Monday, October 16, 2006

Reporting From Ireland, Part 2

Our 2006 Kansas City Irish Fest Grand Prize raffle winner Kendra once again carries us along as she tours the ould sod...

Hello again from Ireland,

After Galway and the Cliffs of Moher, Brian and I headed off to the isolated and lovely Aran Islands for a couple of days. (I think Brian was relieved to have a break from the crazy, terrifying driving. [Very true!]) More accurately, we visited one of them, Inishmore, the biggest island of the three, and spent a couple of days rambling through its rugged and beautiful landscape, exploring a variety of ancient forts and ruined churches and dramatic coastlines - amazing. We rented bikes to help get around the island, and I had to admit to Brian that I haven't ridden a bike since I was probably in junior high. But it's true what they say, you never forget... We were sore (were we ever, especially after riding about 4 miles against the wind back into town to catch the ferry), but it did make seeing the sites easier.

We also had a wonderful evening at an establishment there simply called The Hotel, where we listed to two gentlemen, Paddy Quinn and Locko, play music. After Brian bought them a round of Guinness, and another round of Jameson, they were very friendly indeed, even suggesting places we should go and visit on the island. Sadly, we missed one called the Wormhole (you couldn't visit it during high tide), which Locko had said was amazing, commenting, "There be fairies there, you know" - and somehow I don't think he meant your average, garden fairy variety either...

But the island was gorgeous, and it was wonderful to hear Gaelic being spoken around you.
[In particular, I have come to love the smell of burning peat. Most of the buildings and houses there used peat for heating, and it's warm earthy smell is reminiscent of hickory and also has a sweetness.]

After making our ferry back to Galway, we headed south to Bunratty Castle, just outside the Shannon Airport. The castle was restored in this century by the Viscount and Viscountess of Gort, and you can wander around inside, following tremendously narrow staircases up to various chambers and ramparts (provided no one else is trying to come down the same way you're going up, that is - they're definitely not wide enough for two!). In the grounds of the castle, there's also a Folk Park filled with various cottages and mills and such that they've moved from other sites in Ireland (the first one from the main runway at the Shannon Airport!). We were worried about the whole thing being pretty cheesy based on things we'd read, and it was a little touristy, but it was also very cool to see how people lived.

After that, we headed to the Rock of Cashel. On one big rock which overlooks the town, there's a 12th century round tower, the best preserved Romanesque church in Ireland, a medieval cathedral, and various other eccliastical buildings. It's an incredible complex. It's also where the Kings of Munster were crowned in times past and where St. Patrick is said to have picked a shamrock to show as an example of how the Trinity works. I picked a few myself, as souvenirs - and shot a ton of pictures...

But enough with the history lesson - next stop, the east side of the country.

Kendra

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