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Ireland Blog Series #1

This is post #1 of a blog series I’m writing including pictures of the recent amazing trip I took with our precious, beautiful daughter Leah.

We took so many pictures with our phones that I need to break up the posts, to make it easier for you to read, as I know you live a busy, hectic life like mine and you don’t have lots of spare time!

I hope these blogs inspire and bless you. I thank my Lord Jesus Christ, who made this amazing opportunity and prayer possible. 

“Ireland, once you live there, you’re seduced by it.”–Frank McCourt

My precious daughter Leah & I at Cliffs of Moher

I’ve dreamed for years of going to Ireland. Maybe the idea first started when I read about my teen-year heroine Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind, whose father Gerald was from Ireland and who had a strong Irish brogue, so Scarlett was Irish, too. Or maybe it’s the breathtakingly beautiful pictures of the Cliffs of Moher, which I longed to see. Or possibly it was from hearing fun Irish music, like the jigs Leah plays on her violin.

Me at Torc Waterfall stone bridge

Whatever the reason, Ireland has been calling my heart. So I began to pray for God to make a way for me to visit Ireland. My daughter Leah wanted to go, too. And God did it! I give Jesus Christ all the glory for this amazing opportunity! I told Leah that this proves that hard work and faith in Jesus can make your dreams come true! Yours can, too!

Gods’ Glory Box items for August 2018, with my book, Walking With God

How? Through the profit of selling 7,700 copies of my book on prayer, Walking With God, to the Christian organization God’s Glory Box, I was able to buy a vacation package for two through Great Value Vacations.

This package included lodging for a week at the beautiful Bunratty Castle Hotel and lovely, immaculately-clean B & B’s of our choice, the car rental for a week from Dan Dooley’s car rental, and the plane flights from New York to Shannon, Ireland and back from Dublin, Ireland to New York. The flights from Kansas City (where I live) to New York and New York to Kansas City were separately priced.

Leah at pretty spot where we stopped at Killarney National Park

Leah and I went for seven days and had an amazing time! Ireland is GORGEOUS! I miss it and wish I was still there!

Two of the main things I wanted to see was the Cliffs of Moher near Galway and Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park. These beautiful sites surpassed my imagination. The Cliffs of Moher were both mine and Leah’s favorite place.

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

The breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

me at Cliffs of Moher with coffee

A beautiful pic of Leah with coffee at the Cliffs of Moher

Leah at Torc Waterfall, Killarney National Park

Another thing I wanted to see was Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney. This gorgeous Gothic-style cathedral was built in 1853 and has beautiful stained glass windows and awe-inspiring architecture. It is the Roman Catholic cathedral in County Kerry.

It was designed by the renown English architect Augustus Welby Pugin. The Great Famine in Ireland and lack of funds meant the work had to be stopped several times, and when it was recommenced, the interior decorations finished by James Joseph McCarthy.

Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney, Ireland

Stained glass windows in St. Mary’s Cathedral

Altar at St. Mary’s Cathedral

It is very true that Ireland is SO green and that is why it’s called the “Emerald Isle.” It rains frequently there, thus all the greenery. 

Most of the eastern half of the country has between 750 and 1000 millimetres (mm) of rainfall in the year. Rainfall in the west generally averages between 1000 and 1250 mm. In many mountainous districts rainfall exceeds 2000 mm per year.  Rainfall ranges from about 151 days a year along the east and southeast coasts, to about 225 days a year in parts of the west.

Light rain on windshield in mountains

Ireland is so green due to all the rain

I prayed before we went that it wouldn’t rain, at least hard, while we were there because I would be driving and don’t like driving in rain or bad weather. It did rain lightly there every day for short periods of time, but the sun quickly came out. As one couple on a shuttle to the airport said, “The sun (the Son!) followed us.” Leah even spotted a rainbow one day, which I had prayed would happen if it rained, before going over there!

I had bought me and Leah lightweight raincoats on sale (hers, new, at Amazon and mine at a thrift store) before we went over there due to the rain. They came in handy a few times when it softly rained and they worked perfectly! This and our rolling luggage, backpacks, and hiking/walking boots were a great investment for the trip!

I didn’t want to chance our luggage getting lost going on an international flight, so we didn’t check baggage and took the backpacks and rollerboards on the planes. I tried to pack “light and tight,” but they were still stuffed, so I had to push them under the seat to make them fit. Having been a flight attendant helps!

our backpacks & rollerboards for plane

Leah in her cute, lightweight blue raincoat that we bought for this trip–it brings out her blue eyes!

A powerful pic: Leah looking at Atlantic Ocean in her raincoat

Me in a cute raincoat I bought at the thrift store on sale for this trip, in Galway at lunch

Me looking at Atlantic Ocean in my raincoat

Pictures can’t do it justice and words aren’t enough to describe how gorgeous Ireland is! Ireland has breathtakingly beautiful mountains, the Atlantic ocean, lakes, waterfalls, trees, and flowers! I loved it and can’t wait to go back! Leah wants to go back, too–next time to see Giant’s Causeway in northern Ireland!

Atlantic Ocean near Galway

Atlantic Ocean beach near Galway

mountains in Killarney National Park

I’ll be sharing more blogs and pictures from this trip, so stay tuned here at BethJones.net. Please like and share with your family, friends, and peers. Cheers! 

Leah & me at the gorgeous Cliffs of Moher, Ireland: Dreams do come true!