(I’ve been M.I.A. for two full days, down with a violent, but fast flu. Not sure how it happened, but there we were in Dublin and now we’re in Kilkenny. I think I navigated us here, and know I slept— a lot.) Today, the sun broke, my illness subsided and we had a lovely game of golf at Mount Juliet, named after Somerstown Hamilton Butler’s wife, Juliet, who built the estate. And it is quite a place. We even heard hunting dogs and heard there are accompanying horses. Later, we also heard that the hunting dogs and horses are just for show, for the tourists. Hmm… more research needs to be done on that one.
Mount Juliet is a Jack Nicholas course with all the signature details of balls that slide easily into bunkers, abundant water features, and cozy holes that turn back and forth on each other like a dance— forward to this hole, back to this hole, forward again to that hole, and hots of forced carries. It was gorgeous.
Our one minus point was that it was not an easy walking course, with a few too many long walks between the green and the next tee. That means a lot to us since we tend to walk and Scottish courses are almost all set up for easy walking.
After golf and lunch, we were back in Kilkenny. John took a long walk around town and found a church! How like him… Then later, we went out to a Rick Steves suggested pub, Kytelers. It was charming with lots of wood and stone, nooks and crannies, and curios arranged in glass cases. Even better, we walked in with the banjos and mandolin player, even offered to buy him a drink, but he said he would be driving later, so no thanks.
Then on to merrier things —music, drinking, and loads of fun!! This is the welcome window to keep guests entertained while they wait for a table. See the one bodhran (Irish drum) on the ceiling, upper right.
The food was interesting and unusual. John had a chicken Vol au Vent, a chicken pot pie with yummy sauce, chips (fries) and apple pie for dessert. I stayed with an easy fare of pasta with a bit of mandolin and banjo.
Even better was the music. Just three musicians and lots of camaraderie . They were good friends and knew the basic tunes. Though most seemed simple, it was fun, easy listening, and atmospheric. They probably needed one of the bodhrans hanging around the ceiling, or the dented tuba over the guitar player for a bit more rhythm but that would have broken up the decorations!
We had a lovely walk home through the rain, down dark streets, quiet evening noises, and twinkle lights here and there. We entered the River Court Hotel from the river this time and found an Irish wedding underway. How lovely. Good night!
