Ireland 2019: Dinner in the Holywood Hills

On Sunday evening we were invited to attend a gathering of the clan at the Holywood Golf Club high up in the Holywood Hills about seven miles southeast of Belfast. It was a reunion of sorts since most of us had just mingled with each other at Paul and Amy’s wedding a few days before.

A view of the golf course from the club. There are also fantastic views from the course of Belfast Lough and the Antrim Coast.

Click on any photo to see a larger version of that photo.

Henry’s nephew David and family friend Dougie.

We all assembled at the golf club’s restaurant called 1904. Can you guess what year the golf club was founded?

The newlyweds Paul and Amy were still around. They went on their honeymoon to Greece a couple of days later.

Kenny and Jenny (Henry’s daughter).

My granddaughter Sophie with her parents.

David and Jude’s three boys: Adam, Eoin and Thomas

Henry’s nephew David and his wife Jude.

Henry and Geraldine.

My wife and our granddaughter Claire.

Guinness of course.

Henry’s niece Claire and her sister-in-law Jude.

Paul’s Amy and Claire’s Peter.

The whole gang. Most of us are descended from Scots farmers who migrated to Ireland in the 1700s and settled in Ballycopeland on the Ards peninsula of County Down.

Geraldine made sure that my wife got her favorite tabasco sauce.

Rory McIlroy is a native of Holywood and the Holywood Golf Club course is his home course.

My son-in-law and I admire some replicas of Rory’s championship trophies.

Brian, Rory and me.

David and Jude’s boys entertain their seventh cousin. my granddaughter Claire.

After dinner a few of us dropped by the nearby Culloden Resort for a brief visit. That will be the subject of my next post.

Bonus — Robbie Hannan on the uilleann pipes

We first met Henry and Geraldine’s good friend Dougie in 2002 and we have kept in contact ever since. Henry’s son and daughter and niece and nephew all consider Dougie to be part of the family. Dougie also has his own family, including a cousin, Robbie Hannan, who is an accomplished piper. Here is a video of Robbie performing at an international uilleann pipe concert in 2008: