Ireland 2007

Ireland 2/25-3/3/07 – Sunny Strong

When Mike was invited to speak at the European Hemovigilance  meeting in Dublin, I was excited! Yes, I would accompany him to this land of many of my ancestors and some of his! In 1964, my friend Kathy Sweeney and I took the ferry from Liverpool to Dublin for a long weekend. I bought an inexpensive christening gown for my future children and was teased mightily by the Irish customs agents as I was unmarried. Oh yes, times have changed. The Ireland we visited has benefited from: European Union money (given because they were considered a deprived nation), the youth of the populace, the use of  the Euro, making them world trade friendlier than England, and the fine schools.

The overseas flight schedule was my dream timing: leaving the states in the evening then arriving in Europe just before dinner. We flew on a one-third-full British Air plane. When we approached Dublin, I got ‘chilly bumps’. I really did feel my roots. I enthusiastically photographed the shamrock on the Aer Lingus planes. When the customs official asked whether I were Irish, I bubbled, “Yes!” Then, realizing my error, explained I was very proud to be an Irish-American.

The man who met us at the airport was sprightly as a leprechaun. About our age, he walked briskly and we followed behind him. We chatted about the rugby game the day before. History was made when Ireland defeated London, not because of the score, but because it represented a healing from Bloody Sunday in 1920 when several Irish died. The driver said Ireland has matured in its outlook towards “The Troubles” in the years of British domination. Now that Ireland is competitive economically, London must deal with them.

That night we enjoyed Arlington Hotel’s traditional Irish music and dance entertainment in a publike setting downstairs. Our Irish driver recommended it as an authentic Irish experience. He said we could remember the name ‘Arlington’ because that was where John Kennedy was buried. Guinness and beef pie were tasty. It was wonderful listening to the people in the pub joining in when the band (2 guitars plus accordion) played and sang familiar songs. Two young women and one young man danced. There was much to celebrate. Two young English couples next to us were in Dublin that weekend to see the game. They remarked how decent both sides treated each other. There may actually be a chance for a lasting peace and even a united Ireland! The seating was communal at long narrow tables. On our left was a couple from Newfoundland. He had tears in his eyes as he remembered and sang along. He is Irish, but now an expat.

Speaking of pubs, in 2004 smoking was prohibited. Yea! We had just experienced very smoky pubs in London. I am ambivalent about the importance of pubs in Ireland. They are social centers, yet, many are there without their families. It’s cozy until someone gets rowdy, etc. Maybe this is the case in bars worldwide? Some of the old pubs are gorgeous with fine wood carvings and exquisite stained glass and light fixtures.

Languages- English, then Polish, then Chinese predominate! The latter two result from the many jobs available in this growing economy. Often the person I asked directions from, was pleasant, but unable to direct me to famous places in Dublin. Or, they were uneasy about their English skill. There is a movement to reinstate Irish as the national language. Children learn Irish (Gallic) in school. The EU provides translation for those who prefer to speak in Irish at international meetings. Sections of County Galway fall into that category.

Wicklow Mountains- We took a bus tour to these mountains rounded my years of weather. Ten days prior, they had snow there. Generally, Ireland has a moderate climate similar to Seattle’s. They joke that they have all 4 seasons every day. In fact, it did rain, then clear, then blow, then clear, then rain on the days we were there, especially in the West. They describe a rainy day as ‘soft’ day. We walked around a former monastery at Glendalough. The cemetery sits in a lovely valley with heather, peat bogs, stone fences, and winding roads –picturesque. It might be very spooky at night! A 10^th c. round tower still stands sentry.

Avoca- a tiny village continuing its centuries old weaving tradition. In fact, I have relatives who lived in Avoca, PA! Nearby two rivers converge inspired  poet Thomas Moore to pen “Meetings of the Waters”. We toured the old mill where they still handknot the threads. In India, just three months ago, we observed another weaver using these old techniques.

Dublin’s City Hall at Dublin Castle Reception- A harpist played in this elegant marble-floored hall. At dinner afterwards, Dad was given a Waterford picture frame as a thank-you for being a speaker.

Our Westin Dublin hotel was next to Trinity College, founded by Elizabeth I to civilize the Irish. Ha! I walked into the hall where the Book of Kells is displayed. It is charming in its handsized portable version. However, the full sized pages are shown to allow us to examine the skilled illustration by the Irish monks. To realize this was made about 800AD is to be amazed. I remembered reading How the Irish Saved Civilization where the contributions of the scholarly monks are described.

It was pouring down rain as I set off to the Writer’s Museum. Unfortunately, the James Joyce museum was closed for the season until March 1^st! When I listened to Ulysses, I felt a strong connection to Joyce’s characters in their speech patterns. Ah, someone else musing about many things at once as they contemplate: what they’ll have for lunch, the meaning of the cosmos, the jewelry of a stranger across the room, the dreams they have ….all in a minute’s time. Soaking wet, I took the Fodor guide’s suggestion to have a snack at the little café there. I walked down the stairs. Mmmm. Looked closed! Then I saw a doorbell and rang it. I was escorted into one of the most exclusive restaurants in Dublin without knowing it. There were no prices on the menu. Oh Boy. I just had a small appetite and didn’t want the works. We were having a banquet dinner that evening. I pleaded my case. They were gracious. My veal was tender and perfectly paired with leeks, lemon, and potatoes. Delicious. The museum features several Irish writers including Joyce, Keats, Shaw and Synge. I learned that Keats defended Synge’s language against censors and that Keats collected folktales.

The banquet was held in the former chapel of the National Hospital. The ceiling contained delicate stucco work. Very pretty and impressive. The Modern Art museum is housed in the former hospital. The covered walkway borders the building. They lit it with alternating pink and turquoise lights. It was magical to see as we approached the building on this dark and rainy night.

Not the birth of a Genealogist!!!!!!!!

I don’t have the endurance or patience to examine all those records, eliminating false leads, waiting in line for fiche that may or may not be relevant. My goal was to see whether there were O’Melvenys in Dublin, County Galway, County Mayo, or Northern Ireland. I went to the National Library of Ireland, an impressive building. I was referred to the Heraldic Library a block away. When I talked to the genealogist, he said he needed to leave for 30 minutes and that I should return then. So I walked back to the National Library, excited to find two families: J. O’Melvena

2 Pine Ct. Broughshane

Ballymena County Antrim

Northern Ireland

J.O’Melvenna

129 Carnlough RD, Broughshane

Ballymena County Antrim

Northern Ireland

Source: Northern Ireland telephone directory, 2000, p.1112

Walking Path through Dublin- Joined Annemarie deVries from the Netherlands for a walking tour from her guidebook. It was raining most of the time! I recommend Hughes bar with a view of the canal. In the National History and Archeology Museum, saw film and examined the Treasures exhibit of 1c. AD. We walked through neighborhoods, but were distracted by the heavy rain.

I read about the wonderful Evensong service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, so asked Mike to meet me there at 5:45pm. I got there early. I must definitely share some of my father’s propensity for guerilla tourism! Within ten minutes I had broken several rules.

One cleric asked me to take my cell phone outside even though it hadn’t made a sound and neither had I. I was walking towards the door in order not to be distracting.

One cleric asked me to sit down when I was looking for Jonathan Swift’s grave.

One cleric asked me not to sit where I was sitting.

One cleric suggested I could sit up nearer the choir once the rope was removed.

One cleric said I should sit in the back.

Once Mike arrived, we were asked to sit way in back as the service had started.

Mike was late as no one seemed to know where this enormous church was located, even when he was 2 blocks away.

Two dozen candles were lit in two rows bordering the choir on either side of an aisle. Medieval banners flew overhead. Very dramatic! Each place in the pews had a unique needlepoint cushion. The carvings and wood were very impressive. Couldn’t help but think of the Harry Potter movies and even of the Da Vinci Code! There is a choir school across the street. The choir that night was all male from adolescents to adults.

We joined a friend at Romano’s restaurant for dinner. His Dartmouth

Resident urged him to try this inexpensive, tasty menu.

Irish Rail Tour- Thursday-Friday

We arrived at Hueston Station at 6:15am. This must be the coldest spot in all of Ireland! All the doors were propped open. I was freezing.

We passed some beautiful Georgian homes with their doors of green, red, yellow, blue. In the old days, servants lived upstairs, gentry below.

We passed through Limerick, home to writer Frank McCourt who described his squalid childhood there. Saw the River Shannon, longest in Ireland. Admired the mostly lavender heather, now in bloom. Daffodils enliven the roadsides throughout Ireland. Johnny Cash wrote of Ireland’s “40 shades of green”. He got that right. No wonder this Irishwoman loves green!

Thatched roofs are common in this area. I loved the contrast of white stucco, bright shutters, and thatched roof.

How fortunate to have a sunny day on the train! As we rolled through the green countryside, a group of horsemen emerged from a cluster of trees- all in full livery and at about 7am. We saw gentle pastures rather than cultivated plots. Many, many sheep, an occasional golf course. Lovely babbling streams, walking paths, dark patches of peat, stacks of peat drying in the fields. We later saw a peat stick fire in a restored village. Charming stone outbuildings standing near ‘cookie cutter’ new houses.  Many of these country houses have the brightly painted doors of the Georgian homes in Dublin. We rode through County Kildare, home of Thomas Fitzgerald, an O’Melveny relative.

The bus tour took us to Bunratty Castle and Folk Village. We chatted with an Irish guide about our family’s connections to Ireland. She described the Fitzgeralds as stylish and determined not to give into England. The furniture in the Castle was not the original furniture but was from that period and collected from other European countries from the 1500s. It was a real mood-setter to descend from the bus, walk the country lanes of the village and listen to the busy crows and crowing roosters.

The bus driver pointed out a tree growing right next to the highway. It is one of the fairy trees, preserved because children who perished in the famine were buried under them.

Ireland has more single family homes per population (85%) than any other European country. Due to the harsh weather and winds, many are without lawns, shrubs, or gardens giving a stark impression from the outside.

The Cliffs of Moher- a must see!!!!!

Gorgeous, dramatic jagged cliffs jutting out like ocean liner prows into the Atlantic. I thought of Richard Serra’s Seattle Waterfront sculpture newly installed. We walked and gawked. What a sight! Someone on the tour returned the following day in a sightseeing plane to fly over the cliffs.

The Burrens- We walked on some burrens, lunar-like plates, sheets of flat rocks near the sea. In this area, cleared pastures yielded stones to make the lacelike fences. This design allowed the fierce north winds to pass through. It’s also pretty.

We saw small stone abandoned cottages from the 1845-1850 famine years. A cemetery contains single stones honoring those who died nearby.  In 1847, landlords evicted thousands of people. Therefore, the words ‘eviction’ and ‘informer’ are fighting words to the Irish. We delighted in a rainbow over Galway Bay. What beautiful country! There is a certain type sailboat, made nearby, called “The Galway Hooker.” Across the bay are the Aran Islands which preserve the old ways and therefore attract many tourists.

We passed Galway Harbor where, according to our guide, Matthew Francis Flaherty most probably left for America. Many Flahertys lived near the fjords in County Galway.

We learned the Flahertys were fierce warriors, defending the gates at Connemara.

That night I had the freshest, lightest, moistest salmon at Skeff’s on Eyre Square in Galway City. It’s worth seeing just for the interior décor and woodwork. Across the square is a black, Miro’ like sculpture that serves as a playground. A typical stone frontispiece from one of the 14 famous Galway merchants’ homes is displayed there also.

Galway University attracts students from all over the world and is Galway City’s main source of revenue. The town has a youthful spirit with free wireless connections.

Tour of Connemara- west of Galway City. Bogs make the land mooshy. I sank when I stepped on it. We saw the bridge from the film “The Quiet Man” starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Swans swim in many of the lakes nearby. There are 3 million sheep in Connemara.

We had delicious Irish coffee in a tiny town where “The Field” was filmed. Nice thick cream over black strong coffee with a bit of whiskey. Cozy in this pub by the fireplace. We saw County Mayo across the fjord. There was a family story of a castle in Cross-Melina. (long i).

Musings: The Irish are empathetic. Think this makes us sentimental and sensitive. Lovely, right? Unfortunately, this may make us more likely to be offended. When  offended we might fight from hurt feelings? I observed this empathy as men and women would be great conversationalists by asking each person how they were, finding something in common with others in the room, etc. The people of all levels seem to have an extensive vocabulary. It was a joy to hear.

I love seeing Irish connections: curly hair, shapely legs. (not a modest comment, but at this stage in life, something left to brag about?)

Kylemore Castle Abbey Monastery- a fabulous stop! Mountains, gardens, lake, lovely paths, stately mansion, fine hand rendered details on the interiors of house and chapel. Benedictine nuns run an exclusive boarding school and day school for girls. It’s a must see- 2.5hrs drive from Galway City.

Toured through Baelacht where Irish is THE language spoken. One cannot buy land there unless one speaks it. One cannot build there on one’s inherited land unless one speaks it!

There are so many small plots of land throughout Ireland. Each son would be given a plot from the family farm. Stone fences, high enough to ward off the North winds, divide the plots.

The Celtic Tiger!

This is an auspicious time for Ireland. There is such buoyancy and hope. Bill Clinton is revered for helping negotiate the Irish peace accord ( The Good Friday agreement. For the first time in 30 years, a generation has grown up without being surrounded by violence.

I will certainly look forward to investigating O’Melveny roots while in Northern Ireland and returning to County Galway one day!