Castle Roche and Belfast

Rebekah's Aunt Stacey is in town for a visit, so we decided to explore some new sights.  This time we went north. It was a cold rainy day, with occasional sleet and snow (a rare treat in Ireland). Our first stop was Castle Roche, a Norman castle built in 1236 A.D.  We were told this was a famous, breathtaking castle and one of the more famous ones in Ireland. We thought we could ask for directions once we got close. No dice.  No one knew what we were talking about, and it was not on any map.  After getting the owner of a local B&B on the phone, we were sent in the right direction.



The castle sits all alone, perched on a rocky outcrop, in the middle of some lonely fields.  No was was around.  There was no parking lot, no ticket booth, no trail. In fact we had to jump a fence and trudge through the mud up to the castle walls.  Actually, we stormed the walls; running through the muck toward the gate. Shayne, Weston and I choose the wrong way, and were forced to follow the sheep trails clinging to the steep soggy hills.



Once inside, we wandered the abandoned and overgrown courtyard. While Rebekah scaled the walls to get a better view. It was a magical place that begged to be explored. However, we had a schedule to keep and people waiting for us in Belfast.
 
We vowed co come back another time (when it was not snowing) and have a picknick. We made our way back through the mud, changed shoes, and jumped in the car. We were off to visit some newly discovered cousins in North Ireland. 
We arrived around lunch time, and parked by some gnarled trees.  Shayne spotted one that was quickly named 'The Butt tree'. She insisted on a photo. 

Both Conn and Aine Twomey (Cousins) were great. They were so kind to the kids, and showed us around their fair city.  They had some great stories, and updated us on the history and conflict of Belfast.


We ended the day at Belfast castle, searching for cats in the garden (don't ask) and watching people sled down the adjacent hills. The castle affords amazing views of the city and bay. However, freezing fingers and a snowstorm cut our trip to Belfast much to short. We all loaded back into the car and dropped off the cousins.  We were surprisingly sad to see them go. Despite just meeting them , we were all impressed by their kindness and warmth. We made plans to come back in the summer!