5 September – McGann’s was fun last night; met several other travelers, including two guys from Italy who joined our table and chatted us up all night. Their English put mine to shame! The session was great – two string players and a woman on an uilleann, but mostly sung while we were there. Hostel was surprisingly good. The all-night wind off the blustery Atlantic was helpful “white noise.”
Up fairly early this grey morning for a brief drive around the Burren – amazingly different landscape, and pictures don’t do it justice. The rock has an almost a lavender hue in the light. We’ve passed through several small towns – in Kilcolgan now – and stopped briefly at Dunguaire Castle and Bell Harbor for a few pictures.
We just stopped at Clarinbridge (home of the oyster, according to local signage) because we saw, as we drove by, that it was market-day. Venders were setting up in the little town square surrounding an impressive Celtic cross. Lots of baked goods, a horse-cart (literally) full of typical Irish vegetables (carrots, onions, and potatoes). Allis got a veg and cheese pie from wild-haired “Peter the Pie Man.” I would’ve gotten one too but I am out of cash and none of the small towns have ATMs! Thankfully it’s not far to Galway. Another vender had bushels of clams and oysters – neither on ice nor refrigerated. I would be concerned except that it’s obvious they’ve been doing this longer than my country has even existed…
7:00 p.m. – Longish day considering how comparatively little driving we did! I like Galway; Allis doesn’t so much. While in one sense it is just a big city (by Irish standards), I like the particular energy here; it is at once international but very, very Irish. Lots of Gaelic heard and seen here.
I visited St. Nicholas Cathedral late this afternoon – truly remarkable. Juxtaposed with another St. Nicholas – the “collegiate” version, which is the longest continually operating parish in Ireland – the Cathedral is just more than 40 years old, but has the essence of something much older. The organ is very impressive (I wish I could’ve heard it play!), as is the altar and many of the windows. The combination of wood, stone and glass elements seems unique to me, but I’m not quite sure whether it is in fact. In any event it is lovely, and many worshippers were filing in and out during my visit, giving it the feel of something that’s more than just show. Out hostel for tonight seems nice, though man running it is – how to say it? – hostile. He was complaining about how he got roped into doing this over the summer, he hates tourists, etc., and was generally angsty.
Allis is there, sleeping at the moment, while I await a Guinness and steak at The Front Door pub on High Street. In the “small world” category, my waitress was in the States a while back, lived in Alexandria, and bartended at Murphy’s in Old Town, which I have patronized on several occasions! How crazy is that?
I am so, so grateful for this time. God has made it especially sweet; the days have not simply flown by as much-anticipated vacations tend to. I feel like I have been able to soak up even more not having to drive. I’ve done a lot of reflecting on how big God’s world is. Ireland is comparatively small as a country, population-wise and as a land mass. But it still takes somewhat laborious effort to travel (I can only imagine how much more difficult it was 50, 100, 200 years ago!); hours pass without anything like major development – rather small towns, at once protected and exposed, an Clarinbridge earlier today. The little girls (and most women) wore traditional looking skirts – their market-day best – selling breads, scones, fudge, and other confections straight out of baskets. No packaging, no frills. Just the real deal.
That is one thing I’ve picked up – the authenticity of this place. The hostel owners vary greatly: one is exuberant to welcome us and show us around (last night in Doolin), another is laissez-faire (Forksouth Castle), and tonight’s is eager to say something antagonistic. Those who ask where I’m from are truly interested; those who don’t care simply don’t ask. For as much as life is dependent on tourism, there is little personal pretense.
(Guinness + steak = very good. Irish beef is amazingly tender.)
I have the privilege of being in a pub for the world Cup qualifier. When the Irish anthem was played just now, it was fun to see all eyes on the screen, many mouthing the words along to the tune – a prelude to the madness that will undoubtedly be tomorrow for the hurling finals. Quite the cultural phenomenon.
(Ireland just scored a goal. Much excitement. Also, Irish coffee ordered.)
I don’t want to go back. The scary part is I could hypothetically run away, right here, right now. It’s the same feeling I get when I stare at the train boards in Union Station too long – oh, the places I could go, I think – nothing is stopping me but my aversion to impulsiveness… but what if?
6 September – Up early this morning for another look at Galway. Enjoying a cup of coffee at Revive Café, Eyre Street, just around the corner from the hostel. It is drizzling heavily, to be expected almost everywhere in Ireland, but especially here on the bay. While I got a hot breakfast yesterday at the Galway Bakery Company (a chain), it was not the full Irish breakfast that is simply one of the things you must get on the Emerald Isle – so I am treating myself to one this morning.
Galway seems familiar to me, I think, because of its similarities to San Diego – especially Salthill (the resort area) and Claddaugh Park. Which reminds me, our charming bus tour guide yesterday made much of his ability to predict the weather. When we got to the shore, he pointed out the mountains of Clare, which he said were the key: if you couldn’t see them, it was raining; and if you could see them, it was going to rain.
Brilliant.
12:30 p.m. – We had a nice drive east through light rain, stopping briefly at Clonmacnoise for a few pictures. It cost to go in, which I did not expect but should have. Looked like some extensive grounds and ruins, with a graveyard full of ancient crosses in good shape, but I contented myself with an epic battle against my umbrella on a hill overlooking the River Shannon (much prettier at this point compared to Limerick). A few Irishmen were setting out from a nearby picturesque pier on a fishing trip.
We are now at a café in Trim, where we intend to see the Castle (the largest of its kind in Ireland) before going into Dublin, which should be only a half-hour drive to the south.
7:00 p.m. – What a busy few hours! Allis and I are now sitting on the second floor of The Auld Dubliner at Temple Bar. I can’t believe this is my last dinner in Ireland!But I will focus on the positive. We had a lovely tour of Trim Castle – quite an amazing structure! I’m very glad we made the trip out for it.
Getting into Dublin was dicier than expected but, rain and heavier traffic than we’ve been accustomed to aside, largely uneventful. We were blessed with a great parking spot in front of the Four Courts around 1500 (yay for no pay & display on Sundays!) and went directly to Christchurch Cathedral, where we caught the beautiful evensong service at 1530. So wonderful to be able to worship God is such a beautiful place so far away from home!
After evensong, we did the O’Connell Street Walk up to the lovely Garden of Remembrance. I think my favorite part was the General Post Office, the seat of the Easter Uprising. The amazing coexistence of ancient and recent history here is breathtaking. Which leads me here, to Temple Bar, where I just ate fish and chips while the guitar/singer downstairs played some U2 tunes. Doesn’t get too much more Irish than that.
Also, I neglected to previously record that my streak dinner last night and Irish breakfast this morning were eaten the Irish way (fork downturned in the left hand). It wasn’t pretty, but it happened. Closer than I was to looking like a local, right?7 September, 11:00 a.m. – At the airport and what I believe to be my gate (there seems to be some confusion as to what gate it is). Sad to be going back but definitely looking forward to showering in my shower and sleeping in my bed. The Dublin hostel was okay, but necessarily noisy with about a dozen people in our room, another dozen in the adjoining room, and our bathroom apparently the only one to use. Plenty of people out late too, so I didn’t sleep too terribly well. But had a good drive to the airport and coffee with Allis this morning. Sad to say goodbye after such a wonderful adventure, but there will be more… stateside and otherwise. Allis says Scotland is next, and I am game!
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