Paul Lydon: Orpheus Caving Trip to County Clare

Last night Keith, who was travelling with us, set off from his home in Rugby and got as far as the A50 when he realised he had left his passport at home!
After turning around and collecting it, he appeared in Winster at 22:20 and after a coffee, we went to bed for the early start.
Up at 05:00 and a snatched bowl of cereal (coffee and fag for Keith), then packing the car and setting off at 05:35 via Buxton, Macclesfield and Knutsford to join the M6 for one junction then the M56 and A55 to arrive in Holyhead 08:40 in plenty of time for the 10:00 sailing to Dun Laouighre.
After a bit of a wallowing crossing for two hours, we arrived at Dun Laoghrie at midday and a rapid exit from the ferry, no passport control or custom straight onto the road to then take the M50 ring road around Dublin onto the N4 heading towards Galway.
The N4 became the M4, then onto the M6 with a toll of 2.70 Euros and later a second of 1.80 Euros.
Much more rapid progress to the West coast when compared to twenty-five years ago!
At the turning for Athenry, we left the motorway and as we were now correctly located on roads according to the 'satnav': the poor thing's map didn't know about all the recent road building so had us travelling across fields for a lot of the time!
Following the 'satnav' we headed towards Lisdoonvarna and after taking the winding Corkscrew Hill arrived at around 15:30.
We stopped for some quick food shopping and then continued onwards to Dollin to arrive at 'Doolin Cottages some time after 16:00 to see Boyd and Jenny's van and a second vehicle in the car park.
We soon found Boyd in the right-hand cottage (as you look at them) and he explained that they had arrived only half an hour earlier (coming via Belfast as they had been in Scotland the week before) and that the car belong to Robert Protheroe-Jones and family who had arrived earlier and were in the cottage next door but had popped out for a while and locked up.
We moved our stuff in to occupy the bedroom with a double bed and single, Keith and the two of us.
Sometime later Simon Brooks and Sharri arrived and moved in with Robert next door.
Later, Keith, myself and Karen walked down to Magnetic Music for a coffee and chocolate cake as we found it was luckily still open even though after 18:00.
Arriving back at Doolin Cottages, we found Elaine and Mike had also arrived and they were taking the remaining bedroom in our cottage.
A short time later, the three of us wandered over to McDernott's Pub to have Guinness and an Irish Stew (at 12 Euros with Guinness 3.90 a pint), shortly afterwards joined by Elaine and Mike then even later on, Simon.
Unfortunately there was the Manchester United v. Barcelona European Cup Final on the TVs but after that, the 'session' started with a group of mainly young musicians we hadn't seen before.
We lasted until after 23:00 before walking back to the, luckily, very close cottages in light drizzle before going to bed.