Ready for a hoolay...

As expected Thursday started on a low - Annette's funeral and the opening tune 'No Man's Land', a melancholic anti-war lament. Many former colleagues there, all as shocked as I at her early death.

Then on to the Budget: Edinburgh, Scotland's Capital, tail end Charlie, setting its budget a full week after every other council when no-one cared any more...and as predicted, the Coalition budget went through ....

The only good thing about the afternoon was that the meeting finished early enough to allow Eric and I away in good time to catch our flight to Belfast (our journey to Dublin was one of many stages and modes of transport). Six good friends arrived at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoughaire just before midnight, ready for a hoolay. The hotel was great...full marks to Janis for finding it...newly refurbished with with a strong, designer 'boutique' feel to it.

Friday was spent tramping the streets of Dublin, O'Connel Street, Grafton Street, Temple Bar etc., renewing our acquaintance with McDaid's (many pints of Guiness sank by the men) then eventually on to Fagans Bar, Drumcondra Road, Taisoch, Bertie Ahern's local. Much to our delight, we find we are following in Hillary and Bill's footsteps...and on the wall, the photos to prove it. The landlord was chuffed when I told him some of us intended to go out to help Hillary (God willing we get the chance) and presented us with two emerald green lighters 'to help set Hillary's campaign alight!'

Saturday's focus was, of course, the rugby international but we managed to squeeze in a few other highlights...the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Paddy Burke, welcomed us to the Mansion House. He was hosting a meeting of Labour councillors and we had the chance to renew friendships with Mary Freehill the labour Leader in Dublin council...a useful discussion about areas of mutual interest, not least the impact of the Polish diaspora on left wing politics in Western Europe.

Janis & Eric took the chance to visit the Irish National Gallery to view the Edinburgh link. Found in the priest's house at St Patrick's in the Cowgate, the painting titled 'Mass at Connemara' had lain undiscovered for a hundred years and is now on permanent loan to Dublin.

Playing the international at Croke Park was an historic occasion. The stadium itself was amazing. Seated in row W in the Hogan Stand, vertigo quickly kicked in...so high I could have touched the sky...but the match...oh it was painful. The cameraderie in the crowd was brilliant and the Fields of Athenry lifted the hair on the back of the neck but the result was just plain bad...still, we quickly recovered our spirits at the Oval bar...then on came 'No Man's Land' , twice in as many days, and that brought me right back down to earth again.

Sunday was just fabulous, though. We went to visit Powerscourt, County Wicklow...wonderful and varied gardens, a great and ancient house and, in its grounds, the Ritz Carlton Hotel, home to the new Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Unfortunately they could only offer us a 4 & 2 table setting so we politely declined and went downstairs instead to McGill's Bar where, yes you guessed it, the Guiness and food went down just as happily. It was a super day full of laughter and fun and a very early bed!

Monday saw us take a long tramp along the coast road to Dalky (someone told me that Bono lives there: we didn't see him, didn't miss him either) and we ended up at Finnegan's, a very friendly bar, where we discovered, an old friend Connor O'Riordan, former Irish Consul to Scotland, drinks when he is at home. Eric left a couple of euros behind the bar to stand him a pint the next time he's there...

And that's about it...the Irish adventure over for another two years... but I'm already looking forward to New York in April..when six good friends plus new friend Norma go off to enjoy Tartan Week. Travel definitely broadens the mind even if it does empty the purse!