ANOTHER VISIT TO CORK CITY

Found a lovely period house to stay in while working for 2 weeks in Cork. 300 years old, all rooms decorated with antique furniture. Lovely hostess who is also a school principal!

The house overlooks the river Lee, with long walks along the banks.

Blackrock Castle is just down the road, which now houses an observatory

David did 2 weeks night shift in the Southdoc car. Here he is with one of the 3 Pats who serve as drivers and/or receptionists for the afterhours centre.

Although the weather was very cold, the bluebells and primroses were in bloom.

Clematis flowers are spectacular.

Not sure what these pretty clusters growing in cracks in stone walls are.

Canola blooms look as if God has taken a fluorescent marker pen to colour the landscape.

Another display of flowers adorning a wall.

Any idea what these are?

The well-known colourful English Market in the city.

The fish stall with some interesting specimens!

Sandi joined David after 2 weeks and we decided to revisit the beautiful cathedral in Cobh.

After finishing work in Cork, we headed East to Rosslare to catch the ferry to France that evening. On the way we stopped to visit the Dunbrody moored at New Ross.

The Dunbrody is a replica one one of the famine ships, which transported thousands of desperate Irish to America, during the potato famine during the 1850s.

The original ship's bell rescued from the original ship.

All passengers were issued a ticket, before we boarded for a fascinating look at what they endured on the long journey.

This poor lady travelled steerage, and related how she lost most of her children on the voyage. She told us that the average Irishman ate 40 potatoes a day, which is why the potato blight affected their livelihoods so drastically.

Another lady from first class told us how the steerage passengers all had to use one bucket as a latrine, which could not even be emptied if the weather was stormy!

The ship's galley provided very little food to steerage passengers, who had to bring most provisions with them. First class passengers ate at the captain's table. That evening we caught the overnight ferry to Cherbourg.