We sleep in and have breakfast late. All we have to do today is drive! Helen provides the usual spread: smoked salmon, scones baked fresh from her kitchen, oatmeal, fruit, clotted cream.
Eddie came over to our table to talk before we left. Helen said, "He thinks the kitchen gets clean by waving a magic wand!" He's a former engineer with the Irish military who'd been posted in Iraq and various other places. He's well traveled and educated with much to say.
Eddie tells us there is a reason that Irishmen talk so much. When two Irishmen meet on the street the dialogue will go something like this:
"How are you?"
"I'm fine thanks be to God. And yourself?"
"Myself as well, thanks be to God and the blessed Virgin Mother Mary."
"Yes thanks be to God and the Blessed Virgin and St. Patrick."
"Thanks be to God and the Blessed Virgin and St. Patrick and dear St. Brigid." And it goes on and on like this through all the major Irish saints and the the list of minor saints as well. And the reason for this being that as an occupied country for 800 years, the Irish people are aways afraid of being taken for an informant. They go through the list to ensure that no Unionists, King's men or outsiders are listening, looking over their shoulder the whole time. The informant, according to Eddie, is the person found with 54 stab wounds, that no one knows anything about, and is generally considered the worst case of suicide anywhere.
Another anecdote goes like this: Asked by a stranger, "Is this the way to Dublin?" an Irishman might say, "Well you could get to Dublin from there, but that's not the way I'd go, but if you go over to the next village there's a man you could ask that might know."
Or: "Did you sell that horse?"
"I did yes."
"How much did you get for it?"
"Well not as much as you expected I would even though you never expected I would in the first place."
Or: "Did you speak to my man?"
"My man spoke to your man and we'll meet at the usual time in the usual place."
The variations are endless and all conversations that would leave a stranger in the dark. Eddie also gave us his take on the "Troubles" between England and Northern Ireland. He said even his intelligent friends in the North in Belfast still talk about keeping the British out and Americans think its all about the IRA and the British, but now the south of Ireland or "Nationalist Ireland," an independent state, sees the British as their best trade partners and allies. In the north, still under British rule, there is strong antipathy between Protestant (ruling/privileged class) and the Catholic working class and oppressed minority. During the 1950's, according to Eddie, the IRA split into two factions; those who would become armed militia and those who would become politicians. Politicians sought peaceful means while militia sought to bomb and terrorize. He described the internment camp for terrorists in Northern Ireland where the members of Sinn Fein were all studying and earning PhDs, while the protestant militia were all pumping iron and lifting weights. It is complex complex social fabric that I don't even pretend to understand.
Nationalist Ireland appears to be a strong supporter of civil liberties. Eddie says there will be a vote for same sex marriage next year which has 70% support - amazing for a predominantly Catholic country. The environmental movement seems very active as well - no doubt due to their status as an island nation which must husband its natural resources. Eddie's son is now in politics and works for a social welfare organization.
We drive home from Galway, taking the N6 to the M6 and its raining again. We stopped to take pictures of sheep. They all ran away, the babies bleating, but then the mothers came forward, almost challenging me - like ancient tribal chieftans of old. As soon as I left, the lambs and their mother scrambled over to the the fence, where I'd been, curious to get a wiff of me and watch me go. Classic approach/retreat behavior.
The countryside walls are covered with ivy which brings to mind my mother's little ditty again:
"Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy, a kid'll eat ivy too. Wouldn' you?"
We stopped in at Ballaune to see the Turoe Stone from 2-3BC. It was located in a petting zoo, but the car park attendant knew exactly why we were there and told us, "It's gone to the laboratory to preserve it from the black fungus," which is covering over the intricate designs of flowers on its sides. Its another example of a Neolithic fertility pole located near another ring fort.
Finally we drove over the River Shannon back into County West Meath. A production of the Magic Flute is being held in a tent on the grounds of Lismore Castle to the south. So many things to do and see. Too bad vacations have to end. Though the sky is grey again I see some breaks in the clouds to the north.
Eddie came over to our table to talk before we left. Helen said, "He thinks the kitchen gets clean by waving a magic wand!" He's a former engineer with the Irish military who'd been posted in Iraq and various other places. He's well traveled and educated with much to say.
Eddie tells us there is a reason that Irishmen talk so much. When two Irishmen meet on the street the dialogue will go something like this:
"How are you?"
"I'm fine thanks be to God. And yourself?"
"Myself as well, thanks be to God and the blessed Virgin Mother Mary."
"Yes thanks be to God and the Blessed Virgin and St. Patrick."
"Thanks be to God and the Blessed Virgin and St. Patrick and dear St. Brigid." And it goes on and on like this through all the major Irish saints and the the list of minor saints as well. And the reason for this being that as an occupied country for 800 years, the Irish people are aways afraid of being taken for an informant. They go through the list to ensure that no Unionists, King's men or outsiders are listening, looking over their shoulder the whole time. The informant, according to Eddie, is the person found with 54 stab wounds, that no one knows anything about, and is generally considered the worst case of suicide anywhere.
Another anecdote goes like this: Asked by a stranger, "Is this the way to Dublin?" an Irishman might say, "Well you could get to Dublin from there, but that's not the way I'd go, but if you go over to the next village there's a man you could ask that might know."
Or: "Did you sell that horse?"
"I did yes."
"How much did you get for it?"
"Well not as much as you expected I would even though you never expected I would in the first place."
Or: "Did you speak to my man?"
"My man spoke to your man and we'll meet at the usual time in the usual place."
The variations are endless and all conversations that would leave a stranger in the dark. Eddie also gave us his take on the "Troubles" between England and Northern Ireland. He said even his intelligent friends in the North in Belfast still talk about keeping the British out and Americans think its all about the IRA and the British, but now the south of Ireland or "Nationalist Ireland," an independent state, sees the British as their best trade partners and allies. In the north, still under British rule, there is strong antipathy between Protestant (ruling/privileged class) and the Catholic working class and oppressed minority. During the 1950's, according to Eddie, the IRA split into two factions; those who would become armed militia and those who would become politicians. Politicians sought peaceful means while militia sought to bomb and terrorize. He described the internment camp for terrorists in Northern Ireland where the members of Sinn Fein were all studying and earning PhDs, while the protestant militia were all pumping iron and lifting weights. It is complex complex social fabric that I don't even pretend to understand.
Nationalist Ireland appears to be a strong supporter of civil liberties. Eddie says there will be a vote for same sex marriage next year which has 70% support - amazing for a predominantly Catholic country. The environmental movement seems very active as well - no doubt due to their status as an island nation which must husband its natural resources. Eddie's son is now in politics and works for a social welfare organization.
We drive home from Galway, taking the N6 to the M6 and its raining again. We stopped to take pictures of sheep. They all ran away, the babies bleating, but then the mothers came forward, almost challenging me - like ancient tribal chieftans of old. As soon as I left, the lambs and their mother scrambled over to the the fence, where I'd been, curious to get a wiff of me and watch me go. Classic approach/retreat behavior.
The countryside walls are covered with ivy which brings to mind my mother's little ditty again:
"Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy, a kid'll eat ivy too. Wouldn' you?"
We stopped in at Ballaune to see the Turoe Stone from 2-3BC. It was located in a petting zoo, but the car park attendant knew exactly why we were there and told us, "It's gone to the laboratory to preserve it from the black fungus," which is covering over the intricate designs of flowers on its sides. Its another example of a Neolithic fertility pole located near another ring fort.
 |
| The Turoe Stone www.ancientireland.org |
Finally we drove over the River Shannon back into County West Meath. A production of the Magic Flute is being held in a tent on the grounds of Lismore Castle to the south. So many things to do and see. Too bad vacations have to end. Though the sky is grey again I see some breaks in the clouds to the north.
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