This trip to Ireland in 2014 is different in so many ways than our visit almost two years ago. Yes, we’ve been to a few new places this time, and yes, the weather has been kinder to us, and there’s no question that driving a stick is completely different.

But the main contrast is the pace we’ve set ourselves. I’m here to do research for my book, and that has meant days indoors at the National Library in Dublin and the library in Waterford and Tralee, all of which have given me nuggets of information that will serve my book well, so I am this side of ecstatic about all that. Much more of that to come in the days and weeks ahead, but it’s all coming together.

The pace, though, that’s the thing. I’ve decided not to take a break exactly, but to take it easy as far as blogging on our trip throughout Ireland. That decision frees me up to just take in the beauty in photographs – more pictures, less words.

Here we go …

A map, with green stars indicating where we’ve been where I’ve taken a few shots. The red line shows our journey beginning in Dublin, with plenty of stops along the way, all of them not highlighted, but they’re there in my memory.

Dublin

Southeast Ireland

Glendalough

Ardmore

Ring of Kerry

Ballybunion

This gets my vote as the best name of a town in Ireland. For a while, I thought the 1997 movie “The Matchmaker” starring Janeane Garofalo was set in Ballybunion, but no, it was Roundstone, two counties and 256 km away. Same coastal charm, though, and worth a visit. Atlantic Ocean cliffs on a clear day are enough to make you want to jump right in …