30 July

We were both able to get out of bed unaided, but our bottoms are exceedingly glad that bicycle saddles are not in today's plans. The best news of the day was an email telling us that our BritRail passes are waiting at the hostel in Dublin. We both opted for the traditional Irish breakfast this morning, and that kept us fed until well into mid-afternoon.

We hiked back to the bus stop in the steady drizzle and caught the bus back to Tralee. During a two-hour layover waiting for the train, we explored a bit of the town. The train from Tralee to Mallow was packed, as was the next leg from Mallow to Limerick Junction. We took another bus from Limerick Junction to Limerick, where the bus driver warned us to be careful. We weren't sure what to make of that. Is Limerick really that dangerous, or is he a country lad who can't fathom why any town needs over 1,000 inhabitants? We decided to take a chance and got a room at the Jury's Inn, on the shores of the River Shannon.

As we were having our evening stroll, we passed a young couple on a bridge over the river. At about the same time, we both spotted a very overweight, possibly mentally afflicted man walk to the edge of the river lock below us and sit on the edge. We all thought it looked like he was going to jump in, and sure enough, he did. While the young lady called for help on her cell phone, I circled down to the shore and found a life preserver hanging handily on a nearby post. Apparently this sort of thing happens regularly here. I threw the ring past the man, who was floating nicely on his back, probably aided by his large fat content, and snared him with it. He obligingly grasped it and I towed him over to the side. The young man came down to assist, and, since the jumper was about ten feet below us at the base of a vertical concrete wall, we just kept an eye on him till the Fire Brigade arrived and fished him out. He was probably a little hypothermic, but appeared basically none the worse for wear.

With the excitement over, we continued on around town. We viewed St. Mary's Cathedral and King John's Fort from the outside, and read a lot of plaques and statue bases about various difficulties with the pesky British through the centuries. I can see that it's a major wonder that they get along as well as they do now. Despite our bus driver's fears, we made it back to the hotel without being set upon by any rowdies.

view from Dingle B&B

Limerick hotel room

view from hotel room

Evening stroll

River Shannon

waiting for help

fishing him out

King John's Castle

8:06 pm	8:20 pm	info sign
8:45 pm	8:46 pm	8:50 pm

Limerick map (larger map)	Treaty Stone	colorful bush	Janene with King Arthur
	King Arthur statue plaque (larger view)	Joe greeting King Arthur