Portrane

After the visit to Drogheda, I stayed at Jarlath’s house for the last evening. I was surprised to get room service of tea and a plate of biscuits delivered to me in the guest room by said host. Better than my nice hotel. I slowly woke into the day and over breakfast found myself saying, “I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here!”

Jarlath just smiled and said I could stay whenever I wanted. Nice of him, so next time I hit Dublin I don’t need to book a hotel room. I also said I wanted to go up the coast again for I didn’t have to hand the car back until 4:00 pm. We settled on a visit to Portrane.

I enjoyed driving along the coast rode and finally parked the Fiat in the harbour area. It was a blustery day with squalls of wind and occasional rain showers. Even so we braved the weather and walked along the harbour wall.

Just off the harbour is an island called Lambay Island on the maps. Local people call it Irelands Eye. It is uninhabited even though a small fortress was built there about 1812 to deter Napoleon from landing troops there.  I think the English military leaders must have also been mad then.

I can just imagine Napoleon saying to Josephine over breakfast,  “I’m not going to take the Grand Army to Moscow today – I think I’ll send it to Ireland and capture Lambay Island”. And they gave such idiot Generals land and titles in Ireland!

Back in Dublin we had a light lunch. I packed my bag, checked my travel documents and I drove my trusty Fiat Panda back to the Herzt compound. Everything went smoothly and we took the hospitality bus back to the airport.

Grateful thanks to Jarlath for all his help and acting as my guide around Dublin. He modestly said he always enjoys having guests and showing them around ‘his’ city. I went through Departures and all the time wasting security checks that travel entails these days.

A sleepy two hour flight back to Berlin and emerged from the airport. Walked to the railway station and waited ten minutes for my regional train which would take me back to Karlshorst in all of 12 minutes. Then it happened! My allergies came back! Loud sneezing, runny nose and red burning eyes. I was back in Berlin. Welcome home John!