Getting the Clare picture... (Part 1)

One thing I enjoy working on a touring show is that I get to see a lot more of the countryside that I usually wouldn't have the opportunity to see.  So working on TEAM's Jumping on My Shadow has brought the company and me for the first time to county Clare in Ireland.  We were to stay in Co. Clare for the week arriving Sunday 8th - Friday 13th March, taking our show to various locations in the west coast.

Courteous to our stage/touring production manager, Baz Nugent found us a nice accomodation in Ennis called Eden Lodge.  It has five bedrooms and nice open fire which gave the place a nice homely feel.

I was happy with the whole house and my room, but the long four hours drive had left us all hungry and restless so our main priority once we found our accomodation was to find ourselves a restaurant to dine in before we end up chewing on each other!!! (although I don't eat meat, I was so starving I was ready to consider eating anything again!!! )

We did eventually find a Chinese restaurant and there we kept our stomaches content and happy.

Clare is quite a beautiful county and the west of the country has many famous historical landmarks.  In the few days we had we did manage to explore many of these wonderful places & sceneries.

THE KILKEE WALK Afte r one of our performance in Kilkee, it was recommended by one of the locals that we should take a nice walk by the beach as it's one of the favours amongst tourist and visitors.  And boy, was he right....

Not exactly the cleanest nor nicest of beach and the place was almost like a ghost-town (not a soul in sight besides the five of us), but it had such wonderful scenery we didn't know where exactly to cast our eyes....

Baz had his eye on a piece of Kilkee he really wanted to take home with him.... And the place was so relaxing and peaceful....  Until Andy and Aine decided to take on a seaweed battle!!!

Knowing she was no match for Andy, Aine decides to retreat....  Oh, but what a big mistake....

Having inflicted injury to the "innocent" Aine, Andy decides to hold up arms and they make up....  Or do they....?

As Aine perfects her timing for sweet sweet revenge....  Woohahaha!!!

The heights I go through just to capture a group shot of the cast & crew in Kilkee....

....But with happy results (could have done with more centred though, but hey we ain't all perfect... ).

During our time in Clare, Eimear had acquainted with a character that's described as "strong personality" (so the bottle says...) so we decided to take 'Yellow Tail' along in our little trip in Kilkee to join in all the fun....

CLIFFS OF MOHERIt wasn't the finest of weather on the day to be visiting the Cliffs of Moher.

This plaque just about says it all.  "In memory of those who have lost their lives at the Cliffs of Moher".  Definitely wouldn't be the safest of place to be in harsh weather conditions and if you're bet on being a bit adventureous (or being silly....).  However it was somewhere we had to go see ourselves and considering we were performing close by on the day, it only made sense to go despite the bitter coldness and the rain....

As beautiful as it was to be there, the howling wind and icy raindrops were getting to most of us....

I even wondered if I was going a little insane....

Uh-oh, hide the knives....  Cold wind & rain makes Baz a very mad man.....

Meanwhile, Andy and I got up to all sorts of no good ignoring the safety signs....  Tut-tut....

BUNRATTY CASTLEBunratty Castle is apparently the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland.  Having been first built in 1425, it now stands as a tourist attraction and remains one of the most popular visited castles in Ireland.

The interiory of the castle is so richly decorated, but we only had little time to explore the whole palace as we arrived there late on the day and they were getting ready to close up.

No  wonder I haven't seen the Ninja Turtles in quite a while....  But which one survived....??? 

A typical bedroom of one of the king's knight.  Handy to have the weapons around I see....

These staircases not the safest to be walking on.... Or the place to hid e.... 

Aine getting a bit too comfy on the royal table....  Naughty.... 

Booking are available for a Medieval feast which are held every evening here at Bunratty Castle.  It looks quite the sight.  If only we had a Gold Card to use at our leisure....

Here we are finally on top of one of the towers in Bunratty Castle.

On our way out and with a bit of time on my hands I decided to do a bit of art work on the window panes....   

The castle is not only the attraction, as there is a whole entire mock village with houses and shops of it's era surrounding the land where you can even visit and go into.

Since our play Jumping on My Shadow is set in a bakery, it's only fitting we visit a real old school bakery to learn a thing or two.

Eimear and Andy really gets into their character....

Back to school for us all - detention, boredom, and all sorts of mischief....  Teehehe...

There was even an old style playground and maze which was way cool! 

The day at Bunratty Castle wrapped up with a good auld pint in the pub next door, Dirty Nelly's.