Day 7--IRL, Dublin to Cashel to Limerick to Ennis

Woke up at 6:30 am with a knot in my calf this morning due to a muscle cramp in the middle of the night. Got packed and headed down for breakfast at 7:15am. The breakfast was mostly foods I couldn’t eat and the rest was mostly stuff I didn’t like. I drank some juice and ate some bread, but that was it. Departed Dublin and went to the Irish National Stud Farm in Tully, County Kildare. I learned some interesting things about Thoroughbreds: *When January 1 rolls around, all foals born the previous year (before September I think) become yearling. *Horses on race for a few years when they are young. *To be thoroughbred, they must be natural—no artificial insemination. It can cost thousands of dollars to breed with a stud. “No foal, no fee” is their policy. Many horses get to fly over via jumbo jet. Anyway, the visit was interesting. Continued on to Cashel and saw the Rock of Cashel, but we didn’t get to go up to it this time. We did get to spend some time in Cashel and got lunch at O’Sullivan’s. It’s nice to eat in a pub now that smoking is no longer allowed. Tried to mail a couple post cards, but the Post Office was closed for lunch. Continued on to Ennis, passing Bunratty Castle and also driving through Limerick on the way. Got into the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis and had a bit of time to relax. Walked over to the nearby Dunnes Store and mall, then back to the hotel to depart for the medieval banquet at Knappogue Castle. I liked the food, environment, and show at Bunratty Castle. Knappogue Castle did have an Irish Dancer, which was cool. It was still an enjoyable evening. Got back to the hotel at 10:30pm. Oh- I tried to watch some cricket, but didn’t really understand it. So on the bus I asked a New Zealander (a Kiwi, as I later found out they call themselves) to explain. She explained pretty well, but I need to watch it to figure out better. At dinner, we all sang “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” (a guest “broke a rule” and that was his punishment). A different New Zealander who was sitting across from me said he had never heard it and wanted to know what it was about. I got a feeling for his familiarity with baseball (which was essentially a batter, a ball, and you have to make 4 bases to score) and I explained the game, the tradition, the 7th inning stretch, and its origins to him. He thought baseball was ridiculous, so I asked if cricket was his thing. His eyes lit up and I asked him to explain it. I got a little bit better understanding, but still need to try to watch it to figure it out.