17 Days of Green – A Visit to the Emerald Isle

Posted on 17 March 2012 by Carrie Cahill Mulligan

For our 5th anniversary in 2006, Andy & I toured Ireland, where we both have family roots.

Atop the green Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland.

We flew into Shannon Airport & started our tour on the rugged west coast of Ireland.

Andy is fearless as he peeks over the precipitous edge of the Cliffs.

If you’re a fan of traditional Irish music, a visit to the little village of Doolin is a must.

Soaking up the September sun on the limestone karst outside Doolin, County Clare, Ireland.

From Doolin, we headed north to explore “The Burren,” a fascinating geological region, rich in ancient archeological & historical sights.

Poulnabrone portal dolmen in Co. Clare is one of the best known neolithic monuments in Ireland.

No matter where you go in Ireland, you’re bound to see sheep. Lots and lots of sheep:

Sheep are a common sight in the Irish countryside, as they outnumber people by nearly 2 million.

Next, we visited Sligo Town, on our way to Donegal, ancestral home of the Mulligans.

Verdant Ben Bulben rules above Yeats country, County Sligo, Ireland.

County Donegal is the least touristed part of Ireland, with fantastic natural scenery.

Fishing boats on the blue Atlantic between the green pastures of Kilcar, County Donegal, Ireland.

Luckily, we had gorgeous weather for our hike up the Slieve League cliffs, which are a breathtaking 1,972′ high. The little footpath would be treacherous in heavy wind or rain.

The Cliffs of Slieve League in County Donegal are nearly 3 times the height of the Cliffs of Moher.

Next, we circled north and east to arrive at the Giant’s Causeway, a World Heritage Site.

Andy amid the 40,000 basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The repeating hexagonal columns boggle the mind. It’s one of the coolest places, ever.

The columns of the Causeway formed from the even cooling of an ancient volcanic eruption.

I took so many photos here… these are just a few!

I'm a sucker for intense natural patterns.

We hiked all around and lingered near the water until sunset, when the park closed.

Led Zeppelin fans will recognize the Giant's Causeway from the cover of "Houses of the Holy."

No trip to Ireland would be complete without a visit to the capitol city, Dublin.

Fancy wrought-iron lamps line the streets of Dublin, Ireland.

There’s lots to see in Dublin – live music, the Book of Kells, the shops on Grafton Street:

So many choices!

And we sampled our share of chocolate-y rich Guinness, too.

Guinness stout is ubiquitous in Dublin, although Beamish and Murphy's rule the south of Ireland.

It was just a 2-week trip, but so grand! A wonderful visit to the Cahill Mulligan homeland.

Outside Mulligan's Pub in Dublin, established 1782.

Whew! That’s it! Seventeen straight days of posting… something entirely new for me.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my 17 Days of Green, and had a very happy St. Paddy’s Day!

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If you missed them, you can read my previous 16 green posts here:

Day 1: From My House To Yours
Day 2: My Big Green Day Job
Day 3: Local Food is Green Food
Day 4: Up, Up Green Hornets
Day 5: My 2nd Embroidered Felt Hat
Day 6: The Green & Grey of the NPS
Day 7: Andy’s 1st Handknit Hat
Day 8: Moss & Lichen
Day 9: Frozen Fenway
Day 10: Long Wind Tomato Farm
Day 11: Northern Lights
Day 12: Embroidered Hat Design Collage
Day 13: My Hat Studio
Day 14: Grow Your Own
Day 15: Pesto Fest
Day 16: Quinn & Cinder

With special thanks to FireMom who started this crazy green meme in the first place!

17 Days of Green – Quinn & Cinder

Posted on 16 March 2012 by Carrie Cahill Mulligan

I’ve been blessed to know a lot of cool dogs in my life. When I married Andy, I lucked into having Quinn-dog in my life as well.

Quinn, deep in the lush green foliage of Valdez, Alaska, 2002.

Quinn was purebred Siberian Husky, but seemed more cat than dog, sometimes.

Quinn relaxes next to my green fitness ball - Gabriola Island, Canada, 2003.

Quinn moved with us from Denali, to Canada, where we spent the summer of 2003.

Quinn waits while I work at Good Earth Farm, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, 2003.

And he made the cross-country move to our new home here in New Hampshire.

The Mighty Quinn & our old-growth rhubarb patch, Canaan, New Hampshire, 2004.

Quinn lived to be nearly 13 years old, which is a good, long life for a large, purebred dog.

Quinn-dog enjoying the sun on our front porch in Canaan, New Hampshire, 2005.

We missed Quinn so much after he passed, we couldn’t think about getting another dog.

Five years passed and we were still dog-less. Until, at last, our friend, Carmen, needed a home for one of the Denali Park huskies in her care.

Cinder, Andy & Me (in my green jacket) sledding in New Boston, New Hampshire, January 2011.

Cinder is 100% Alaskan husky, which isn’t an officially recognized breed.

Rather, it’s a term for a northern working dog, adapted to pulling sleds through deep snow. Hence the long legs:

Cinder & his green tennis ball, Canaan, New Hampshire, 2010.

Cinder is amazing! He’s the only sled dog I know who plays fetch. He also plays soccer. And he’s coming along as a hockey player, too.

Cinder under the apple trees, Canaan, New Hampshire, 2010.

Cinder is unusually friendly and willing to please his humans. If he didn’t suffer from seizures, he would have made an amazing lead dog. I just know it.

Cinder & Andy amongst the evergreens along the Bold Coast, near Cutler, Maine, September 2011.

We are so grateful to have Cinder in our lives. He brings us boundless joy (despite his penchant for chasing skunks)!

Me & Cinder at the Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme, New Hampshire, 2010.

What about you? Do you have a special dog (or two) in your life?

17 Days of Green – Grow Your Own

Posted on 14 March 2012 by Carrie Cahill Mulligan

A major reason Andy & I left Alaska was to grow more food than we could in Denali. We hoped that by eating more locally, we could reduce our impact on the environment.