Last weekend at Lough Derg I saw a sailing competition and met loads of nice people. Everyone I meet was kind and polite towards me, something I have noticed about most Irish people. I was told that everyone in this group was nice by design. What I mean is if you are in their group and not a nice person, they would not treat you kindly (basically ignore you) until you left, thus creating a group of the friendliest people I have ever met. The name of the Guy's boat is the Barbarbossa. We set sail on this boat from Dromineer to Mountshannon. The views around the lake were some of the best I have seen so far on my trip. Residing on the Barbarbossa was Frank, Jessica, Rachel, Stewart (friend of the family), and I. Natalie and Alfie were at a sailing competition down in Baltimore. We enjoyed a hearty dinner prepared by Frank. It consisted of sea kale, pheasant casserole with a side of lead shot, and apple pie.
Saturday (4/11) was when the boat racing began. The type of boat used in this race was called a Shannon (big enough for three people). I hopped onto a rescue boat so that I would be able to see the race. I was enlisted to help lay down markers for the race and to help anyone who had capsized (no one capsized). There were three races total, one long race in the morning followed by two shorter races in the afternoon. After the final race of the day everyone meet for a wine social on board the Phoenix (second oldest boat in Ireland). After this we headed over to a dinner party and then finally to a pub (big surprise).
Sunday (4/12)I headed back to Dublin to get ready for a tour on Monday. Stewart was nice enough to drive me the the bus stop in Nenagh (pronounced Nina). It was better than what I expected and I enjoyed every second of it.
Tuesday I went to one of the Aran Islands called Inis Mór. It only took a short bus and ferry ride to reach the island. The island is relatively small, about 8 miles long and 2 miles wide. What is even more impressive is that there are 3,000 miles worth of stone walls. I have never seen so much piled up stone in my life. The first stop on my tour of the island was a place called Dun Aonghusa (Angus). This fort was over 2,500 years old and sits on top of a 300 foot cliff. As you will be able to see from the pictures, it was a swell day to be outside.
As we were driving around the island, we got stuck in rush hour traffic. Cows do not move out of the way! I was able to see the ruins of seven different church's, all with low doors. There was also a lovely beach on the island. I was told that during the summer the water hits 60 degrees, still cold. Look closely at some of the pictures cause you will see some seals, located in Seal Bay.
Wednesday I ventured out towards the Cliffs of Moher. I had the option of either going on a nature hike in the Burren or going on a tour in Aillwee Cave. I chose the later due to the poor visibility. It has not rained much at all today; it has just been gloomy and foggy all day long.
The cave tour was interesting. They actually let you take pictures with flash so I am still recovering from multiple in the face flashes. This cave was formed by an underwater river that dried up ages ago. After the cave tour we grabbed something to eat in a village called Doolin. Then we head on up to the Cliffs of Moher.The Cliffs of Moher was spectacular. It is a 200 M (about 650 FT) drop from the top down to the Atlantic Ocean below. I took many pictures during this part of the tour. They turned out fine; however, I wish the weather could have been nicer. I had an hour to explore around the trails at the cliffs edge.
On our way back to Galway we stopped by an ancient tomb belonging to ancient horse people. It was an interesting tomb; All graves face towards the sunrise. We also stopped at Dunguaire Castle for a quick photo.
Thursday I went on a tour in the Connemara. It was a great day to be outside; the weather made this trip more enjoyable. Once we arrived in the Connemara region I was greeted by huge, steep mountains. We stopped and looked at a village that was deserted due to the great famine. There was also a neat waterfall called the Guinness waterfall, called this because of its color. There was plenty of wonderful scenery in the Connemara. This entire area was once covered in trees that were all cut down many years ago. Apparently Ireland used to be covered with forests.
The tour also stopped at the only fjord in Ireland called Killary. This was quite the site to see. The mountains seemed to just dive into it. You could see in the distance the mouth of the fjord where it meets the Atlantic. There was also a fairy tree at this particular stop. The story goes that if you make a wish and tie a piece of cloth to it that your wish would come true.
The last stop on the tour was Kylemore Abbey. This abbey was nestled deep in the mountains, miles away from civilization. High up on the mountain behind the house was a statue of a religious figure. There was also a church, mausoleum, and a walled gardens on the grounds.
Saturday I decided to hike to the Powerscourt Waterfall. The waterfall is about 6 KM from Enniskerry (about a 3 Mile walk). It was a nice day to go for a stroll. The waterfall was very impressive; it is the highest waterfall in the country. All I did on Sunday was go on a walk to the nearby Killiney and Dalkey Hill.
I started back at Powerscourt National School today. I have been moved to the junior and senior infant class. Today was special because they were filming a movie in the village. The film is called Leap Year. It's supposed to be a romantic comedy. When I was on Inish Mor they were painting one of the villages for this movie. We had to keep the kids quite when we were outside because the filming.
