Jameson Distillery, Blarney Castle and Bleachfield Bistro

By our sixth day in Ireland we'd more or less adjusted to the time difference. It was nice having World Cup games to fall asleep to at night as well. Funny what big soccer fans the kids became when they realized it meant they could stay up later. ;)

First stop was the old Jameson Distillery in Midleton, which had this interesting contraption out front that I doubt was an actual working train.

A couple of chandeliers made from Jameson bottles hung in the entrance because, why not?

The exterior of the old warehouse was very consistent.  I tried to find some artistic ways to play with that consistency visually, like by including a sliver of shadow to disrupt the symmetry ...

... and by just giving the sense that the pattern could continue infinitely in all directions.  This shot is a little disorienting to me without any sort of visual anchor.

This shot has one purpose -- to convey how enormous this cask is.  Again, I wish I'd included a person for scale.

The old pot still on the grounds had a fanciful vibe -- like some sort of steampunk fairy house.

Next stop was Blarney Castle, nearly 600 years old and home of the famous Blarney Stone.  By midmorning it was very crowded with other tourists, as the castle is also a popular destination for locals.  Took some creative composition to get shots without other visitors in them.

But I managed!  That hole in the top of the battlements directly above the windows is where the Blarney Stone is located.  You have to lie on your back and stretch upside down to kiss it, which we all waited in an hour-long line to do.  Metal bars over the opening prevent anyone from falling to an untimely death right after they've acquired their new gift of eloquence.

I love how they've let nature reclaim parts of the structure.  To me, that helps reinforce an ancient sort of feeling.

Amazing the places that plants can take root.

After checking in at our hotel in Killarney, we headed out into the country a bit to the Bleachfield Bistro for a home-cooked dinner and some traditional entertainment.  Here a young Irish dancer waits to begin her performance.

Music was provided by three local musicians led by Brrrrrrendan Moriarty.  Rolling the "r" is mandatory.  He's a wonderful tenor and a fine squeeze box player.  I wish I could have gotten more good shots of him and the band, but the light was very dim and I didn't want to blow things out and create a distraction with a flash.  So I had to settle for what I could get at ISO 4000.

Not even halfway through our trip, and we'd already gotten to see and do quite a few wonderful things!