Portlaoise

We've just spent 2 days in Portlaoise, and probably had the most authentic Portlaoise experience we could have ever received, thanks to Brian's uncle John Joe. We stayed in the same house Christy grew up in, though there have been some modifications to what used to be a 3 room house that Christy's parents and their 8 kids shared once upon a time. John Joe was an awesome tour guide during the day, and hosted endless moontalk sessions in the evening when Paddy, Tommy and Michael headed round for Guiness, Smithwicks and whiskey with 7up.

After 2 days exploring the (little!) town where Brian was born, we covered off a few things that had been on our Portlaoise bucket list:

• Visited Gings Hardware (a relation somewhere along the line)
• Got an education in 'hurling' (most vicious sport ever - YouTube it!) and even visited one of John Joes friends who makes hurls in his workshop
• Finally got to visit the Bog, despite being warned by cousins not to get my hopes up. John Joe the Bog guru explained the whole process of collecting the turf for the turf fires most people have in their homes. After years of hearing about the Bog, I can tick that off the list!

Things we've loved about Portlaoise:

• Watching the comedy show that is John Joe, Paddy, Tommy and Michael. Just don't expect any form of decision from them when they're together.
• Catching up with Keith, Sarah, Robbie and Brian and meeting Robert, Miriam, Helena and Anita for the first time.
• John Joe's dog Snipe
• Breakfast frys and Irish tea
• The one beautiful day of weather we got before it dropped down to freezing again!
• Getting the full guided tour of Portlaoise from John Joe

We had such a good time and everyone made us feel so welcome. Thanks to everyone who dropped in, took us out for a drink or showed us around. A special thanks to John Joe, who was an amazing host to us.

Kobi and Brian

Lunch at O'Loughlans


Drinks with the cousins

At the Bog

Brian and John Joe at Greenmill Lane

Snipe

In John Joe's kitchen

Gings Hardware

Hurls in production

Dried turf at the Bog

The Bog

Doing a bog at The Bog

Moontalk