Ireland: Day 2 (Foynes) & Play: Puckoon

Getting there, eh? Links to more photos in the comments to yesterday's blog for Day 1, if you're interested. Anyway, on Day 2, Helen had to go visit someone in Foynes, so we had a fairly late start, and arrived at the Foynes Flying Boat Museum around lunchtime - an easy drive from Limerick, just straight out the Dock Road and you'll eventually come to it on your left.

Having met the person we were due to meet, we had lunch in the cafe: a chicken and mushroom vol au vent for me, salad and a sandwich for the others. All good, and when we were finished, we bypassed (for the moment) the adjoining gift shop, and made our way to the entrance to the museum. I've been here before, but was glad to come again - it's a fascinating place, starting with the old route map behind the desk. How exotic it must have been, back in the day, with routes to North and South America, and North Africa!

First was an intriguing short film about the history of the Foynes flying boats - in the early days of transatlantic air travel, the only planes that could do the job were seaplanes, which needed to land as soon as possible after reaching Europe, to refuel, and indeed to refuel as late as possible before returning to America. Foynes (on the banks of the Shannon) was perfect for the job. Back in the day, many a film star and politician passed through these doors. As we passed through the museum rooms with old radio equipment in cases (my father was very interested in these, he used to be a mechanic and loved machinery) and old uniforms, we noted little curiosities, like the notice exhorting staff not to exhibit drunkenness in public, explaining the evils of drink. And then came to the highlight..

An original B314 seaplane (wings detached). The great thing about this, though, is that you can go in and walk around the spacious passenger compartments - like a sitting room, more than a plane, and with curtained bunks at the back for sleeping. You can also go sit in the pilots' seats in the cockpit - terrific for anyone with an interest in aeroplanes. Afterwards, we watched a dramatisation of the invention of Irish coffee (yes, it was invented in Foynes itself, to warm up cold passengers - used to warmer climes - who found themselves in cold, wet and windy Ireland).

Not that it was cold, wet or windy that day - sunshine and heat, we had, and after the demo, we passed through the door marked "Maritime Museum" and took the lift to the observation tower, which overlooks Foynes and its port:

After a sumptuous afternoon tea at Helen's friend's house, we had no need of dinner - which was just as well, as we had to get to Ennis for a play that night. Not a great problem with the motorway - although Helen was bemused at the lack of traffic on it! And so to Glór, and a play (for which we got 2-for-1 tickets) called Puckoon, based loosely on a Spike Milligan novel about a town in Northern Ireland at the time the border was being drawn. A relatively empty house for this, the last night of the run, and we were told we could sit in any free seat. So we did! And a more bonkers play you never will see. But, well, that's Spike Milligan for you..

And with a whistle-stop trip to the nearby Dunnes for milk, we sped home to bed. Because the next day was to see us head north, for the proper start of the Wild Atlantic Way..