Updated:

The pictured road sign stands at the entrance to the village of my great grandfathers birth. Born in 1829, he emigrated from Ireland during the Great Famine and spent the remainder of his life working the coal mines and stone quarries along the Delaware River valley in northern Pennsylvania..

The stone and coal traveled by barge on the newly constructed D & H canal north to the Hudson river at Kingston, NY, then south to New York City. Much of the stone was used for the construction of the sidewalks in a growing New York City. My Great Grandfather died in Kingston, NY., in 1890.

Just short of one hundred years later in 1989, as a third generation Irish American, I realized that I did have some Irish roots and started to persue them. I have returned to Ireland each year since my first visit in 1989. After the first two visits I had unearthed what I felt was all of the available information of my family. Something kept pulling me back there every year.

After three trips, the escorted tours started to repeat themselves. I realized that I could never see all that Ireland has to offer so my subsequent visits were with rental car to areas and sites that the average escorted tour bypassed. One of my criteria is to spend at least two nights at each stop. Eight hotels in ten days does not appeal to me.

This site is intended to highlite the lesser known areas I have visited, most of them not included in Irish travel brochures.

Traffic jam!

Just several items before I start. I have stayed at some class hotels when on the escorted tours but on my own I prefer Bed and Breakfasts, Guest Houses and Hostels. I have found all to be neat and clean.

A room at a hostel will provide low cost lodging. They cannot be considered just youth hostels as they once were called. I am a senior and have found all that I have stayed at to be fine and used by all age groups.

Being a computer nerd, I arranged all of this years visit, including air tickets, auto reservations and accomodations, on the internet. If you are hesitant in doing this, you may take the travel information you find on the net to your local travel agent for the final arrangements.

MY SPECIAL PLACES

FAVORITE LINKS

My friend Matti| Four Lakes| Jim McPhail & The Regals| Send an Irish Poscard