Castle Ward, The Game of Thrones and the Loch Ness Monster?

 Have I piqued your curiosity?  I certainly hope so!  We are in Ireland, albeit 2 days behind our original schedule, but grateful to be here as we celebrate Marty's first weeks of retirement with gusto!

We flew in last evening, departing Philadelphia at 9:00 pm and arriving in Dublin at a little past 8:00 am, Ireland time.  That translates to 3:00 am EST.  I don't need to elaborate on the obvious lack of sleep involved.  But you know us!  We generally push through that first day, although I will admit that I will most likely rethink that for any trips in the future. Dare I say that we might be getting old?  (Please don't feel the need to answer.)

In the process of tweaking the first leg of the journey after a last minute change in plans, I had anticipated just a little more than a 2 hour drive from Dublin airport to Castle Ward in Northern Ireland.  But due to some GPS confusion and sheer exhaustion that resulted in us taking breaks just to stay awake, 2 hours extended to nearly four.  But once we parked in the lot at Castle Ward, we headed straight to the tea room since we'd had nothing to eat but a breakfast bar prior to departing the plane.

And, I must admit, it was the best decision of the day!  There's just nothing like a Cream Tea in the United Kingdom.  It's been way too long since we enjoyed such a delectable delight!

We both picked fruit scones with clotted cream and black current jam, rather than the traditional strawberry.  Those scones were super tender, and the cream and jam were the perfect compliment.  We had chosen Earl Gray for our tea, and let me just say that here in Northern Ireland, it somehow tastes so much better than what we drink in the US.  

And it appeared that we weren't alone in our appreciation. 

How sweet is that?

Feeling rejuvenated, Marty and I headed out to explore Castle Ward which is located close to the Irish Sea on the Eastern coast of the island, just a bit south of Belfast.  

There was no particular reason for choosing to tour this castle, other than it is owned by the National Trust and Marty and I have Royal Oak memberships that partner with the NT, which means that we get in for free.  Well, not exactly free.  We do pay annually for the membership.  But, then with our card, we can enter any of these venues and not have to pay an additional fee.  So, why not?

The volunteer at the entrance had encouraged us to tour the house, and as there were few people there on this glorious day, we decided to do just that.  

This "castle" is actually a large manor house, which was the 3rd of its kind on the large property upon which it stands.   It had been "refurbished" several times over the years and has some interesting characteristics which I 'd like to share.  Note the Gothic style of the windows in the back. 

The ballroom as well as a few other rooms also had doors that reflected the style.

The ballroom had a raised ceiling that was extremely ornamental.

The boudoir featured an extremely unusual ceiling:  plaster formed over curved wooden forms to make it appear as if giant air balloons hung from the ceiling. 

The staircase featured ornamental metal.

And, I thought this decor above the ballroom door looked like a wedding cake with attendants on either side. 

The master bedroom featured a chest that was designed particularly for this house.  The style resembles the architecture of the manor. 

I had been impressed with the detail in the plaster figures that adorn the wall around the entrance room fireplace, and mentioned this to the volunteer.  She went on to tell me that the viscount had commissioned a group of men to enhance the beauty of the walls prior to hosting a large party in the 1760s.  The men were running behind scheduled, and the viscount became annoyed, and told the men that if they didn't finish the work by a particular date, they would not get paid.  So, the men got hard to work trying to complete the Viscount's wishes. 

Plaster casts of figures take quite some time to make and dry to perfection.  Since time was running out, the man in charge of the renovations decided to take actual items, and dip them in plaster, for the same look as the plaster model.  So, that plaster cast that looks remarkably like an actual violin, is just that...and instrument dipped in plaster.  

Other items that are true to size followed the same creation.  I found that to be extremely amusing, and what a clever way to complete the project?  And, let's face it, the casting has lasted all of these years, so one cannot fault the molder for taking short cuts!

As you can see, this particular manor house stands with a glorious view of the lough in the distance.  We were blessed with a beautiful day and were able to get several photos to capture the amazing views.

The ground floor, plus three upstairs bedrooms, were open for viewing, and we took complete advantage of that.  The guides delighted in sharing the unusual items in the rooms.  It's always refreshing to see so much enthusiasm among these National Trust volunteers.

Let me leave you with one last "unique" item:

Yes...they were once live red squirrels.  I'll refrain from commenting. 

Now, onto the Game of Thrones.  I will admit, I've never seen one episode, so I have to take the word of those involved that several seasons were filmed upon the grounds of Castle Ward.  I will post a few photos of the buildings claimed to be in the series.  I found the architecture to be stunning, and enjoyed taking the photos, despite being completely clueless in reference to the mini series that had been featured on HBO.  I'll be honest, I only know that because the sign directing one to the sight said as much.

Perhaps you fans can see the connection.

We took a stroll around the manor grounds, and were awed by the beautiful surroundings.

I just loved this house with its magical gardens.

And, here you see the boathouse, with the lough in the background.  I'd be interested in knowing more of its history, as it looks like a church to me.

And, finally, the view of the back gate. 

Who knew that we'd be greeted with such a glorious day!

Finally, look what we spotted while making our way back to the car park!

No wonder they can't find Nessie in Scotland.  She must have made her way west, across the Irish Sea, and settle near Castle Ward in Ireland!  Who knew?.

Well, it's late and has been a long day!  I'm off for some shut eye.  

Tomorrow brings another adventure!