I didn’t write much about this trip. At that time there was a reason or I thought there was…
Now Christel and I decided to write a book (only for ourselves!) I read my own notes again. If you could see me now🤭…smiling all the time.
14-12-2008
Christel came to my place so she could travel with us to Ireland. We had a lovely evening. We had to go to bed early as the taxi would be here at 05.15! And I am not an early bird…
15-12-2008
Taxi, flight and bus in Dublin as planned.
According to the hotel information we could check in from 16.00. We wanted to get rid of our suitcases as it walks easier without them. Staff was very friendly and we could check in immediately.
We went for a walk, ate something. Later (after dinner) we went to a pub with live music🤣. Just to inform you: We didn’t buy their CD🤭.
Ladies wearing fishnet stockings in a pub…
16-12-2008
We visited St Patrick’s Cathedral. Later we went to Dublin Castle for lunch as someone told us it was a good place for lunch. We were searching for the entrance. It was not marked on the map I had. 3 Irishmen came to me because they thought I was lost or get lost. They didn’t agree where the entrance was so they discussed it with each other. What they told us after that seemed to be the shortest way.
We had lunch there. It was ok but not really special!
After dinner we prepared to go to the NCH. Yesterday I asked the lady at the desk the shortest way to the NCH. About 1 km from the hotel. She asked what we were going to attend. She never heard about our tenors! She googled them and said:”They are good looking”. We know🤭.
It was so good to see and hear them live again. Haha I wrote then that I would like to have ‘The Holy City”on CD. In the meanwhile I have the CD ‘No Boundaries’😀.
Dervish was their guest(s). I love to hear them play but…not really at a CT concert. The guys are too classy for that. Nevertheless I can imagine that it is fun for them to play/sing together. I also told that to some members of Dervish.
Here in Dublin I gave the tenors a little present. I made booklets from the poems (limericks) fans made for the anniversary contest. On top of the package I glued an envelope with each their own stamps. The all said something like weird or so…
Later I used these stamps to send a card to Wise Old Tom.
17-12-2008
Today we went to Cork. At the train station we found out that it was way cheaper to buy a ticket via internet! At the desk it was 59,- and via internet 33,-. We had to buy the tickes half an hour before the train leaves so we had a later train😜. I don’t have note from the train trip so I think is was okay😊.
In Cork we had a problem. It was easy to find the hotel… Nowadays when I go to Ireland I book everything myself. This was the first time and for the four of us so I thought it was better to book via a tour operator. Due to the rescheduling of the concert dates we had to change the booking. The tour operator didn’t tell our hotel! So they didn’t have the booked rooms available. we got coffe and tea and Maria started to solve the problem.
She gave us more expensive rooms than we booked. One of the rooms was next to the street so Maria asked if that would be a problem. Christel didn’t mind…she lives in Berlin😉. The hotel had just my credit card number. What if we have to pay more.. Christel said immediately: “If they are charging you, tell me and I will send you money. I was just happy that we had rooms. The concert was tonight!!!
In the meanwhile it was around 15.00 and after unpacking we went for lunch. For Christel and me it could have been a combined lunch and dinner🤭.
We checked where the Opera House was – just a few streets away.
Back at the hotel we dressed for the evening and had dinner. Dinner was fine but we were in a hurry and had a very late lunch!
The Opera House was a bit odd. No cloak room for example. Ice cream for sale in the auditorium during the interval. Afterwards is was like a pigsty (that is just the translation from Dutch – don’t know the Englisch equivalence). And we had to put down our coats on the floor. As usual we survived!
The special song for Cork was: On the banks of my lovely Lee.
Back in the hotel we had a drink and went to bed. Then Christel said: “I want to go to Limerick”. So did I of course.
18-12-2008
At breakfast we talked with Madeleine and Dick about going to Limerick. They decided not to join us.
We asked the receptionist to find out if there were still tickets available. Just a little later we had tickets (row 11). The receptionist said that there are around 20 hotels in Limerick and it is not a tourist season so “you will find one when you are there”.Can you imagine that we went to Limerick without a booked room? It was December!!! Too cold to sleep under a bridge😄.
Cork is an open and friendly city. We explored the city centre ate something and went back tot the hotel. Christel and I had to go to the train station to get our tickets for Limerick.
19-12-2008
After breakfast Madeleine and Dick went to Cobh. Christel and I packed for 1 night. Then we went to Limerick. In the train we met a man with a Cork accent. He asked where we were from and lots more😄. Just before the train arrived in Limerick he asked if we could understand him. Hmm a bit late. He showed us the direction to the bus stop. When we asked a lady how to walk to the hotel we liked to stay. She said we’d better go by bus. Would be safer as we partly had to walk on the road. Okay…safety is a good argument. She took us to the bus stop.
Kilmurry Lodge had a room for us. Ridiculous idea to have a room in Cork and another one in Limerick for the same night😂. Unpacking we found out we forgot things🤭. I forgot my hair brush and it was VERY windy. I really needed one.
We bought what we forgot and also some bread and cheese. We figured out that we wouldn’t have time for dinner (that was good thinking).
We spent some time to find the Concert Hall and pick up our tickets. We met some elated students who liked to have some photos. Also one with Christel.
After the photos we stayed for a chat. One of the boys was from Cork…a girl was from Limerick.
The reason they were elated was the coming holidays.
Later we asked a man how to walk to the Concert Hall. We told him that we never were there before. He said: “I am working here for 30 years. I can tell you.” He was walking towards us but turned around. He told us how to walk from the ‘Rusty Man’.
Time to pick up our tickets. There was someone at the desk. Christel said that it was a pity that we had tickets for row 11. The lady checked the computer and said: “I have some other seats but they are front row”. Luck was with us😀.
Back to the hotel. Accidently we met Matthew there. He said that he was expecting us because we were leaving on the 22nd. He forgot that dates changed. The Cork concert would have been a few days later… We convinced him that we didn’t plan this. The surprise was gone. Actually not really as he didn’t expect us on first row🤭.
We walked to the Concert Hall. We saw small posters of the guys. I asked a staff member what they would do with them after the show. “Don’t know but…come back during the interval. In the meanwhile we’ll ask the box office manager”. Within 5 minutes she came to hand over 2 posters. Mattew has staple holes in his head. No problem…just fun to have it!
Finally we could go in. The stage was very low. Colm started with the intro of ‘Remember me”. Then the tenors came. James didn’t expect us so he was surprised. He poked Matthew and Mattew said something like: I already knew”. The man next to me said: “They know you don’t they?”
Set list was largely the same. Cathy was dressed in black and grey and that was more in harmony with the guys.
The special song for Limerick was (as we know now…): There is an isle’.
At the M&G it was time to say goodbye again.
We went back to the hotel by bus. Took our coats to our room and went to the lobby. We enjoyed watching people. I am still wondering…did we look like social workers??? A lady with very high heels came to us: “Those heels are killing me!”. Well put them off then…
The next one was wearing a very short green dress. Her black push-up bra was obvious visible. Think we would have tried to hide it! She went to Christel and whispered (pretty loudly🤣) it took me a quarter of an hour to put it on. You don’t have to wear it…
Can’t imagine I would tell that kind of things to total strangers!
Two Irishmen came to me to shake hands. Don’t ask why… I’m still wondering😉. They acted like they were drunk😯. Maybe they were. One of them welcomed us to Ireland. So I said: “Hold on. Can you say it again in front of my camera?” No problem. He was so kind to do it in Irish. Maybe I must say that they tried to. I just learned ‘Conas atá tú’ (How are you). That is what I could understand.
At one point we went to the bar. When the staff member closed the door we thought it was time for us to go. Then a man (now we know his name was Tony) asked what we were going to do. To our rooms. His response: “You don’t understand, do you. We are having a party. Join us over here”. We did and had a lovely time!
We just drink Guinness in Ireland. It has not so much alcohol. We drank 5 glasses and 1 pint! we went to bed early…in the morning🤭. It was around 02.40!
20-12-2008
Before 08.00 we were outside at the bus stop. No one could tell us at what time the bus would be there. We didn’t have to wait long. Doors opened and a known voice shouted:” Ahh the ladies from Amsterdam”. It was Dermott from the day before. He was accompanied by a woman (Etha). Etha said that he talked about us the whole evening🤭.
Dermott knew that we had to go back to Cork. “You are 45 minutes early”. They invited us to ‘come with us”. we walked with them to…a pub. At 08.15 or something! It took a lot of time before our coffe and tea came.
After half an hour we said goodbye. Etha hugged us and wanted Dermott to guide us to the station. We almost could see the station from the pub🤣. Etha paid for our coffee and tea.
In this pub we spoke about the Limerick song. Maybe someone knew the title. Etha said: “Ask James”. Isn’t that funny?
We had to change at Limerick Junction. It went very well yesterday, but now we had the wrong train. We were on the way to Dublin. In Thurles, the next stop, we found out that we had to wait for an hour and a half. Since we asked a staff member which train we needed, the man came to the waiting room to tell that the next train wasn’t ours. He did the same for the next train. Finally he said: “Not the next train, but the one after that is the train to Cork. If someone says that it isn’t correct, it is a lie!”
We arrived at about 13.00 in Cork. Went into the city centre to get some food and back to our room. Tried to get some sleep🤭.
At around 18.15 we went for dinner and after that to the heated terrace. Lovely place We had a lot to talk about. Two Irish ladies came to talk. One of them started to tell a (very) long story…Then she said that we already talked to her husband. So what? Are we adopted now???
At another night I had a chat with a guy named Will. He tried to teach me Irish. My pronunciation was great (his words🤭) the problem is that I don’t know what he made me say!!!
21-12-2008
Today we went to Jameson distillery in Middleton. I was there in 2007. We had whiskey at 11.00! Two of us didn’t drink whiskey so the other two had double😉.
This evening we had a last drink together. Christel’s flight was the next day at 06.20. Our flight was at 17.00.
22-12-2008
We did some shopping. I found a CD of Finbar Wright that I couldn’t find before.
It was raining when we left. That expressed my feelings. I love Ireland and the Irish people. Most people are kind, helpful and relaxed…
23-12-2008
I still had energy then… I started emailing…pretty long stories😂.
In our book of memories we need an appendix for the photos🤭.