Memories of Ireland

I really feel as though I should be writing about our adventures in Ireland. I loved the country. I truly enjoyed Dublin, Kilkenny, and Galway. It was green - so beautifully green.

And there were tastes that were distinctly Ireland: black and black (Guinness and black currant juice), egg and mayo sandwiches, roasted tomatoes for breakfast, and even Irish cole slaw tasted better than American (and I'm very picky!). There were disappointing tastes also - too many onions in the potatoes, boiled cabbage, smashed peas under some fish and chips, etc.  Although we did finally find some excellent fish and chips - where was that??? I did find that I should always go with the beef when in doubt - the lamb was okay but not great. So, apparently, I like a lot more Korean food than I do Irish food but I loved the atmosphere.

Churches, Abbeys, Cathedrals, Shrines, ruins of churches. Loved them all. We went to mass whenever we could - that is something that I have never done on vacation before and I loved it! Emotional. Very emotional. Can't explain all of that. I converted before I got married - but I was already being called to Catholicism during my college years. Bought my first rosary (Connemara marble from Ireland) during my freshman year. Also bought my first saint's medal, St. Patrick and St. Brigid. Double-sided. So, with Presbyterian heritage, raised as an orangeman, walking into the Catholic churches, I felt so much that I had come home. I cried over the Memory Gardens, the bullet holes in the Post Office, and over the thought of Cromwell using the churches as stables for his horses. Were the Kennedys who left Dublin Catholic??? I don't know - but I'd like to think that they were. I wouldn't even go to St. Patrick's but we did go to St. Mary's Pro-Tem. It was overwhelming. I think I was silent about much of this as I soaked it all in. Very difficult to explain to daughters who were born and raised Catholic. As were the Catholic penal laws.

Yes, I know my Irish history. Started singing Irish revolutionary songs all the time in college - sang them previously throughout my high school years - just thought of them as pub songs then - because I was a fan of the Irish Rovers (ever since Cimmarron Strip). Have studied Irish folklore and heritage for as long as I can remember. It was the novel Trinity by Leon Uris that really was eye-opening as I read it along with my materials for my Russian history class. The Orangemen had their own version of pogroms - marching through Catholic neighborhoods and then destroying what they could. Checkout the Catholic penal laws! You will cry.

Our last hotel was delightful! It had a hidden treasure in the basement - a pub with live traditional music!! It was heavenly - what a way to end our visit. So much more to write and savor. Later.