Stoneyford, a burb of Kilkenny, is usually our first major stop whenever we visit Ireland. Our first Guinness is enjoyed at Malzard's Pub, and our accommodations are a few miles down the road at Lawcus Farm Guesthouse, run by Mark and Anne Marie.
Bucolic, classy, and welcoming would be the first words that come to my mind when I think of all of the above.
After last night, we can add one more venue to the list: Kings Mill Restaurant, a lovely establishment on the Kings River, which also runs through Lawcus Farm.
Possibly, this trip we have saved the best for last as our trip through Ireland winds down.
Both the familiarity of old friends and the always fascinating stories of the new have made our return to Stoneyford happily memorable AND we haven't even yet sat down to one of Anne Marie's breakfasts.
We enjoyed catching up and sipping on tea with Mark.
Our Guinness at Malzard's was not our first, but we did meet and visit with Jim O'Neill and Garry (get that, my friend Garry Bristow?) for the first time ever.
Two "r" Garry says he's a "townie" from Kilkenny who comes to Malzard's to tend bar, while Jim is a brick layer and the father of three sons.
We also saw Robin (three "b's") Ribbers whom we met a few years ago at Lawcus Farm.
And, we were so fortunate to enjoy a short visit with the pub owner Fred Malzard (a gracious and wonderful man). Fred was on his day off, and what does he do on a day off?
"Come to the bar," he quipped.
We also met one of his three daughters and commiserated about our beloved pups. Fred lost his standard bearer for Malzards, a pup we met on our first visit, not long ago.
As always, Mark, here at Lawcus Farm gave us a tip and made us a reservation at the fairly new restaurant in the area, known as the Kings Mill.
"Try the garlic prawns," he said. We did. Great tip.
Kings Mill specializes in Italian dishes, including pizza and lasagna, which Bill and I chose. The owner is an Italian chef and he knows how to satisfy a palate.
As noted, we have yet to enjoy the breakfast hour with Anne Marie as she deftly puts together whatever guests order and supplies abundant local color as she cooks.
We saw her briefly yesterday as she came home from shopping and then headed off to go try on some riding boots an hour away.
Anne Marie is a horsewoman as well as a host for this beautiful spot where chickens roam, dogs play, goats and who knows what other animals live in a true animal heaven.
We stayed in the "Hunters Room" last night, and I immediately thought of my mother and her artwork when I saw the wall paper in the bedroom.
Years and years and years ago, Mother painted two fox hunting scenes for a family friend. Whenever we would go to the house, I was immediately drawn to the paintings and secretly wished to own them some day.
Apparently, they were given away, and who knows whatever happened to them.
But to be here with similar scenes in a room surrounded by horse art is both nostalgic and comforting.
Today we head to Kildare. It is raining, but we hope the rain stops long enough for us to walk a portion of the vast Curragh Plain, same spot where Mel Gibson's "Brave Hart" was filmed and not far from the impressive Irish National Stud.
It will be our last day of vacationing in Ireland, and tomorrow we'll head home, armed with a myriad of wonderful sights, experiences and new friends. Surely these memories will soothe our souls as we face a new and sad reality at home.
Enjoy the photos, and Happy Wednesday.
Mark, above, is an amazing craftsman. I don't know where he gets the time and energy to do all that he does to enhance the beauty and charm of Lawcus Farm, but he does.
Mark is currently assembling a gazebo to be eventually moved to an island on the river below their place. He says it's a tedious project coating and cutting and installing pieces of metal for the roof, but he's getting there.
Next time we come, it will be fun to see the new addition to this lovely farm.
The Rock of Cashel was the first major point of interest I saw when I came to Ireland with Annie in 2011. It was looking just as magnificent as we passed by yesterday.
For anyone who buys Kerry Gold butter at Yoke's in Sandpoint, some of these Holsteins may have produced it. Lots of dairies in Kerry County and beyond.
This is one of Mark's many Monkey Puzzle starts. It's an unusual and endangered species of pine tree.
Mark is doing everything he can to add trees to the environment.
Mary and Myra, two delightful ladies who have homes in the area. Mary worked as a barrister in Dublin, while Myra was a tour guide.
Mary told us that her granddaughter went to school at a college in Montana, probably in Butte. As an avid reader and with the family interest in the Western United States, she discovered the author C.J. Box.
Imagine how much fun it was for us to tell her that we had spent time with C.J. when he has writing Blue Heaven, a murder mystery set in a small town modeled after Sandpoint.
Later, when the book came out, we were thrilled to read about the two children who witnessed the fictional murder.
Their names were William and Annie, same as our children.
We loved eavesdropping on their conversations of worldly happenings and people and later visiting with them. They didn't mind the eavesdropping one bit and even told us about an author whose books are based on eavesdropping.
James O'Neill and, below, Robin Ribbers
Garry, with two r's, aka a "townie from Kilkenny," tends bar at Malzard's Pub in Stoneyford.
Anne Marie and Mark had a full house this morning for breakfast.
She is taking orders from the guests.
We enjoyed meeting two young women from Chicago, Diana and Hayley, who sat at our table.
They are Swifties who attended a Taylor Swift concert in Philadelphia recently.
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