of American tourists where possible.

We set off on the trek up to County Clare, not knowing exactly what the "apartment" on the High Street of Ballyvaughan was going to be like. Luckily it turned out to be a house with a space for the dogs to get out at the back. Toby enjoyed the taste of the skirting board so Phil bought some tippex and... We explored the Burren, visited the Cliffs of Moher and found beaches and parks for the dogs to explore. Click one of the two video links to see Benson and Toby enjoying the beach at Fanore. Getting up at 5am to return home we found that most of the County had no electricity so we washed and packed by the light of a single candle - not the easiest of tasks!



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