Hotel and onward to Shannon

We’ll spare you photos of the Ashling Hotel. It’s across the River Liffey from Heuston railway station where we entrain for the west, quite modern and very comfortable. What keeps us happy are the view and this, the St. James Gate beef and Guiness pie.

A puff pastry cover, Hereford beef in a mushroom and onion gravy. The chunky chips are good, but the pie is 2.5 cuts above all others in a myriad of Irish pubs, and we proselytize its virtues to anyone who will listen and even to some who don’t.

In the morning, we chow down at the hotel breakfast. Paula loves the pancake machine among other features. Press a button and watch the machine pour, cook, and disgorge tasty 5-inch pancakes. Topped with fruit compote–heaven!

We’re seen on our way by some of the hotel’s sheep.

Heuston Station has seen some improvements, among them a new drink and dine joint: the Galway Hooker.

This has much to do with a type of fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel and nothing to do with General Hooker.

We’ve done this cross-country route several times before. Big buffet breakfast at the Ashling Hotel, pack up, and board the 11 AM train at Heuston to Limerick Junction at 90-95 mph, change across the platform to a chunter up to Limerick Colbert Station, change to the 51X bus which drops us at the Shannon Airport, grab a luggage cart, and trundle over to the Park Inn. Check in and grab a quick nap, then back to the airport to greet other arriving tour group members and one of our leaders. The group gathers in the bar for an early supper, and winds down early in favor of sleep and jetlag recovery, with plenty of craic yet to come.