Family Weekend in Kilkenny

Last weekend, we made the journey to Kilkenny, Ireland to spend a weekend with Marc's whole family. We had to fly to Dublin, taxi to the train station, Train to Thurles, then get picked up for a car ride to Kilkenny... it was a lot of travel, but we got there and it was great fun! The photo above is us on the first night, having drinks in the bar with the family at The New Park Hotel, which was lovely!


On Saturday we got a taxi into the city center to wonder around. We found a small mall and about a bazillion pubs! No seriously, I've never seen so many pubs!

This is an old church in the city center.

We went to this mall... it was pretty small, but there was a bowling alley with an arcade where we amused ourselves for at least an hour with air hockey and Mario Kart!!!

We stopped for lunch... yum! Don't you love Marc's scarf? From Top Man (aka men's section of Topshop)

And here's me...

Another old church...

Saturday night we all got dressed and headed downstairs for dinner. There were 24 of us and we got our own room which was nice! It was a lovely dinner!!!

Mr. Julep is wearing a Slim Fit Traveller shirt from Thomas Pink and I'm wearing a navy sweater dress by Monsoon Fusion.

After dinner we had an Irish Sing Song. Everyone sings! Together, solo... anything can happen and the family elders did make me sing believe it or not! I totally sucked and they applauded me anyway! It's the gumption they're impressed by, not the quality! Marc's uncle sang a couple of old funny and slightly dirty songs that I"ll never forget and then of course we sang Molly Malone, one of my favorites!!! You have to sing Molly Malone when you walk over the Ha'Penny Bridge in Dublin! She's also fondly referred to as "The Tart With the Cart." Here are the lyrics:

In Dublin's Fair City
Where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheel'd her wheel barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!

Chorus
Alive, alive o!, alive, alive o!
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!

She was a fishmonger
But sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheel'd their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!

Chorus

She died of a fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
But her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!

Chorus


And finally, at McDonald's in Ireland they have this amazing invention:

Cheese Melts! These are DELICIOUS!!! They are melted cheese in crispy batter but not gross like mozzarella sticks! These are yummy! I was so looking forward to getting these in London, but alas, they seem to only serve them in Ireland! If you ever find yourself in Ireland, definitely hit McDonalds for a dose of Cheese Melts!