We had a fortune to be able to travel Ireland briefly. I don't know about you but I think of Ireland with sentiment of nostalgia with such songs and poems we remember, green pastures, sheeps and sheppherds, and beers and joyful music in the taverns. I found a lot more. This is a country that is still ancient. Every few miles you will spot ruins of castles and dark colored churches. This country was filled with monastries. People of the country is very warm and kind. They consider a stranger as an old friend whom they have never met before. The horses are also a passion of Irish.
The capital city of Dublin is regareded as a literary town and Trinity College is almost synonimous with the Dublin. The Trinity Colleg's pride is it' ancient amnuscript, the Book of Kells, James Joyce, and etc. They have one literary gathering after another. It's almost sounding like a Mecca of English literatures. Stepping out a few miles of the city you are in Ireland, the pasture, sheeps and cows all over the place, the horses, and the farmers and farm houses. We call them Celtics but they call themselves Irish. Every words on the street is accompanied with Gaelic translation. The police is not police but is GARDA. The Ireland is Eire. William is Liam. There is pure Gaelic spoken TV station. This is Mecca of English literature, do you know.
Current population of the Ireland is slightly more than 4 millions, but Irish diaspora decendants are about 80 millions, meaning people with Irish connection in the world outside of this small island is 20 times more than the population of the island. (not mistaken spelling) In 1845 there was the famous Potatoe Famine and 3 millions died and one millions fred the island, of course the majority came to the US. The remainders were 4 millions. The number has not grwon since becasue people are still leaving the island. I had distinctive impression that many are Americanized and they love things of America. Main TV station shows more American programs.
Irland is truly green and the roads are very narrow. There are mountains but not very high but their slopes become hills of patures. This makes beautiful scene, typical of Island we hear about. I think pictures are better than my writing here.
The Needle: This is a mument and antenas combination that stand right in the middle of OÇonnell Street.
A typical European style of the street
The Trinity College Library where
the Book of Kells are kept.
There doors of townhouses are decorated with designs and colors, so that in one section none is same.
I call it Irsih competition.
Daniel OÇonnell is the one who won the right of voting for the Irish from the British Parliament, thus very reverred in Irland.
Yes, castles and castles of the ancient are all over the Island. But some are so famous they are open to public for visiting. The Braney Casle on the left is one mostly visited becasue of it's famous legend of the Braney Stone. I failed to take the picture of it but it is a strange story. It's on the top of the tower where you can see a gate like structure. Underneath, a stone on the wall is regarded fortune giving power if you kiss it. To kiss you'll have to lie through a hole, one scary action though. I was too scared to try. But I had a fortune to meet, Laura McKenzie who host the Laura McKenzi' Travler on PBS.
We enjoyed the very peaceful walking on the quay along the canal.
The painful reminder of the Potatoe Famine along the quay. What a contrast it is with the modern business building on the International Financial Center.
Cathedral of St. Patrick...Familiar name?
The Castle on the river.
The Castle on the mound.
The famous Braney castle. The structure looks like a gate has the Braney Stone underneath.
Unmistakble Irish pasture with sheeps grazing peacefully, reminding me the Bach' tune.
More Pasture
The Dingle Bay under threatening cloud. The Dingle Peninsula is the first European connection of the the very first telegraphic cable from New York.
Another view of the Cliff of Moher.
This breath taking panoram is the Killarney where famous people vacationed, including Chrlie chplin.
Waterford crystal is world famous. Most of big game trophies are made here. This tropy is the copy of the Wachovia Open (Golf). This designer, Jim, was very kind to us and allow us to hold this glove that he desined and carved. One gets very nervous lest she might drop it.
The dolmen near the Braney castle. This is an ancient spot no doubt..
They call police GARDA
Most of the house, asphalt reaches wall of the house and seldom one sees shrubs aound the house and yet Irish loves flower. So this is the way they solve the proble. Boy they have to warter these so often!?...
What this farmer with this little ass is doing on the road side? He is selling something. But what? He is selling dry dung as fuel for fire places.
I thought this is so pictureque and I could not resist but to frame it. Along with the pastures above, we all imagine our home where we came from should look like this. When we listen Dvorak' "New World" we imagine picture like this as the home of diaspora like us, not to mention all the Irish tunes of yearning home.
