Barry has clearly been spending more time on this blog than I, since I’m still several days behind. We were in Athlone Thursday through Saturday. Why Athlone? When we went there in 2017, it was because I wanted to see the town where my maternal grandfather grew up. On that trip we discovered Sean’s Bar, supposedly the oldest bar in Ireland, founded by Vikings some time around 900. Since we were just passing through, I got to quaff a brew with my ancestors’ ghosts, but Barry the Driver did not. So we returned so that he could enjoy Sean’s together (it was lovely, with a small fire in the fireplace, quiet on Thursday afternoon but hopping on Friday evening).
We managed to explore the town, as well as take some walks along the River Shannon and the canal that parallels the river. It’s a wide and very swift river, and apparently both the river and Lough Ree just to the north are noted for fishing, especially pike.
Our first afternoon was quite balmy for Ireland, in the low 50s, but the next morning was pretty windy walking along the river. We also had our first taste of Italian food in Ireland. The mushroom risotto was lovely, but don’t get Barry started on the pizza.
Cork Spring 