The Miss of Ireland

Things I loved about Ireland:
1) The community feel of the pubs Bars in Ireland are places where the whole community gathers together nearly every night to enjoy one another's company over a few pints and some good music. The whole town loves being together. Everyone is invited to be part of the action and to tell their stories around the community fire and to join in singing songs and just reveling in the experience of being together. I don't EVER get that feeling in New York. My cousin,took my wife and me to a wonderful pub filled with good music, good beer, and fun people.

2)
The Book of Kells On display at Trinity College in Dublin are several beautifully handwritten and handbound gospel books. These were often taken by missionaries from place to place hidden under their robes for easy travel.


3) Blarney Castle Kissing the Blarney Stone was fun but the view from the top of the Castle was amazing. This castle is the third structure to be built on this land and has been standing here since the 1400's.

4) Melleray Abbey A Cistercian monastery where my father used to travel for silent prayer time and sometimes even helped with the farming was a pleasent stop on our travels. We even got to watch and pray with the monks during their afternoon hour of prayer. The Abbey has been here since 1832.

5)
Gaelic Somehow I understood a bit of this without ever studying the language. My dad spoke Gaelic but has forgotten a lot of it. Seeing my family name in Gaelic here on their tombstone left me with a profound feeling of ancestry.


6) Killarney National Park A rickety horse and buggy ride through the Muckross Estate which is part of the park gave us a real old-time feel for the ancient country



7)Kilkenny Castle One of the coolest places ever. A great tour of this castle is a must. The castle was bought by the powerful Butler family in 1391, and their descendents continued to live there until 1935. Maintaining the castle became such an enormous expense so most of the furnishings were sold at auction. The city bought the castle in 1967 for the sum of 50 pounds (now about $75 US).

8) Waterford Crystal My cousin, is a glassblower and he always tells me that he's fascinated by watching people in the crystal factory...especially since he breaks a lot of it on purpose every day.


The one thing I missed about the States Signs and directions. Street signs in Ireland are non-existent. Asking someone how to get to a location is nearly impossible. The answer is usually "Oh, it's just on the other side of the river and there ya are!" Of course the five turns you have to make never come up.