Days Sixteen & Seventeen
I could just say: "Rain, rain, rain." But I really need to say my hosts were just outstandingly hospitable. The parish priest of the cathedral shared hosting with a family in the parish and I was not only made to feel welcome but life and stories were shared beautifully.
We did get out to neolithic agricultural site to learn about the life of people who lived on this island 5,000 years ago. I'm including a foggy and wet looking picture capturing a bit of the view of the site.
On Saturday, my hosts drove me up to Sligo. Sligo may sound a funny name to those used to Irish names in Canada, but it is totally legit and has as deep a history as any part of Ireland. My father's family came out of Sligo in the 1820's and settled in the area of Dundas, Ontario. In Canada his family might be termed, "Pre-Potato Famine Irish", i.e., they emigrated from Ireland before the famine which took place between 1845 and 1847. My father's family has remained in the Hamilton, Ontario, area ever since.
When I boarded the train in Sligo to head to Dublin it was pretty quiet. When we arrived at Boyle, funnily enough things heated up! Many people were getting on the train with green Irish football jerseys on. Ireland is in the European Cup! But alas they have lost the opener!
I checked into the hotel in the afternoon and later joined some of our Toronto delegation to the International Eucharistic Congress for dinner.
We did get out to neolithic agricultural site to learn about the life of people who lived on this island 5,000 years ago. I'm including a foggy and wet looking picture capturing a bit of the view of the site. On Saturday, my hosts drove me up to Sligo. Sligo may sound a funny name to those used to Irish names in Canada, but it is totally legit and has as deep a history as any part of Ireland. My father's family came out of Sligo in the 1820's and settled in the area of Dundas, Ontario. In Canada his family might be termed, "Pre-Potato Famine Irish", i.e., they emigrated from Ireland before the famine which took place between 1845 and 1847. My father's family has remained in the Hamilton, Ontario, area ever since.
When I boarded the train in Sligo to head to Dublin it was pretty quiet. When we arrived at Boyle, funnily enough things heated up! Many people were getting on the train with green Irish football jerseys on. Ireland is in the European Cup! But alas they have lost the opener!
I checked into the hotel in the afternoon and later joined some of our Toronto delegation to the International Eucharistic Congress for dinner.
