Planning begins

It was about a year later, fall of 2007, that I began to plan my return trip to Ireland for the summer of 2008. On my previous trip, as I said, I had hit all the typical tourist spots: Dublin, Rock of Cashel, Waterford, Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, Blarney (No, I did not kiss it. I had no interest in hanging upside down to kiss the dirty thing.), Tipperary, to name the highlights. I am so glad that I saw all of those sights, with the wonderful overview of the island.

But when I began to plan my extended stay in some single village, I wanted to get away from the tourist hot-spots. That's when I began to look at the west coast.

I considered the Dingle peninsula, a gorgeous seaside area, but too busy with tourists in the summer. I then started north, along the coast from there. I seriously considered Lahinch, a surfing village, and one my family loves to visit, but too young and hip (and noisy) for my tastes. Next, north on the coast was Doolin, some consider the music capital of western Ireland but, again, too young and hip. Then there was Fanore, the next village south of where I am in Ballyvaughan. It was TOO quiet and small, with only one pub and a tiny market.

At the same time I was spending hundreds of hours researching, I got to know a woman, Bonney, who was taking her granddaughter to the same music class I was taking Colin to and we became good friends. I knew her husband was Irish and they returned frequently, so I asked her if she had a any recommendations and told her what I was looking for: a seaside village with a few pubs, shops, B&B's, that I could settle into for a month and just chill out with friends and family.

GODSEQUENCE Alert. She said her cousin, Louise, would be more than happy to help me. Louise worked for the Irish Tourism Board and lived in County Cork. Bonney would introduce us via email and Louise would find us the perfect place.


And so, that's how I found my first rental house and in Ballyvaughan. God's hand was in it from the very beginning, thus, the beginnings of abundant blessings.