2018: A Year in Brief (Part 2) - IRELAND

We were back in Ireland for the 12th of July - no surprises there. We flew into Belfast and picked up Garvan and Claire for a trip out to Bruckless, detouring to stop at Newgrange. A 5,200 year old passage tomb and stone circle, it was built before Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Egypt. We got the perfect day for a tour and even got to go inside.

Onward to Bruckless for a few days and then Andrew and I took off on the roadtrip through the South we had intended to take while living in Belfast. Better late than never, right?

After climbing Knocknarea and adding a stone to Queen Mebd's Cairn, we figured we earned a soak at the Seaweed baths in Enniscrone, Sligo. The room came complete with a body-sized steamer enclosing everything but your head.

Downpatrick Head and the Céide (cagey) Fields before meeting Jim and Rosie in the middle of no where for tea. We left Jim waiting at the roadside for ages while we drove around the block a few times. Onward from there, we drove through Pontoon (aptly named as it's positioned beside a land bridge over Lough Conn), Westport, into and through Connemara (past Croag Patrick, along Killary Fjord, and out as far as Kylemore Abbey). We sped on to Galway for a long multi-course meal at Loam. Just before that yummy dinner, two hitchhikers were spotted and removed from Andrew's calf (which would later lead to a visit to the A&E and Lyme disease).

After a jaunt into Galway in the morning, we drove down to Yeats' tower, a ruined abbey, and a drive through the stoney Burrens. It was raining at the Cliffs of Mohr and we drove by without seeing much. Past surfers at Lahinch we caught a ferry across the Shannon and drove out to Dingle for the night. Yummy Guinness, a new friend (who bragged about stealing the world cup trophy in another pub), trad, and yummy seafood.

Stunning drive around Dingle and then over to Kerry to catch a boat trip out to Skellig Islands (Skellig Michael and Little Skellig).

Spent the night in Killarney, which was packed fully of fellow Americans. Then drove up to Belfast after a distillery tour in Tullamore and a stay at a spa where we had to buy swim caps to be allowed in the water. Pictures of our amazing trip are here.

We were back to Ireland again in September for a 100th birthday! Tom and Bea both turned 40 this year and they've been together for 20 years - what better reason to celebrate? Also, Andrew was cured of the Lyme.

Justin and Alba came to visit in November. We toured the town, got lost along the Itchen, and stayed up late eating and drinking.

We didn't make it home for Christmas this year, as we thought we wouldn't have our passports. We sent them away to the Home Office along with our applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain in October, and assumed we wouldn't hear back until 2019. To our surprise, we got our decision in December and they're letting us stay!