Back in Michigan

Well, our journey to Ireland went by too fast. Two weeks in the Emerald Isle and still so much more to see. We put in over 1800 kilometers of driving (1080 miles), saw breathtaking scenery, quaint villages, any many characters to remember. I will admit, we don't miss the full Irish breakfasts, but will miss the mountainous landscape that is Ireland. While still adjusting to the time change and a bit of jet lag, we have returned safely to Michigan and look forward to once again visiting Ireland. Thanks for checking in and all the kind words while we were there.
The Doddys

Our last adventure

Yesterday we went on a bus tour through gallway and county claire. We saw the cliffs of Moher. They are very pretty. It was very windy. We also seen the burrens which are mountians with lots of lime stone rocks on them. We got to take a guided tour up the mountian. That was an adventure in itself. There was about 15 of us and here we are climbing up a rocky mountian. We stopped at a few castles too. It started at 10 and we didn't get back untill 5, so it was a busy day. After that we took an hour drive to Ennis. That is where we stayed at a bed and breakfast. We woke up this moring ate and walked around the town. Then we drove to Tipperary ate lunch and drove back to Bunratty. There isn't much in this town but a famous giant castle which is a big tourist attaction,a few pubs and a hotel. We are at the hotel now just relaxing untill tomorrow. Our plane leaves at 12:30 and we get in atlanta at 4:30 then home at 7:30. That will be a busy day and then we'll have to re-adjust back to the time change. Thats all till we get home...................

Greetings from Galway

Hi Happy (belated) 4th of July
We are just relaxing and hanging out in our room tonight. Today, we drove from Donegal to Galway and the drive was mostly on winding roads the width of the railtrail. The roads here are unbelievable. Any "stereotyped" image that comes to your mind when you hear about the roads in Ireland is true...not to mention the sheep we've had to honk at to get out of the road. Lol!
It is really a beautiful and amazing country. There is so much to take in, awesome mountains, crystal blue lakes, deep green hillsides dotted with sheep and stone fences. The vegitation is so diverse...there are actually palm trees here. Almost every house is surrounded by pristine gardens, flower beds and extremely well groomed lawns.
The B & B's are just as diverse. It is just so bizarre pulling up to a strangers home and asking them if they have a room for the night. A few we stayed at were "top notch", some in between and a few were a sin. One B & B in Wexford was what I could only describe as "The Shining meets the haunted mansion in any episode of Scooby Doo" Ugh! I don't think I slept that night. But, it is interesting meeting people at breakfast the next day. Most B & B's have a cozy dining room with 3-4 tables set for breakfast. Chances are you'll dine with others staying there too. We've met people from Australia, Engalnd, & Sweden. It is so great to hear their stories and opinions etc...
We are having such a great time. It was so fantastic to meet the Doddy's in Ballymote. That has been a goal for a long time. Now we have to get busy doing some more research on the Doddy history.
Tomorrow, we have a busy day planned checking out Galway bay and the cliffs of Moher
Take Care, Angie

Galway

We have been on the go!!! Once we left Donegal yesterday morning we drove up to sleeveleague which are the highest cliffs in Europe standing at 2000 ft. tall. It was such a pretty site. The drive to it was crazy, with the tinest road ever. we were driving up the mountian and a car was coming and with the road so small you have to pull over but we were on the out side to we were on the edge of the cliff looking down with no rail!!!. Scariest thing ever. We went in a giant circle that took all day to drive and we ended up back in Donegal. It will be nice to take a shower at my own house. Our showers drain was cloged and overflowed so you had to shower quick before the water got the edge. So we woke up today ate more slimey eggs, thats what we've been getting at the bed and breakfast, and was on our way. We drove 5 hours today to Galway. It is a very big town. We are at a hotel tonight with wireless internet. It's nice. We just got done eating down at the hotel restaurant and now we are just going to relax the rest of the night. untill later.........

Dear Ol Donegal

Hi All, We are now in Donegal...It has been raining most of the day so we went shopping and found a nice B&B to settle in for the night. We were out late last night with the Doddys of Ballymote and thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality. At the B&B in Ballymote the owner, Peter loaned us a book written by Michael Hanna for a local politician about the History of the Taaffe family in County Sligo. Come to find out Edward Taaffe built the replica of the Ballymote Castle in Austria, current day Czech Republic...this may be the answer we were all trying to find out how the Doddys came from Sligo to Austria to Czechoslovakia. Much research still needs to be done but I believe we found a big part of the puzzle. I have everyones email that we met in Ballymote so we will surely keep in touch. Even Cairan, the editor for the local paper took our picture and will put it on the Ballymote.ie website sometime next week...All in all, it felt like we were home and the Doddys were a gracious bunch. Tommorrow we are going along the coastline near Donegal where the highest cliffs in Ireland are...and some gardens that were recommended along the way. Not sure where we will end up after that....you'll know when we arrive. Jerry and Sue we had a cone with a 99 today. Thanks for the heads up...and Jerry I can't find Baalyswine anywhere on the map. Send Fodors on a mission! Take care all! The Doddys

At Doddys pub

Right now we are sitting at Doddys pub in Ballymote. I'm using Jane Doddys laptop. My dad and John Doddy are triying to figure out the family history. We seen some graves with Doddy on them. I stayed in the car for that. Tomorrow we are going to be heading to derry. We'll post later.....................

County Sligo

We drove from Bray to Ballymote, County Sligo yesterday...First stop, Doddy's Pub in the middle of town. John Doddy met us there and we tried to figure out if we were related to each other. We didn't have a name of a Doddy to give him so we thought it was a deadend to finding our ancestors...because our grandfather was born in Austria. We came back later in the day and met Jane, his daughter. Having a pint of Guiness, a fellow named Ciaran sat down next to us and John asked him if he knew how the Doddys would have ended up in Austria...he knew the answer...and Aristorcrat named Taffe came to Ireland to marry an Irish Catholic girl and took her back to Austria with an entourage...she became homesick so he built an entire replica of Ballymote Castel for her in Austria. Ciaran said that is probably how the Doddys arrived in Austria. There are many Doddys in this region. We passed the Doddy transport service earlier. At breakfast the owner heard us talking about the castle in Austria and he told us his boss, a politican, wrote a book about the history of the Ballymote Castle in Austria and he will bring me a copy to read after we get back to the B&B later today. Today we are spending the day in Sligo, a town along the ocean...and of course it is raining again. We are going to Derry tommorw so we will try to update from there. Take Care! The Doddys