We had a long day on Tuesday. We made many stops, but all the advance planning was so worthwhile! We saw and experienced some really impactful exhibits that certainly left us deeply touched and grateful to our Irish ancestors who came before us.
Acton's Hotel fortified us with a delicious breakfast and before we headed out, around 8:30 AM (the usual time most days) we had one last look at the beautiful harbor right across from our hotel.
Our first stop was Cobh Heritage Centre and The Queenstown Story. Located in the charming little town of Cobh, County Cork, this "museum" was an absolute gem. It had a lot of information and history on Irish Emigration, in addition to exhibits on The Cunard Ship Line and the White Star Line, which sailed the Titanic (Queenstown was the last stop the Titanic made before heading to New York). To learn more about this special place use this link: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+queenstown+story&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Our next stop was the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience in New Ross, County Wexford. This museum was unique and very engaging. We started with a lovely lunch at their cafe. That was followed by a visit to an exact replica of an Irish Famine Ship. It was sobering to see the conditions under which most of the Irish people traveled when emigrating to the US or Canada. Seeing this hit close to home since my great-great-grandmother died of Hepeitus a few days after she arrived in the US after emigrating from Ireland, leaving her children orphaned. Inside the museum, there was a lot more interesting information about the great Irish emigration, including bios on some of the more famous Americans whose families emigrated from Ireland. To learn more about this fascinating exhibit use this link: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=dunbrody+famine+ship&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Next, we were off to the Kennedy Homestead Visitors Center in Dunganstown, New Ross, County Wexford. This was at the top of my list of places to visit in Ireland since I, like many others in the United States, have always had a great fascination with the Kennedys. The Kennedy Homestead Visitor Centre is situated beside the original farmhouse and celebrates the story of five generations of the Kennedy dynasty. It is still farmed today by their descendants, Patrick Grennan and his family. To learn more about this gem use this link: https://www.kennedyhomestead.ie
In the early evening, we finally arrived at our hotel, Faithlegg. We were very excited to stay here, as it was promised to be a special place and one of our "splurges." Set in a stunning woodland location with fabulous views over the Suir estuary in County Waterford, Faithlegg is a beautifully restored 18th Century mansion. I was so taken with the property that I got a bit carried away with the photo ops. This is only a small sampling of the multitude of photos I shot. To learn more about his fabulous hotel use this link: https://www.faithlegg.com
After we returned for our pre-dinner walk I caught this shot of Graham and Miles staring out our massive picturesque window admiring this stunning rainbow that magically appeared on the green within our view. I think we may have even spotted a pot of gold at the end.
Dinner was delicious at the hotel bar/restaurant. We had a cozy table with a beautiful view and great service.
Everyone slept very well at The Faithlegg!