Enniskerry to Cork

After checkout from Summerhill House we drove to Cork - not a direct path. Back up towards Dublin to catch the correct road/highway. Smooth sailing for a couple of hours, with a detour in Cashel, County Tipperary, for lunch at Feehans Pub. Honey chicken salad - yum! The fun really started when we hit Cork City and the three lane traffic circles. After going wrong direction in two of them we course corrected and finally made it to the Garnish House. Chuck was crispy from the city navigating and driving but they offered tea and biscuts (scones) on arrival and the baked goods set him right.
After settling in we roamed around Cork City to get the lay of the land and stoped for a pint at Cavanaghs pub. This is where the day got really interesting. The pub was pretty empty but the bartender was friendly, though seemed a bit spacey, and after serving Chuck's Murphys and my wine he got chatty. His name was Dave and he was not the bartender. He was a local regular, friend of the owners (admittedly drunk) and just filling in while the real bartender on duty was making sandwhichs in the back for - get this - two other Americans that happened into the pub. We have seen little to no other Amercians this whole trip. So we talk to Dave and he decides we are ok (for Americans). He has never been to the US and really does not know where Portland is so we talk more and he does the usual - asks about Obama and health reform. In the meantime he takes our city maps and gives up recommendations for pubs and restuarants that only locals would go to. Then the other two Americans come over to chat - LET ME JUST SAY THIS - they are from Orlando and work at the Hard Rock Cafe. We distance ourselves immediately and leave to go to dinner. We find out that the owners bought our drinks - very nice!!!
Dave recommended several places but we settled on an Irish version of a tapas bar called An Cruibin, which was excellent. The bartender reminded us of Agidor Sparticus from the birdcage, but he was Spanish and not Guatemelean. Toward the end of dinner some local artists collected and played some random pick up music. Great evening.