This week I returned from my amazing visit to Ireland. I saw so many things, met my future in-laws, and spent valuable time with my fiancé Paul.
In light of my recent plane sickness episodes I met with my physician and he prescribed a motion sickness patch for behind my ear. It worked magically and I was especially grateful during the bumpy ride on a tin can with wings from Washington D.C. to Newark. The plane ride from Newark to Belfast, Northern Ireland was on a big comfy plane and turned out just fine. I took my evening medicines and drifted off to la-la land for the majority of the ride. It was lovely to come off of the plane, collect my luggage, and walk into my honey's arms. Sappy to say, I know, but absolutely true. We had been apart for exactly 8 months to the day!
Paul drove me to his sister's home in Coleraine and I crashed for several hours. Paul's sister Patricia was my hostess in Northern Ireland. I stayed in the guestroom at her lovely home. We went to the grocery store Tescos for snacks and food. While in Tescos I found a brand of cookies (they call them biscuits) called Maryland cookies. I never thought to go to Northern Ireland to find Maryland cookies. I even brought them back with me for everyone to try. Yep, they tasted like regular chocolate chip cookies.
That afternoon and evening Paul took me to Port Stewart Strand to enjoy the Irish wind and a dramatic sunset. There were many other photographers there taking advantage of this natural work of art. Port Stewart Strand is a sandy beach in Port Stewart, Northern Ireland and is situated on the northern coast of the island of Ireland. It consists of two miles of magnificent sandy beach facing the Atlantic Ocean. It was quite windy and chilly, but it was wonderful to be there with Paul.
Sunday morning we attended church at Paul's ward (congregation) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Everyone was so kind and I enjoyed my time with them. It is one of our most important commonalities - our shared religion. And it is reassuring and amazing to note that the things that we did and learned every Sunday in Westminster, Maryland USA were happening in exactly the same in Colraine, Northern Ireland. We relaxed most of the rest of the day Sunday.
Paul took me to a park and gardens with the Phoenix Peace Fountain. It is a gift from the communities of the United States to the communities of Northern Ireland. The public display of The Phoenix Peace Fountain is a lasting reminder to the people of Northern Ireland of America's support in the Northern Ireland peace process. Metal from thousands of American firearms that had been court-ordered for meltdown was used in the recreation of the monument. This international gift from the communities of the United States to the 26 communities of Northern Ireland is permanently displayed in Coleraine that were a gift to Northern Ireland from the United Stated of America in honor of the peace accord ending what Irish call "The Troubles". The Troubles consisted of about thirty years of recurring acts of intense violence between elements of Northern Ireland's Nationalist community (principally Roman Catholic) and Unionist community (principally Protestant). The conflict was caused by the disputed status of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom and the domination of the minority Nationalist community, and discrimination against them, by the Unionist majority. The United States and President Bill Clinton played a roll in the peace process that my fiancé Paul has stated made a difference. An excellent article that I found is at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1065913.stm .
Monday we made our way to 'Southern Ireland'. Patricia's boyfriend Davie obtained a holiday home for us to enjoy for the week in the quaint town of Gweedore. The home was in a wonderful location practically on the coast. Gweedore (official name: Gaoth Dobhair) is an Irish-speaking district located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Gweedore is also the home of the northwest regional studios of the Irish language radio service Raidió na Gaeltachta, and it is officially the largest Irish-speaking parish in Ireland with a population of around 4,065. It sits in the shade of Donegal's tallest peak Mount Errigal.
Gweedore is renowned for its distinct physical features. Probably the most recognizable is Errigal, the tallest mountain in County Donegal, which overshadows the picturesque Dunlewey Lough. It is surrounded by the deep glens and misty lakes of the Poisoned Glen, and further on, Glenveagh national park and castle, the largest national park in Ireland. Another landmark is 'Bád Eddie' (Eddie's Boat), a shipwreck which has been situated on Magherclogher beach since the early 70s where it had run ashore due to rough seas. The Gweedore coastline consists of long sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. Also, off the Gweedore coastlines are many beautiful islands. There are a series of spectacular mountains, glens and bogs combined with the bracing weather to keep this part of the world relatively secluded.
As the photographs will illustrate - Paul and I enjoyed seeing all of this! It was a busy week! Each day we ventured out to see something magical. All of the things that my imagination had sewn together to create an idea of Ireland. Reading the street signs and hearing people speak in the Gaelic tongue (which the inhabitants of Ireland call the Irish language) was enlightening. At one point we thought we were a little lost and Paul in a panic asked what the next sign said. I replied, "Uhhh, bla-bla-gul-gul? I have no clue! It is all in Irish!"
We toured the nooks and crannies of the Bloody Foreland. It gets its name from the reddish tinge which the rocky coast takes on at sunset. The sea is then bathed in the same hue, and Tory Island, lying a few miles offshore, becomes a glowing dream island in the dusk. We happened upon Magheroarty (or Machaire Rabhartaigh) a village with a small port for fishing vessels and the Tory island ferry operates from the local pier. I took several photos of the clean blue waters. We also found Bunbeg (or An Bun Beag which means The Small River Mouth). It has a small port with one of Ireland's newest coast guard stations.
Every night we visited Teac Jack pub, restaurant, and hotel just down the street from our little holiday bungalow for our evening meal. They have a special called "Roast of the Day" which is characterized as traditional dishes. It included one of the home cooked meats like roast beef, chicken, or ham accompanied by some of the loveliest potatoes and vegetables the Irish can make. It was a generous amount of food for a very reasonable price. We had the same waitress each evening. The Northern Irish refer to excellent food as 'gorgeous'. Amazingly they have a website - http://www.teacjack.com. After dinner would go back to our place and watch DVDs. It is another of those important things that we have in common - a distinct love of the movies.
On our last sunny afternoon on Donegal's coast we were heading south and passed an intriguing sign for Leo's Tavern (or Tábhairne Leo) . This tavern is owned by Leo Brennan, the patriarch of Ireland's most successful musical family. The band Clannad was formed in 1972, and has since gone on to sell over 15 million records. Also there is the musician Enya, Enya Brennan (or Eithne Ní Bhraonáin). Enya first appeared on stage in Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair as a member of Clannad, before going on to become one of the world's biggest-selling artists, with sales exceeding 70 million. To learn more and hear some of this great Irish music check out these two websites - http://www.clannad.ie/ and http://www.enya.com/ .
The drive back to Northern Ireland took us through the city of Letterkenny where Paul and I did some shopping using the last of our Euros. Letterkenny (Irish: Leitir Ceanainn) is the largest town in County Donegal. It has been said that the town's Main Street is one of the longest in Ireland. It takes its name from the Irish "Leitirceanainn" – meaning the "Hillside of the O'Cannons". Once back in Northern Ireland we rested for the remainder of the day.
My last day of sight-seeing was around the Coleraine area including a visit to Dunluce Castle and the Giant's Causeway. These two sights are just minutes from Paul's home. Dunluce Castle is one of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. The castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops on either side. It is in the townland of Dunluce, in the Coleraine Borough Council area. At one point, part of the kitchen next to the cliff face collapsed into the sea, after which the wife of the owner refused to live in the castle any longer. According to a legend, when the kitchen fell into the sea only a kitchen boy survived as he was sitting in the corner of the kitchen which did not collapse. Dunluce Castle served as the seat for the Earl of Antrim until the impoverishment of the MacDonnells in 1690, following the Battle of the Boyne. Since that time, the castle has deteriorated and parts were scavenged to serve as materials for nearby buildings.
After visiting Dunluce we went to the town of Bushmills for traditional Fish and Chips. One of the most interesting things about the variances between the U.S. and Ireland is the use of the English language. In Ireland 'chips' are a variation of french fries that Marylanders refer to often as steak fries. Not the long skinny kind, but the larger softer version. In Ireland crisps are the American equivalent of Potato Chips - they love Pringles. The town of Bushmills is known world over for its famous Irish whiskey distillery. After our dinner we made our way to the Giant's Causeway.
The Giant's Causeway (or Irish: Clochán na bhFómharach) is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about two miles north of the town of Bushmills. In a 2005 poll the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 36 ft high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 92 ft thick in places. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.
When the news of the "discovery" of an amazing natural phenomenon broke on an unsuspecting world in 1693 it was by the presentation of a paper to the Royal Society from Sir Richard Bulkeley, a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. The news caused quite a stir in 'the polite society' of the time and in 1697 a draughtsman was sent to make drawings of the Natural Curiosity on the North East tip of the island of Ireland.
What seems remarkable to us now, in the 21st century, is that there was much argument as to whether the Causeway had been created by men with picks and chisels, by nature, or by the efforts of a giant. In the 17th century nothing like it had been seen before. It was not until 1771 it was announced the origin of the causeway to be the result of volcanic action.
The dramatic cliff like edge of the plateau forms the Causeway coastline. The larger fissures, through which the lava flowed, can be clearly seen as bands of dark rock which cut down the cliff faces and jut out to sea. It is the middle basalts rocks which forms the columns of the Giants Causeway. The rapidly cooling lava contracted and variations in the cooling rate resulted in the world famous columnar structure. The columns are mainly hexagonal though there are some with up to eight sides. Weathering of the top of the lower basalts formed the Inter Basaltic Bed - the band of reddish rock which is a feature of the area.
The legend (as there always is in magical places) says that in Ireland, lived a gentle giant called Finn MacCool. At fifty two feet six inches, he was a relatively small giant, but across the sea in Scotland there was a rival giant called Benandonner. The two Giants hollered across the sea of Moyle, each demanding a trial of strength. This was agreed, and hospitable Finn offered to make the contest possible by building a rocky causeway between the two countries. Finn built a path across the sea from County Antrim to Benandonner's lair - Fingal's cave on the island of Staffa, but the work was so laborious that Finn fell asleep with exhaustion. Oonagh was Finn's wife, a giantess, she woke up early the next morning to find Finn sound asleep. Then she heard the sound of thunderous footsteps and saw the mighty Benandonner approaching. He was truly gigantic. Finn would be no match against this Scottish giant. Quick thinking Oonagh covered the sleeping Finn with a nightgown and bonnet. "Where's Finn?" bellowed Benandonner, "Where is the coward hiding?" He peered at the sleeping Finn. "Be quiet," Oonagh warned Benandonner, "or you'll waken the bairn!" Benandonner panicked. If the child was this big, how much bigger might Finn be? He did not stay to find out. He hastily retreated across the causeway, destroying it in his wake The "causeway" legend corresponds with geological history inasmuch as there are similar basalt formations (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at the site of Fingal's Cave on the isle of Staffa in Scotland.
We stayed for hours and watched the sun set there. To access the causeway one has to walk a ways down the cliff side. What goes down, must come up and the pain of the visit was making it back to the car. Towards the end Paul was practically dragging me up the cliff side, but it was worth the trip. We stopped back in Port Stewart to enjoy one of the famous local food places - the famous Morelli's ice-cream parlor. We enjoyed triple scoop waffle cones of true creamy, delicious, Italian ice cream.
We went to church again and then I spent the day getting to know his family. I had dinner with Paul's family and we sat and talked for hours. His family is wonderful and I got along with them wonderfully. In the end I took almost 500 photographs with both my Mom's digital and my own film cameras.
It was a teary good-bye at Belfast airport. I was trussed by security twice and then they accidentally put me in First Class. I never dreamed that the 'other half' flies in such luxury. A five course meal, a generous leather seat that practically turns into a bed with a real pillow and blankets, and a personal television screen with gratis movies, tv shows, music, and games. It was a nice way to end the trip.
My 2 web albums are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/shauna.bere/Ireland2008Trip and http://picasaweb.google.com/shauna.bere/UniquePhotosIreland2008
