Ireland 2023 - Day 15 - Carlingford

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The octagonal breakfast room at the Mourneview B&B had a wide open view of sheep grazing fields. On our first morning here, it was sunny and we saw green fields extending uphill until forest takes over and then there's a rugged outcropping called Sleive Foye, at 2,000 ft.  

But today it was raining with sun, and rainbows kept forming, including two complete rainbows, so momentary & we didn't have our cameras. The two photos below were taken accompanied by pelting rain from behind.       

from the B&B

After breakfast Roger drove us into town to locate the Carlingford to Omeath trailhead. Then Doris and Mary and I had a good sea level walk of five miles, with open vistas across the water, ever-changing with clouds & sunshine. 

note - you can enlarge any part of a picture by left-clicking in and then out again (with some exceptions). 

	the trailhead is at the town marina		taking the Green Way to Omeath		across the Loch to the Mourne Mountains
				Mary & Doris
	alongside the trail		coastal walk
		Cafe Rosa		web photo of Carlingford & Slieve Foye at 2,000 ft. and..	...King John's Castle is on the left, at the pier

Once we arrived at the tiny town of Omeath, on the water, we went to Cafe Rosa, and Roger drove north to join us for a 2 pm lunch.

The dining area was small and when three of us first arrived, we looked around and said "let's wait outside". A woman a little older than us was at a 4 person table, and she said, "I'll move to this (double) table over here", freeing up a table for us. I went to the loo & came back and sat down to order lunch.

A few minutes later, the woman who moved to accommodate us had finished her meal and was saying..."I can't believe you've paid for my lunch !" Turns out (while I was occupied) Doris went to the counter & and paid for her lunch.

Then she said "I've been coming here for lunch almost every day, for 25 years, and no one has ever bought me lunch before !".

It was so simple, yet profound, like a short story written with the fewest possible words.    

I had a bowl of mushroom soup plus coffee & scone, and it was a superb post-walk meal.   

We were back in Carlingford & on time for a 3 pm tour of King John's Castle, starting with a five minute walk from the tourist information (TI) office.    

Castle Tour

	King John's Castle, see note 1		old entry gate		he's the no. 1 tour guide here (the office told me in advance)
		older or newer stone				see note 2
	interesting add-ons

note 1 - King John only spent 2 or 3 nights here, in his whole life, yet an extraordinary amount of improvement work was done in advance of that visit, when an infusion of cash enabled much-needed work, and the fortification become even more formidable.

note 2 - It's always good to have a back door to (escape to) the open sea, especially if you were England's notorious King John, who had to be physically captured at Runnymede (in 1215) by his leading Barons before he would agree to sign the original Magna Carta, which document limited his power. Post-signature, King John immediately asked the Pope to (1) nullify the Great Agreement, and (2) excommunicate the Barons, which the Pope did. But that's just the start of the Magna Carta story...   

Carlingford Castle was one of the many Castles where appointed Barons or Lords had to collect the land tax to forward to the King of England's Exchequer. John kept imposing new taxes on his already over-burdened subjects, causing a widespread recession among farmers and all hand-laborers in England and Ireland.

The problem was that King John kept losing wars, and territories, and by the end of his reign, he had lost 80% of England's traditional land holdings in France. 

Near the end of a rainy but enjoyable Friday afternoon Castle tour, the Docent said this was the final guided) tour of the season. A self-guided tour here is open year round.    

That night we had dinner at the pub we visited last night. It is a very popular food place, and Mary and I lucked out when we ordered the vegetable soup bcs it was the bottom of the pot, and very filling. When the music started at 9 pm, food service ended, while drinks continued to flow. 

The band was blah, doing American covers & the lead singer had a screechy voice that didn't take long to become irritating, so we left. At the pub, Roger & I agreed that Murphy's Stout might have an edge on Guinness, because of a slight coffee/chocolate flavor.

It was a good night out (even with no traditional Irish music) and on the walk back to the car, we saw what remains of an arched gate in the original (medieval) city wall. 

Go to next page - Malahide Castle

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