Monday 1 April 2024

Our washing is now dry and folded. Lady P prepares omeletes for breakfast and around 11.00 am we depart the two minutes over the back cow paddock to the ice cream shop for a coffee. Having got the ‘gen from Bridg the owner, we depart for Athlone and Sean’s Pub, the oldest pub in Ireland. Lady P driving and still uncomfortable with the navigators – that’s the GPS and Flashy.

Now to be sure, the Guinness Book of Records has confirmed that Sean’s pub dates to 900 AD (because the Irish are Catholics, they still say AD and BC, God bless ‘em). Anyway, the pub looks old. Packed too, with locals and Canadians, Australians and the odd American. Got to love Trip Advisor.

Flashy has a Guinness, then talks to Timmy the barman about the Irish claim to have discovered whiskey. Timmy talks non stop for 20 minutes about his research in the National Library in Dublin on this subject and the story goes something like this.

Around 1000 AD the monks at Clonmacnoise, under Saint Ciaran (Kieran), which is just down the road from Athlone, brought back from the Middle East, the art of distilling (perfume). Being Irish they made alcohol. From there it spread to the rest of the world, at least 90 years before Scotland discovered the ‘Water of Life.’ Well, who do you believe? I don’t think Timmy would tell me a tall tale.

After that, we went to look at some ruins. Ireland’s full of ruins and churches and pubs. Flashy says that one church, one cathedral and one ruin per holiday is sufficient. We are currently over the limit. Pubs on the other hand, are a place of learning and worship and therefore, there are no limits to the number you can visit.

Stock photo, just to give you a feeling for the interior







Timmy explaining how the Irish invented whiskey
They didn't have apostrophes in those days but it is the bar belonging to Sean
Ruins

 

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