If you are just now checking out the posts about Ireland, be sure to click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page because there are several more posts about Ireland. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to look at what I have spent time and effort, in my feeble awareness of technology, to create. I'm not sure how commenting works but I would love to hear from anyone who has ideas or opinions about some of my thoughts.

     I hope I have done justice to our wonderful trip to Ireland. It was our first time there and the first time for Russ and I to stay in AIRBNB's. We couldn't have been more pleased! All the places we stayed were clean, private, picturesque and very nicely priced. We met delightful people and feasted our eyes on the scenery and our stomachs on delicious food. I am a little disappointed that I was unable to find out more about my ancestor but now I understand better why it's just not likely to ever happen. Just as anywhere else in the world, records were kept mostly by the elite and by churches back before 1800. My family were mostly farmers and I have found what records I'm going to find. Some day I will meet them, on the other side of the "veil" and will be delighted to hear their story. I'm just glad that most of the family made it to America so that I could have the blessing of being born and live out my life in this beautiful land.

A few pictures of places we stayed

Three pictures inside one of the little houses where we stayed

The outside of a second lovely home where we stayed. That's us by our rental car on the right. We entered the downstairs around the back. we had 3 spacious bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, a large living room and kitchen.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

More pictures of the Emerald Isle

Believe it or not, those dots in the distance are surfers

There may not be a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but there is a lovely island to see.

Pictures of a beautiful island

View from the Rock of Cashel

 

                     
                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                               

The Great Irish Potato Famine

The top photo is a closer image of the buildings I posted in the last blog, thatched roofed buildings built at the time of the potato famine, mid-1800's. I have learned a bit about this sad part of Ireland's history but I'm sure I don't have a complete understanding. Before this trip, I had the image in my mind of imperious English "lords" abusing the people of Ireland that they considered inferior. (That seems to be what quite often happens with "more advanced" civilizations who step in to forcefully "improve" the lot of lesser civilizations.) They told the Irish what to produce, taking most of it to export to England or use themselves and leaving only the potatoes for the natives to eat. Although that's mostly true, the reasoning may not be completely true. Potatoes were NOT native to Ireland. They were imported as an "ideal" source of food for an island with limited natural resources. It was recognized and embraced by the Irish as a cheap, compact source of nourishment so they planted them everywhere. (One estimate is that they ate 14 pounds of potatoes per person per day.) There were still sheep and a few cows raised (mostly for milk and butter- the meat not so often) as well as salmon and other fish available. But the Irish relied very heavily on potatoes as their food. Then several decades after they had incorporated potatoes into their resources, a fungus blight developed which suddenly and completely wiped out their crops several years in a row.
     The second picture above is a memorial cross commemorating the trek of hundreds of starving Irish as they walked over 20 miles- men, women and children- in the cold and wet of winter to plead with English lords for help. The story goes that the lords got up from their laden lunch tables to turn them away saying they could not help them. The story also goes that during this time of the widespread British Empire, the "imperialists" had learned that giving handouts to "lesser" people did not, ultimately, help them. It only made them more dependent. It was ultimately better to avoid intervention and encourage more "self-reliance". So, while the English had the wherewithal to import sufficient food for themselves, they insisted that the Irish find a way to obtain their own food- even though they had little to  no actual money or means of obtaining anything beyond what they had on their meager land for which they paid high taxes and/or rent to the English. There are claims of laziness or drunkenness on the part of the Irish as well as greediness and self-righteousness on the part of the English. Since I was not there at that time, I really can't say exactly where the burden of fault lies, but it certainly doesn't speak well of the whole concept of imperialism.
     In the end, Ireland's population was depleted by between 1/4 and 1/2 through death (mostly by starvation but also disease due to malnutrition) and emigration- of which I include some of my own ancestors. One community's population decreased to 165 and still has not recovered. There are whole hillsides once tilled for planting potatoes that have lain fallow ever since because there was no reason to plant so many potatoes with insufficient numbers of people to eat them. The last picture above is the view the starving Irish had across the path/road from where the cross now stands, bleak and cold. A deep sadness came over me as I thought about the people who lived- or not- through the experience.  I have a really comfortable existence.

Ireland's mixture of old and new

     The island we today call Ireland has been inhabited for a very long time. It's fascinating to travel around seeing ancient ruins and even very old buildings still in use.

In the background you can see buildings (barns, shed, and houses) with thatched roofs, still in use from when they were built about the time of the great potato famine in the mid-1800's.

This house is obviously much newer! I took this picture of a random house when we were stopped at an intersection- or should I say junction? Anyway, all of the dwellings I saw looked very neat and tidy. Even in the cities the litter was considerably less than in most US cities. The whole country of Ireland just seemed very clean and well-cared-for to me.

Susanne and Louisa are standing in a peat bog. Multitudes of layers of decaying vegetable matter create a fascinating surface. It's not really swampy but spongy. If you stand about as far apart as they are and one jumps on the ground, the other can feel it. It's not quite like a trampoline but a similar feel. We were told that one week spent cutting peat (which is then laid out to dry) can provide one home enough fuel for a year!

At the other end of the "technology" spectrum, all over the island we saw groups of windmills like this to provide power for Ireland. I wonder if there are groups of people who protest that they're unsightly or damaging to birds???
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Agriculture and animals in Ireland

     I plan to do a later blog on the potato famine and what I learned but, suffice it to say, there are no large fields of grain like in central USA. There are LOTS of small vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. There are no herds of buffalo or large herd of cattle or horses. The pig in the photo above was definitely healthy! He was a breed of "grazing pig" which I guess is somewhat unusual. I was also impressed by how "healthy" the cows looked. I suppose it could be their furry coats at this time of year but they just really looked more aware, more robust, and just better specimens than what I have observed in the US during my life.

The picture is, unfortunately a bit fuzzy maybe because I was shivering in the cold wind.

     As we drove around the western part of Ireland, sheep were plentiful everywhere. As I have mentioned before, there are stone fences creating large separations of the open lands but even with the fences, the sheep manage to wander. I even saw a cow grazing as it stood on one stone fence that had been overgrown with sod! Just as branding is used to differentiate one owner's cow or horse from another, the sheep were marked in a strikingly colorful way-

                                                            

Ireland's vice and virtue

     If you have never read the book "Angela's Ashes" it would be an excellent insight into the effects of alcoholism on those who care about someone suffering that affliction. Surely, no man is an island and our choices impact those around us whether we want it to or not. France and Italy are known for their wine and its consumption. Germany and Ireland are known for beer and its consumption. The #1 tourist activity when you research going to Ireland is "pub crawl" where you spend long evening (or earlier) hours going from pub to pub, with live music available in some places. Guinness (world famous beer company) is a hugely common name found all over the country and has admittedly helped the economy, except for any results of expenses due to alcohol use. As Russ and I walked around a Dublin neighborhood we came upon two teenage girls tucked away on a small side street having a clandestine bottle of some kind of liquor. They weren't homeless or shabby looking. They were simply doing what the culture encourages. Another time, as we were wandering around the city, my foot slipped off the curb of a crowded sidewalk. A taxi driver stopped nearby, rolled down his window and asked with a big grin, "Tipsy already?" Even though he was "joking" and it was early in the day, drunkenness was what first came to his mind. Not only is there a plethora of pubs as well as alcohol available in even small cafes, there are lots of signs for "off license" available, which means you can buy alcohol to take with you rather than drinking it on site.
     Then, in addition to Lotto signs everywhere, there were lots of gaming shops where you can place bets or gamble on whatever is available. They advertise "best odds" and "bookmaking" along with somewhat ironic signs promoting "responsible gambling week". I recognize there are lots of people who go to Las Vegas or spend evenings in casinos for entertainment just as there are lots of people who drink alcohol to relax or celebrate. I guess it's possible to do both within limits to minimize any damage. I just can't help but wonder if fully abstaining from either activity isn't a more guaranteed way to avoid wasting money, causing heartache, and destroying relationships and reputations. There are ways to do those things other than drinking alcohol and gambling but those two activities are not only unnecessary but society would benefit from their absence.
     Opposite these vices, we met only warm, pleasant, welcoming people and our visit to Ireland gave us insights into how long Christianity has been supported quickly supplanting the old Celtic religion of druids. The story of St. Patrick chasing all the snakes out of Ireland is actually a metaphor for him chasing out old pagan beliefs.

Rock of Cashel, ancient stone church and cemetery

Shrines are a common sight

     We went to Trinity College in Dublin where we saw the Book of Kells, an "illuminated" (meaning with intricate drawings and scripts) manuscript of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) written in Latin around 800 AD. There were also a couple other copies of scripture even older. The library where they are stored was started in 1712 and looks like someplace in movies like Harry Potter. We also visited the beautiful Kylemore Abbey which was originally built as an estate by a wealthy man then later became an abbey as home to nuns and a school for girls until it was deemed unsuitable and unsafe for children. Now it is only home for nuns who make chocolates, soap, and worship God, as well as being a tourist spot.

Ireland rocks!

     The feature of Ireland only second to the intense green is ROCKS. They are the most plentiful resource and have been used for millenia in building everything from burial mounds to churches to homes and forts to fences. The fences are nearly all simply piled rocks with no mortar. In some areas where shale is prevalent, they even stand the top layer of rocks upright on top of all the horizontal layers of rock creating a fiercely jagged appearance. The burial mounds are also simply layers and layers of rocks in a huge mound and were built before the Egyptian pyramids.

Entrance to Newgrange ancient burial mound

Rock of Cashel site of ancient Christian church and cemetery

Very old rock church no longer in use

Remains of one of MANY old stone forts with dwellings and storage areas inside

Old stone house

Newer, currently used stone church

Driving in Ireland

     We could have chosen bus tours as a way of seeing Ireland but instead chose to rent a car. The first and foremost problem we had with driving in Ireland is that there is insufficient labeling- of roads, streets, and ways to go- especially on all the many secondary roads. We thought we could manage with a paper map because that's the way people got around for many years before electronic devices. When we picked up the rental car we knew  Susanne would be having a SIM card in her phone when she arrived so we opted not to get a GPS which would cost extra. Later after they left, we paid the extra to have a GPS because we just couldn't manage without one. Because of the cost of having extra drivers for a rental car, I never drove while in Ireland. Russ and James were our drivers. It was definitely a harrowing experience for Russ, just off the plane, to get in a car with the steering wheel on the opposite side and drive on the "wrong" side of the road in city traffic! The Irish seemed to be very patient and polite; maybe they're used to "foreigners" not knowing their way around. Highway driving was probably the easiest. Once you get on a road, you just go forward. Strange were some of the signs and expressions used. I especially liked the signs for "traffic calming", meaning to slow down because you're about to enter a village. Intersections are called junctions and most had traffic circles which are now becoming more prevalent here in the US. In Northern Ireland especially the warning to "yield" is referred to as "give way". The word "SLOW" is often written in large letters on the pavement as you approach a curve, a junction, or a village. A yellow diamond shaped sign with big letters "DANGER" was daunting, especially since I couldn't see what it was referring to! Everywhere off the few major roads were signs with long s-curves indicating the road would be serpentine but there were places when even the curves were so sharp the sign showed more a zig-zag than a curve. A sign at a business read "End of Life Vehicles" which could be taken more ways than one! It was a car junkyard. There were few street lights which was could be considered a blessing or a curse. It made it very difficult to find your way once it got dark, which this time of year is by 5 pm. However, we were delighted to be able to see so many stars! In the prevalent light pollution in the US, that can be difficult, often the moon being the only nighttime light in the sky you can see. I was so grateful for Russ and James's driving skill on the very narrow and winding roads. Often the roads were more narrow than most driveways here. If you meet oncoming traffic, one or the other has to find a place to pull over which can be difficult because there are no shoulders. The pavement goes to a narrow strip of grass leading up to an unmovable stone fence.

I took this picture hoping to give an indication how narrow the roads are. This is intended for two-way traffic. We were certainly grateful for the considerate drivers who always gave way or nodded appreciation when we gave way. 

Impressions of Ireland

     Russ and I have just returned from nearly 2 weeks visiting Ireland, both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Anyone interested in the politics of why there are different sections or interested in the geologic causes of its features or the history of the island or the sociological sources of its people can read appropriate scholarly works. My blogs are just going to be my own observations and resulting philosophical thoughts about not only Ireland but humans in general.
     I have wanted to visit Ireland for as long as I can remember. I love Celtic music and dance. I have enjoyed Irish characters in movies but I guess I developed a strong desire to actually go there once I knew I had ancestors who lived there and emigrated to the US. I have been unable to find out anything about their life or connections there, which is a great disappointment. I guess I may have to wait until I meet them on the other side of the veil. In the meantime, I will occasionally poke around whatever information I can about the Irish immigrants during the potato famine and records that may become available in the future, if any.
     On first sight, from an airplane window, I thought Ireland looked like a great quilt with lush green squares divided by rock fences and dotted with white sheep and occasional cows.

 As we drove around the island for the next 13 days, I saw that, even up close, it was intensely green. The nearly constant rain gave us a clue as to how it gets so green. Rocks are greatly plentiful, too.

Although there are a very few sandy beaches, there are dramatic cliffs to the point that you have to wonder how people throughout the island's history have managed to approach and leave in boats. The rocks have been a primary source of construction material for inhabitants since prehistory.

One of the major "tourist spots" is Newgrange which is just a little north and west of Dublin and is the site of a prehistoric burial mound dating back before the Egyptian pyramids. I was struck more than once by the age of Ireland. As a political entity, it is relatively "new" in the world but not only is the island ancient, it has been inhabited for a very, very long time.  This mound is one of many rock mounds which, over the years have been overgrown with sod. There are also LOTS of rock fences which have been used primarily to hold sheep in a specific area and some of these fences have also been overgrown with sod. It is probably much more pleasant to visit during warm, sunny summer months but we were happy to have avoided big crowds. Despite the cold and rain, we found the people there to be very pleasant.