Day 13 Galway to Dublin

Today was mostly a travel day, but we managed to cram quite a bit in. We stayed off the main road all the way to Dublin, taking back roads when we could find our way! Our first unusual sighting was in a small village called Ballymore. First we saw hundreds of cars parked on the narrow streets. Then we approached a large cathedral. I was thinking that maybe a wedding was taking place. Not so. Turned out to be a funeral procession. We immediately pulled over out of respect. The pallbearers carried the coffin on their shoulders, with their inside arms linked around each other's shoulders. It was quite a sight, but a bit sad as well.
Next unusual thing we found is shown in the following photo in a town called Killare.

We turned around (and that isn't easy!) to see what it was. Of course it was written in Gaelic. We drove up the narrow road, and saw the sign, "Hill of Uisneach, site of Celtic festival of Bealtaine, ancient place of assembly. St. Patrick's church, sacred center of Ireland in Pagan times. Site of Druidic fire cult, seat of High Kings". Pretty mystifying, huh? So I googled it when we arrived at our hotel room. It was the seat of the high Kings of Meath.  Its history is rooted in the Iron Age. St. Patrick and St. Brigid have important connections with the Hill, it being claimed that it was here St. Brigid received the veil from St. Patrick. Funny, but so many places in Ireland are connected to St. Patrick...wonder how much of that is a wannabe? There are a large number of monuments – almost twenty – mostly ring forts and tumuli which are scattered around and upon it.The sad thing is that it is all on private land, and we couldn't see any of it!

Next stop was Trim to see the Castle Trim. Great stop! I thought I was almost "castled" out, but this one was presented in a wonderful way. The land was first granted to Hugh de Lacy an Anglo-Norman. I think he is one of my ancestors, if I remember correctly.  He built first a wooden structure on the spot, but when the natives burned it to the ground, he built the present structure. Learned some interesting things about early "castle life". Now remember, this is the Irish telling these stories...I'll let you make you own mind up if they are true or not. To protect the keep the waste from a nearby Lepers colony was thrown into the river Lep to keep enemies from crossing the river. The castle had large vats near the roof to collect rain water. Enemies would kill small animals, let them "ripen" for a few days and then try to catapult them into the water supply! Clever, huh! There were wooden battlements built around several sides of the castle, looking like small rooms sticking out of the castle walls. These battlements all had trap doors where the guards would drop either, hot oil, ashes, or even human waster on the enemies below. We also saw a true to life castle toilet! Now this story is really good! Because these people did not have very clean bathing habits, they carried all kinds of bugs.  There were actually people whose job was to pick the bugs out of the clothes of the gentry....thus the term we use today, "nitpickers"! Now to how the toilet is involved in this! The waste drained out of the room, down the side of the castle and into a large vat. There was a much desired position called the "gong farmer".  His job was to stir the vat of poop, causing the gases to rise back through the toilet hole. The people of the castle would hang their clothing over the opening and the gases would fumigate their clothes. You be the judge...True or False? The following must be true?? Part of "Braveheart" was filmed here. Actually our guide said much of it, so who knows? We saw the actual window where Longshanks threw out the boy...remember that? We also saw where Mel was stretched, disemboweled and quartered!
Right across the street was this pub...quite a coincidence.

This is how Phil's ancestors originally spelled the surname. We went in and I asked the barkeep how this pub got its name. He replied, a little on the sour side, "From its owner". I asked if he was anywhere around. He said, "You are lookin' at 'em". By the time we left we were all best buds, but from what we could get out of him he is probably not Phil's McCormick! It gave us a thrill for awhile, anyway!
A few last thoughts as we are flying out early tomorrow morning.
What the beautiful Emerald Isle has:
abandoned castles, monasterys, and cathedrals. Ruins that date back to the Stone age and every century since then. Gardens deluxe. Colors of green you can't even imagine! Irish coffee, yum! Friendly, hospitable, life-loving people. Megalithic tombs. A rich history of Famine, Revolution, Customs, Storytelling, and Traditions. Moms are always out strolling their babies. The cities are clean, freshly painted and flowers are abundant. Ireland also has an average of 250 days of rain...we only saw 1!
Ireland does NOT have: Pick up trucks. Good highway markings. The ability to give good directions to lost travelers!
But all in all, I have fallen in love with this Emerald Isle, and plan to remain so!

"An rud a lionas an tsuil lionann se an croi"

"What fills the eye, fills the heart"

So long from the Emerald Isle...this old gal is coming home!