Dedications: My four late friends Rory, Stan, Bryan, Jeff - shine on you crazy diamonds, they would have blogged too. Then theres Garry from Brisbane, Franco in Milan, Mike now in S.F. / my '60s-'80s gang: Ned & Joseph in Ireland; in England: Frank, Des, Guy, Clive, Joe & Joe, Ian, Ivan, Nick, David, Les, Stewart, the 3 Michaels / Catriona, Sally, Monica, Jean, Ella, Anne, Candie / and now: Daryl in N.Y., Jerry, John, Colin, Martin and Donal.

Friday 4 April 2014

April in Ireland

We missed the smog and sand blown in from the Sahara here in the London area, as we had a few days over in the West of Ireland (part of their Great Atlantic Way, a coastal route from Donegal in the North to the historic and foodie town of Kinsale in County Cork in the South West). We were actually at Ballybunion, that pleasant seaside town in North Kerry (quiet now, but getting ready for their busy summer season, with those 3 wide sandy beaches and a lot of attractions like a famous golf course and places of historic interest) with a lot of childhood and teenage associations for me, which was badly damaged in the storms of recent months, being right on the very edge of Europe, overlooking that wild Atlantic .... it was a rainy morning there this week, but none the less pleasant for that - 
after we got over the shock of the train from East Croydon (outside London) being full at 6.30am, so one had to stand until London Bridge station, on the run up to that perfect little airport: Luton Airport - almost as perfect as Kerry Airport ! But when I was travelling up from the coast (Portsmouth, Brighton, Lancing) in the 80s and 90s, I was getting trains at 7.25 am, to be in London for 9.00 - but now the trains are full at 6.30am? I knew London was getting more and more crowded but this is ridiculous - or are people starting work earlier ?
My other favourite Kerry town: Listowel

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