On the Road Again - Louth and Derry

We had to leave the cottage very early this morning to drop Maggie off at the Dublin airport in time for her morning flight home. We swapped out our van for a smaller car in Dublin and headed north. On our way, we stopped to see Louth Hall - a ruin of an estate owned by the Plunkett family - ancestors Mom had tracked down. The home was one of four large estates that employed much of the village. It was inhabited until about 15 years ago when a fire damaged it beyond reasonable repair. We had to hop 6 gates and trudge through cow pastures to get to it, but we walked around the grounds for some time. A local B&B owner was able to walk us through it and share what he remembered from before it burned. Sadly beautiful.

The Tea Room at our B&B in Derry.

Derry is one of the last walled cities in Europe. We spent some time this evening walking the wall and reading the memorials to the rich history of this city.

Derry was an important city during the IRA/Loyalist conflicts. The events of Bloody Sunday occurred on Rossville street, only a block from our B&B. Derry is famous for it's art - murals depicting heroes of the troubles and icons of peace. This is a sad, haunting place. While we feel safe, there is definitely a different feeling to this area of Ireland.