From the Emerald City to The Emerald Isle: Wayne Fishing in Dublin Bay

This weekend, our friend Graham invited Wayne to go fishing out in Dublin Bay. He rents a small boat down in Bulloch Harbour (a place we often run to, about 3 miles from our house). The main attraction is catching Mackerel (which are to then be cooked either on the boat, or directly after coming back as they need to be eaten within 4 hours of being caught or else they will become rancid and disgusting). So, needless to say, we were aiming for the 2 hour mark.

Graham and Torin (also a therapist/social worker, here in Dun Laoghaire so he's a kindred soul) =)

Wayne caught the first fish!

They cooked some on the boat for lunch

Harrrrd work

We had been told all the goats on Dalkey Island were gone but they were lucky enough to see some! (tiny dots in upper center)

Oh annnd....they saw dolphins. Black ones. Including a baby dolphin. Actually I think they might be porpoises but no one here can seem to agree so... it was one of the two.

There also happened to be this International Trimaran boating race in Dun Laoghaire so these massive boats were racing around them all afternoon.

Graham and Torin - two typical Irish guys - decided to go in for a dip after fishing

My job was to make and bring a potato salad, cole slaw and to bring Graham's new puppy with us. Which was all well good until getting to the train station. I made the salads, packed 'em into the buggy, got Norah all strapped in and walked to Graham's place to pick up Jimmy (new puppy). Then we walked to the train station, bought our ticket for the journey and then the evil-station-man said "Ya can't take uh dog on tha train" (in his thickest accent). We hate this particular employee and this day made things worse.
One hour, fifteen minutes later (after being stopped by 6 people who wanted to pet Jimmy, including one family who took pictures with him) - I arrived at Bulloch Harbour.

Jimmy found a baby's shoe on the walk and carried it for about 20 minutes.

Jimmy was such a trooper, and Norah, even more so, given that she had been in the buggy for an hour and 25 minutes by the time we got there.

Bulloch Harbour

Norah mid-air

The race, still going on

It was a beautiful day though and my reward was an amazing meal (that the guys caught and barbequed for us), right there on the harbour.
Fish and chips may be a traditional Irish meal but this was the penultimate Irish dining experience - freshly caught mackerel, barbequed on the spot and eaten at the harbour where they set out.

Torin's wife, Nicky, and their two little ones also came to the harbour for the BBQ. It was a great afternoon. Lucy here, is almost 3 so she and Norah had a lot of fun climbing and chasing Jimmy.