The clan headed for the Kerry Coast last Friday, ancestral home of the Moore/Connor line of our family tree. We spent the night in Tralee at a nice little hotel, a la Fawlty Towers (complete with Manuel). We dined at a hole in the wall called Allegro, which had the best lasagna imaginable – a major feat in Ireland, which apparently has never heard of Italian sausage (the Bragnalos and Mezzengas in our life would not be able to cope). After we returned to our digs, Theo and Paul headed for The Pikeman, the pub attached to the hotel, for a nightcap. The former had neopolitan icecream while his daddy enjoyed a pint of Dublin’s finest nectar. Sue and Sam followed a bit later and we all enjoyed the company of the local patrons.

Saturday brought us out to the Dingle Peninsula. After sunshine in the morning, we dealt with rainfall most of the day. The landscape is so incredible, however, that little could dampen our spirits. We cut through the mountains via Connor Pass, stopped for lunch in Dingle Town, and spent time at remarkable beach at Slea Head. After a night in a cheap guesthouse in Kilorglin, we spent Sunday exploring the coast and hinterlands of the Iveragh Penninsula. The fabled Ring of Kerry circumscribes the Iveragh, and affords great views. The real treasure, however, is the drive on single-lane, trecherous roads through the center. Magnificent scenery. We were stymied by the local bovines who believed the road was theirs.

The way home brought us through Limerick, home of the Cranberries. Thus, we'll leave you today with Dreams - the quintessential song by Delores O'Riordan and her band.