how about drinking?

cyn - love the apartment

Poor Kathy's legs. that would have been the place you passed it is just on the outskirts of Waterford.

Allie - get well now.

Hi Juliet

Hi Dork, Cammi. Orla, NM, Goldie

Hope I didn't forget anyone. Can't keep up with you all at the minute 

Lots of love 

According to tradition a Monastic settlement existed on the Island sometime between the sixth and eighth centuries and two ‘finds' on the land have lent substance to this: A Winged Angel dating from the 8th century and the crude carving of a Monk's head, which is now prominently displayed over the main entrance to the Castle, dating from the 6th century.
The Island was then home to a Danish settlement. After that, Maurice Fitzgerald, cousin of Strongbow, the English Earl of Pembroke, landed in Waterford during the Norman invasion of Ireland 1160. He was rewarded for his support of the invasion by becoming potentate over large tracts of land in Munster and Leinster, including the island on which he decided to make his home, thus sealing the fate of the island for eight centuries, being home to the Earls of Kildare and Ormond and the Knights of Glin and Kerry, in one of the longest unbroken stewardships on record in Ireland.
The first structure built by the Fitzgeralds was a Norman Keep by the 15th century, the ruins of the Keep were no longer habitable. A tower, the centre part of the present Castle, was then constructed on the site of the old Keep. In 1875 and 1895 when the East and West wings were added. Built entirely of stone. Up until the present century the castle retained its original arrow slit windows, giving a fortress like exterior and a rather dark uncomfortable interior. It was during the last stage of expansion that the farm buildings and stable yard were completed developing the island to support an entire community. Another feature added to the Castle during the centuries was the roof top gargoyles. Brought here from Castle Irwell in Manchester, which belonged to a female ancestor, they are of great antiquity and interest.The Fitzgeralds were, during the 15th and 16th centuries, the Kings of Ireland in all but name and held many feasts and banquets on the island.
The Castle figured prominently in the 18th century as the home of Mary Frances Fitzgerald, a formidable lady, who dominated the social world of the time. At one stage engaged to the Duke of Wellington - The Iron Duke, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo and later became a British Prime Minister - she broke off the engagement to marry her first cousin, John Purcell in 1801. An extravagant lady who was in the habit, of being rowed in state across the river with twenty-four musicians playing in the barge.
Edward Fitzgerald was the great, great uncle of Mary Fitzgerald, who was the last of that name to own the Castle. Mary Fitzgerald married an Italian Prince, Prince Caracciolo. In 1958, the Igo family who came from Rhodesia bought the property. The Igos installed a five acre complex of glasshouses from which they produced fruits and flowers, sold extensively on the home and export markets. The chain link ferry was also commissioned at this time. Their interest in the venture and the island passed to the Farren Brothers who concentrated on tomato growing, updating the roads and fencing throughout the island. In 1978 the island was rented to Roger Shipsey, a Waterford Pedigree Dairy farmer, who later bought the island outright. He saw a great advantage of the island as a disease free area due to its isolation. Eddie Kearns, who bought The Island in 1987 both preserved its past and secured its future by opening the beauty of the Castle and the Island to all visitors by developing it into a luxurious Hotel and Country Club. The current owners purchased the Castle in 1997.

Bernie iu'r too much--what a place for tea--Wow

and Juliet more WOW for different reasons and Kathy knows too. LOL

I'm a little not feeling very well today, so I might not be back til later so I hope Allison is home and doing better and someone else too (can't remember her name, sorry) I will sooner or later

 

Darn Bernie, those are some ubber fab photos of the castle. I wanna live there! Ya think we can open a lounge in one of those rooms?  how'z your head?

Cyn, love your new crib! So jeolous that you are on the beach. 

Allison, my love, I am praying for you and hope you are feeling better. My fart hurts for you, sweet young lady.

NM, loved your post todey and all de great pics. You so right about the ocean being ebber so calming. De boss was whipping on Stella all day but she took it with a grain of salt. She told her darnself that she was gonna roll with de punches and she did. 

Hello Camille, Juliet, Kathy, Lori, SuzieQ, Unde, Julia, Allison and de rest of you onederful goils. Hope you all hasing a great monkEydEy! Much love to you all. Will try to report in later but for now, I am being paiged for dinndinn. It's chicken, rice n apple sause compliments of Stephen (my DH which I rarely call him these days)...gotta fly (not like Katwinka dough)....hugs and kisses to each of you. 

Cyn, I will dwink to monkey dey being a done day. I will dwink to any dey really.

You girls all have a good night! 

dorKydoowhosleepypoo...

Hi Bweasties....jes got dis dang puter to accept da internet connection.   Am soooo freakin tired...so will make this quick.  Bernie...u gots mese LOL as usual...but YOU R NOT OCD... a true OCD wud say they are CDO...thats OCD in the RIGHT FREAKING ORDER...OK!!  

OK...kno Alli home, kno Kathy made her ballsy ski dive..kno Orla and Cami still makin mese spit me dwink thru mese nose...kno Shannon checked in...but dont member zackly wah she sed...but if you still going to see Thunder Down Under...pweaze lemme kno.  Kno da da Juliet still got da best EYE CANDY...tank u tank u!!  DorKa...did ewe ck in??  I kno u been enjoyin da weekend wif friends...n prolly woiked today.  Lori I kno is in MI with family.  Cyn...hmmmm....u woiked today too...but finally got into u new place n all connected n chit.  OK....it is waaayyy pass me bed time and early onco appointment tamary....well 9ish...will get results of my scan...den da herceptin drip...yada yada yada.  If I missed n e 1...pweaze 4give...n kno dat I lubs lubs lubs lubs lubs lubs lubs lubs (is dat enuf lubs) lubs lubs lubs...ya'll!!!

hope you got antibiotics cammi,and don't forget to drink plenty of fluids and unfortunately alcohol donesn't countfeel better soon

Good morning, Loungettes! Red sky in the morning, Sailor take warning is the saying and the sky is RED this morning. Rain coming according to the weather guesser, and he may even be right this time. No big deal, but I was liking the sunshine!

BBBBernie--great pics of the castle, and the history is interesting, too! I love it when you share your knowledge like that! But we're going to need to wrap you in bubble wrap next time you go out drinking!

Wahine--don't you love the bruises that don't wash off???? If that's all the damage you got from your skydiving landing you did good! Wish you had a pic of you on that elephant's head, that would be too cool!

CynCyn--at least you know the beach is there and it's an easy walk for you. Those big sliding doors/windows just look so nice!

Juliet--sounds like the dietician is a good match for you. That always works better!

Cammy--feel better quickliest, and I like silliness and laughter, too!

DorKable--Sounds like Stella did well at work, good for her! Did you share a dwinky with her after??? Sounds like a great dindin, ENJOY!!

Mema-How did the herceptin treatment go? Hope it was uneventful. Praying for good scan results for you.

Ooh, Cammy, I know what the sinus infection misery is like. One thing that helps me is a Netti Pot. You can google it and youtube it for a demo, but it's really easy and very effective. You can buy special salt to use in it, but I just use plain old kitchen salt. That and lots of steam to help keep things from getting too thick. Sticking your nose over a cup of hot water with a drop or two of peppermint extract is a big help, too.

Princess Glitter Sizzle's DOTD is the Sinus Clearer Outer
1 1/4 oz Light Rum
1 cubes Ice
1 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
(Fill to Top) Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
1 Lemon Wedge

Directions
Mix the light rum, lemon juice, and grenadine. Add the ice cubes and fill to your own taste with Cranberry juice. Add a wedge of lemon on your glass and voila! Enjoy!

NM and Dork thank u---I see one of my Dr.s tom--so I'll do the salt thing today---

I want to read all good nws from everybody today--that's an order--obey u'r elders

LOL, funny pic Sally....and welcome to de HTL (Hot Tatties Lounge)!

Sorry I was MIA, but dang internet server wuz NOT cooperatin, no sirree bob. Wuz goin in and out and in and out (oh now I memember dat old song..."mama got a squeezebox, daddy can't sleep at night" or sumtin like that. ANYHOW dey finally came out tuedey and HOPE it stays on dis time!

AND....drum roll please....can I share your news Sue???? Pwetty, pwetty, pwease???? You kin elaborate, but I know de galz will be happy to know dis..... SUE is NED!!!! Yippeeeeeeeeeee....we all kin dance with NED tonight at de partay!!!! WooHoo. So happy for you, Sue, that is soooo awesome!!!!

Oh NM, I do have a pic of me on that elephants head in Thailand, but I will have to find it, then scan it....that was before I had a digital camera. Will see if I find time to do that.....

Hugs to you all, missed you while I was puter-less!!!!

Katwinka iz hooked up again

Chit....hope it woiks dis time!!

LOL, Mema youse sooooo much funliest!!! BUT, here is a pair of OVERSIZE glasses so you won't miss my post agin....LOL....Still am on cloud nine about your GOOD NEWS! (And yeah, I like being back up in the clouds!!!)

Dwink up girls, wese is ALL cewebwating tonight, foah shuah!!!!

HI SallyO...welcome to da Lounge.  Tell us a widdle bout uself K?  Gotta gib u a proper welcome if ya kno what I mean. 

O Tay Den elder Cami - ewes gotz da good news...now...ya gonna git me a dwink or do da 'elder' order to da Tenders to bwing mese a killa, no training wheels, n a brewski.  That's watt I wanna dwink...shall we meet at da in da pewl n swim up to da bar for our libations???