Tales and tunes of Ireland

Mike pried me out of Ashford Castle, kicking and screaming the whole way. It’s so lovely here, do we really have to go? We headed to Galway, cultural capital of Ireland on the west coast. Connor, our local guide filled our heads with tales of Irish chieftains, Vikings and Normans who came and assimilated into Ireland until they were more Irish than the Irish. Of course there’s multiple versions of stories and as Connor put it, never let the truth get in the way of a good story 😉. The west of Ireland was the poorest area, and when the potato famine hit, Galway was the major port of emigration for those who left. The way to the pier was dubbed the longest walk as those were the last steps in Ireland before boarding a boat. We learned the secret to making Irish coffee, followed by a practical exercise of making and drinking (of course) our own. We explored the streets and harbor before settling for ice cream in a small shop. Wouldn’t you know that we sat next to a lady from a small town in Pennsylvania I used to go to many years ago and we knew the same people. Small world. We drove through the area called the Burren… which was pretty barren, and headed to the Cliffs of Moher. Talk about massive cliffs, crashing seas, and pretty stiff winds. We could see the Aran Islands in the distance, our first stop after the tour ends. So glad we booked the ferry out of Rosaveel and not Doolin. Let’s hope the sea settles down or it’ll be a long ride. We ended up in Ennis, a small town a bit off the usual tourist track. After a sumptuous dinner of lamb we were treated to a performance by a local musical group with dancers. There were 2 harps, a fiddle, accordion, concertina and pipe. Beautiful music and when the soloist sang, it was a Capela with the most haunting yet lilting melodies. 2 young folks danced with much tapping and kicks. They started learning at age 4 and the young man was only 14. Amazing. In closing, here’s an Irish toast: Here’s to cheating, fighting, stealing and drinking. If you cheat, cheat death. If you fight, fight for each other. If you must steal, may you steal the heart of a lover. And if you’re drinking, drink with me.Read more