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Although I’m not usually a collector of anything particularly expensive, I’d heard enough about Waterford Crystal to pique my interest. In fact, it was the primary reason for my visit to the city. The Waterford Crystal Factory tour was even more interesting than I’d hoped; I learned a great deal about the intricate production of crystal and purchased some great souvenirs. The tour begins with an audiovisual presentation that details the making of the giant crystal Millennium Ball in Times Square. From there, the guide leads you through the actual factory, where you can see true artists at work creating their masterpieces. The first of the five stages in crystal production is Blowing, probably the most amazing aspect of the entire process. The artisans hold long, hollow metal tubes with hot orange blobs of glass at the end. They blow air into the tube and carefully twirl the tubes as the orange mass fills with air and expands. They do this repeatedly, sometimes flattening their work and reissuing it into the 1100°C red hot oven behind them, starting over again. They are perfectionists. After the glass has been blown into a container like shape, other procedures help transform the cooling glass into the unique shapes of Waterford Crystal. I watched one artist roll the metal tube on a flat table top. The glass hanging off the end took a different shape with each roll. Another artist used wooden molds to shape the pliable glass. Once the crystal has completely cooled, it’s taken to the next stage of the process – Cutting. Rows upon rows of cutters sit at their rapidly spinning diamond tipped wheels. They hold an uncut piece of crystal to the wheel and etch unbelievably intricate designs. Blue felt pen marks the lines they are to cut, but it still astonished me how easy they made the whole process look. Not only do they have to cut at the right place, but also at the right angle and depth. They are truly talented. The third stage
is Quality Inspection where each piece is scrutinized to see if it lives
up to Waterford standards. From here, pieces are sculpted and engraved.
We were shown engraved pieces, but no actual engravers were at work that
day. The tour also includes a visit to the showroom, and the chance to
see the finished products. It’s estimated that each piece takes about 25
people to make from start to finish. Most of the crystal is quite expensive
– but at least now I know why.
But alas, I did leave Cork to make the requisite venture to Blarney Village and its castle. I’m not sure what I was anticipating, but Blarney Castle definitely surpassed any expectations I may have had. It’s a lovely area and there’s so much more to it than just kissing the famous stone……… Even before entering the castle, the grounds surrounding it can take up hours of your time. The immensely green fields, forests and caves truly illustrate Ireland’s splendor. The Badger’s Cave is one of the first areas to explore. The dark hole in the green hill seems slightly frightening, and I didn’t care to venture too far in. A creek trickles through the grounds, and pink flowers grace several bushes. A dirt path winds through the Fairy Glade - an exquisite collection of more greenery, flowers and strategically placed boulders. Other interestingly named parts of the grounds include the Sacrificial Altar and Witches Kitchen. The Wishing Stairs are worth a climb – a cave-like tunnel covers steep stone stairs. You’re meant to make a wish as you descend, but I was too busy watching my step to actually do anything more than wish for a safe decline! The height
of the castle itself surprised me; it looms overhead and you can’t catch
sight of the top unless you tilt your head back and gaze way up. The famous
castle was initially built as a timber hunting lodge in the 10th century.
The present day structure was orchestrated by the McCarthy family around
1446. After changing hands a few times, the castle now belongs to the Trustees
of the Blarney Castle Estate.
We had to wait for some time to bestow our kisses upon the lucky stone. The only remaining part of the top level of the castle is a narrow walkway on the battlements. A thick iron railing protects you, but looking over the side still made my stomach do flip-flops. It’s very high up. Kissing the Blarney Stone is no easy feat. The big stone is actually a part of the castle wall, and in order to receive the gift of eloquence that the stone is known for endowing, you must bend over backwards to kiss it. This involves laying flat on your back on a sheet of plastic, while a man hangs onto your feet for safety. There are two poles attached to the stone that I hung onto with all my strength. You then must slide yourself backwards until your head slips into the space between the walkway and stone, and your lips are finally able to meet the cold rock. Ring of Kerry I wasn’t aware of Ireland’s Ring of Kerry until I started researching places to visit during my trip. Not surprisingly, this previously unknown attraction turned out to be the highlight of my trip. Buses do circuit the ring, but I’d recommend renting a car as this allows you to stop and explore the places you’re interested in, at your leisure. Killarney makes
a great starting point and it’s quite easy to find your way to the Ring.
The thin, winding roads are slightly difficult to maneuver while driving
on the opposite side of the road, but I soon forgot that my passenger was
on my left. The only disadvantage of being the driver is that you have
to keep your eyes on the road, instead of on the captivating scenery. Fortunately,
the curvy roads and speed limit prevent anyone from going too fast, and
the driver is able to absorb the majority of the spectacular views.
Farther down along the same road, we came to the ruins of a stone fort. Built in the Iron Age, Cahergall Stone Fort is a giant circle. Flat thin stones are stacked atop one another to create a circular fortress. There is no roof, but stairs still exist on the inside of the fort. Climbing to the top gives you an unobstructed view of the surrounding area – the land that the fort was built to protect. Our second day on the Ring of Kerry began bright and early as we had a day trip planned to the Skellig Islands. Located eight miles off Ireland’s west coast, a visit to the enchanting islands is not for the weak or faint hearted. The only way to reach the Skelligs is by boat – and although they look quite close, once you get out on the rough sea, the boat ride seems never-ending. Being a water person – a swimmer, diver and boater - I thought I was prepared for anything. But this boat ride was definitely not pleasant, and although we were told it was an unusually rough day at sea, there is very rarely a calm ride to the Islands. The tiny boat was pitched around, continual freezing waves crashed over the sides drenching us and once I was even thrown off my wooden seat onto the plank floor. I was terrified. But sometimes I find it necessary to take risks in order to experience some of nature’s more rewarding sights. That said, once I stepped off the boat and onto the islands, their beauty erased every painful memory from my mind. It was worth every fear-filled second. There are two main islands. The first, Little Skellig, is only visible from the boat. An enormous, jagged piece of rock is essentially what makes up this first island. Its size, vertical height and location in the middle of the sea are definitely impressive, but it’s the birds that make Little Skellig exceptional. The black rock is swarmed by white birds – there are so many sea gulls and gannets flying around the island that it almost seems alive. Parts of the massive rock outcropping have been turned white by the tremendous amounts of excrement that the birds leave behind. Their numbers are overwhelming. The second, bigger island, Michael Skellig is where the boat docks. Bring a lunch and drinks – the island is remote and uninhabited without so much as a toilet to be found. What is present is an abundance of stairs. Exploring the island takes quite a bit of exertion and the stone stairs are uneven and can be dangerous. The stairs are part of the well preserved ruins of an early monastic settlement that occupy the island. The monks of St. Fionan lived here leading simple lives and residing in igloo shaped stone huts. To reach the majority of the ruins, you must climb almost 700 stairs to reach the top of the island. But take your time – there’s plenty to see on your way. In late spring and early summer, puffins sun themselves on the island’s rock ledges. The black and white birds with their colorful beaks are a delight to watch. In the distance you can see Little Skellig and the mainland behind it. The walkway runs next to a sheer drop and the waves crashing into the rocky bottom are mesmerizing as the deep blue of the sea turns into white water. Much of the rocky island is covered in green grass and orange moss. Strangely, but naturally, shaped rocks jut out from the steep islands at various points. Once you reach the ancient stairway, you’ll see that it is not much more than flat rocks laid out in a succession, one on top of the other. They are sturdy, but their age is evident in the cracks and erosion created by thousands of trudging feet. A flatter area at the pinnacle of the island houses the monastery. The dome residences look like something out of a science fiction movie. The small stones are fitted together perfectly to create the huts – which almost resemble beehives. You can enter several of the huts, and peering through their windows gives you a view very similar to what the monks would have seen thousands of years ago. Not much has been touched on the island and it retains an important and mysterious air. Remnants of a crude stone cross overlook the dark blue sea. With the horizontal arms of the cross crumbling away, it almost looks a person standing watch over the magnificence of the isles. Driving back to Killarney on the final section of the Ring of Kerry, we witnessed even more of the same pure Irish beauty. The countryside is greener than you can imagine, and bright bunches of purple flowers dot many trees. More ruins are scattered around the fields and we even passed a Leprechaun Crossing sign. We were lucky enough to witness a rainbow at one point – but try as we might, we just couldn’t find the gold! The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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