Butler Castle Tour

Tom Keith and his wife were kind enough to bring all the Mercyhurst students on a "Butler Castle Tour" this Holy Saturday (March 30). It was an 8 hour day with many places to see!

1. Mt. Melleray Grotto
          This grotto was set up in 1832 by the Cistercian Monks when they discovered the area of steep land. They believed it was the perfect site for peace and prayer so he placed a statue of Mary in the mountain with a cross on the top. This grotto is very well known for the visitation of Our Lady in August of 1985. Two young boys were praying when they saw the statue of Mary move and a voice began to speak to them. One of the witnesses of the appearance was able to meet with us and tell us about her experience  She too saw the statue move, however Mary only spoke to the young boys.
          I thought this grotto was beautiful, especially since it was made by nature! The small running water is said to be be Holy so I blessed myself, said a prayer, and drank a sip of the water (apparently all visitors sip the water for a blessing)

 

" My message is peace and prayer and tell the people that the water is blessed"

2. The Vee
          A breath taking view of Knockmealdown and Galtee Mountain Ranges

3. Clogheen Memorial to Father Sheehy (St. Mary's Church)
          A memorial to 18th Century Irish Roman Catholic priest, Nicholas Sheehy, who was hanged in 1766, but regarded as a martyr.

 


4. Balleyporeen
          Home village of the Reagan family

5. Mitchelstown Caves
          This limestone cave is located in County Tipperary and was discovered in May of 1833. It was the first cave in Ireland to have electricity and footpaths installed in order to allow the public (and us!) to tour it. To get into the cave, we had to go climb down a steep and extremly narrow staircase made from the rocks. Considering that I hate small spaces, this part of the tour made me a little nervous! There was rock less than a foot away on either side of me, with people behind and in front... no turning back now!
          It was crazy once we actually got into the cave! The idea that this cave was carved out thousands of years ago by flowing water is hard to grasp. It is about 200 feet underground and extends 2 miles long. It was very wet and dark down there which gave us an unreal experience. At one point, the tour guide turned off all the lights! She told us to put our hands in front of our faces (which we could not see at all) and then explained that a human's eyes will NEVER adjust to this much darkness because there is not a single bit of light anywhere. Needless to say, I have never been in such blackness before. We also saw a fossil that is 350 million years old and a section of rock that looks like the face of Jesus

 

6. Cahir Castle
          This is one of the largest castles in Ireland, located in South Tipperary. It was built pretty much only with defensive tactics in mind. We walked through all the different traps set for invaders, including a giant moat. Two cannon balls from medieval times are still stuck in the castle walls

7. Ormonde Castle
          This castle was built before 1315 by the Butler family. It is mainly in ruins now, but we were still able to go inside the newest part of the castle, the Mansion House

 

The Wendell's Come to Ireland

I was so fortunate to have my family come visit me in Ireland this past week! Besides for the unreal visit to Mayo, we also explored the rest of the country together;

First, I met my Dad, Mom, Grandpa and Ryan in Dublin last Friday (March 22). We toured the Guinness Factory and learned how to pour the "Perfect Pint." We then enjoyed our pint in the bar, while Ryan had his coke :) The Gravity Bar gives you a 360 degree view of the city, but unfortunately it was very foggy out so we just enjoyed our beer together!

The next day was Mayo, followed by my first bed and breakfast!
The house was adorable and the family
was so nice! We had a real experience of what it's like to live in Ireland.. especially since the house was freezing. This is the coldest winter they have had in 50 years, so the homes are not built to heat up properly. The five of us spent the night bundled up in the family room with a fire, some tea, and no internet! I'd say we had a small glimpse into life in old Ireland before technology.



Sunday morning, we enjoyed our Irish breakfast and drove off towards Knock. Knock Shrine is the site where 15 people witnessed an appearance of Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John Evangelist on 21 August 1879. We attended morning mass at the Church and then had a warm cup of tea (and hot chocolate) in a nearby cafe.

 




After a long drive, we reached the Bunratty Castle in County Clare! One of the best memories I have from
this entire trip will be the feast at the Castle! My family and I got to experience what it was like to attend a midevival feast back in the 15th century. The night began in the Castle with a "mead reception" with a harp and fiddle performance. Here I was able to try my first cup of mead, which unfortunately I was not the biggest fan of, but it was still great to try it. After this, everyone was brought into the main dining room area. This room had a giant fire place with numerous long tables beside it. All of the different families sat together and were served by waiters dressed up in medieval clothing. The meal included a first course of potato and vegetable soup with brown bread, followed by ribs, then chicken and vegetables, and concluding

with a chocolate mousse. The four course meal was delicious!! To make the meal even more memorable... we only had a knife (or "dagger") to use to eat! Watching my family slurp soup and rip chicken with our hands was priceless.
At the end of the meal, the waiters sang a number of different Irish songs. We could all tell that my Grandpa had a great time because he sung along to all of them!



Monday morning, after another B&B, my family drove me back to Dungarvan for class :( They headed off to tour the Ring of Kerry, but then came back to Dungarvan on Wednesday (March 27). Unfortunately, I had an Ethics Midterm the next morning so we just had a nice dinner at Shamrocks, swam in the pool, and had some tea at the Park Place Hotel pub.
As soon as I finished my test on Thursday, I met my family and showed them around the town! It was absolutely freezing outside, but we stuck it out and walked by the water, saw the Dungarvan Castle, and Mercyhurst University. It was one of my first relaxing days in Ireland because we had no plans and just explored. We visited the food market, had more tea, and enjoyed a nice dinner at Merry's pub.

Friday (March 29) was the last day I spent with them. Tom Keith was generous enough to meet us all in the morning and give us a personal tour of the area! He showed us the Ardmore Church and Round Tower,
St. Declan's Well, and St. Mary's Collegiate Church and Graveyard. After the tours, the Mayor of Dungarvan met us for lunch! I was so impressed by the amount of hospitality they showed. Not only did the mayor take time out of is busy day to meet us, but he also signed an official welcoming certificate for everyone and gave us souvenirs of Dungarvan! It was incredibly thoughtful and unexpected :)

Ardmore Church & Round Tower

St. Declan's Well

St. Mary's Collegiate Church & Graveyard

Needless to say, this busy week with my family was great (and I know they would agree)! It went by way too quickly, and I am already looking forward to seeing them again once I get home

Photos from Mayo

Grandpa's old house

Ballinahaglish Cemetery

Grandpa's schoolhouse

County Mayo: The 'Real Ireland'

I am so grateful that my family was able to come visit me in Ireland this week! On Saturday, (March 23) we drove from Dublin to County Mayo to see the village where my Grandpa grew up. He was only 12 when he ventured on the first boat after WWII to come to America to find his parents who were already living in the states. Since then, my Grandpa has been back to his town Stonepark only a few times.

Just like it's name suggests, Stonepark is a land full of stones. In order to farm, the people had to first dig up most of the rocks. With this excess supply, stone walls were created everywhere. It was the main material in the construction of the homes as well as used to mark off land territories. The view of green covered hills with large stone walls flowing up and down them created a picture-perfect site. For the first time in my 4 weeks here, I saw the "Real Ireland." The west was filled with these rolling hills as well as narrow, winding roads, and sheep everywhere!

We first drove through the small town which his village overlooked. Each Friday, my Grandpa would walk 3 miles to the town to buy groceries with his Grandmother. He noted that there was a bus, however it cost 1 cent, so they chose to walk instead. We also drove past the bogs, a wetland area where the children of the village would go to dig up peat in order to heat the house.

After the town, we drove up a massive hill to the village of Stonepark. I was shocked to see how much my Grandpa remembered. He pointed out which family lived in each of the small, stone homes. What made the trip even better, was how some of my Grandpa's friends and relatives still live there! We visited four old friends, including two of his cousins. They were all extremely friendly and welcomed us into their homes (all four of them showed the Irish hospitality by offering us tea!).
Overhearing a conversation between my Grandpa and a school friend, I felt as though I was watching a sitcom. It was just like a scene from the movie we watch in class "Waking Ned Devine." The two of them carried on about old friends and the memories they had growing up. They filled me in on a few embarrassing moment like when my Grandpa fell off a stone wall during school into the mud and was sent home! Also, when he was reciting the times tables and farted in front of the class. *Sorry to post that Grandpa, but it was hilarious :)

But the day didn't end there! Next, we met more of his cousins who showed us the Cemetery where my Great-Great-Grandparents are buried. We then continued onto the Church which my Grandpa went to for 12 years and where he was Baptized. We all said a prayer and lit a candle.

This incredible day ended with a beautiful dinner at a restaurant which overlooked a local lake. The people I met and the places I saw that day will by far be my favorite memory of Ireland!! The tourist spots are great, but nothing compares to the village where my family comes from, and the reason why I am an Irish citizen!

[ Pictures will be added to a separate post ]

Thank you so much Grandpa for giving us a personal tour of Mayo :)

Stay to the left!

Seems to be the theme of the weekend... Driving on the left side of the road is a lot harder than you would think!!!

My family came to Ireland this weekend to visit me, which means my dad had to learn how to drive a car here. I wouldn't think it would be this difficult, but it was quite the headache. Below are a few differences between driving in the states vs driving here

1. driving on the left side of the road instead of the right
2. The steering wheel is on the right side
3. Shifting is now with your left hand
4. A right turn is like making a left, while a left is now similar to making a right
5. The double yellow lines mark the sides of the road, and a single white line markes the middle
6. Street signs are in Gaelic first, followed by English
7. Roundabouts everywhere!! (Going clockwise instead of counter)
8. Everything is in kilometers!
9. Pass slow cars on the right
10. Street signs are on the left side of the road

I can officially say I've experienced the winding roads of west Ireland!

Keep Calm and Shamrock On

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day the right way... in Ireland!!

After a long, but beautifully scenic bus ride from Dungarvan on Friday, March 15, a few students were welcomed at a banquet at the Mansion House. The Lord Mayor of Dublin even personally thanked the group of Mercyhurst students for coming all the way from Erie, PA! I could not believe how nice and welcoming this banquet was. Not only were the organizers thrilled to see our large group of 14, but they also served us the best dinner filled with Irish ham, bread, fruits, cake, tea and wine. In addition to the food, we were given our 5K race t shirts, bib numbers, and a picture with the Mayor.


Saturday was race day! The MU students gathered on the streets with 3,000 other races from around the world to run/walk/stumble a 5K together. I feel so accomplished that I can now say I have ran road races in 2 countries!!

The weekend in Dublin concluded on Sunday when we had the opportunity to walk in the St. Patrick's Day Parade! Who ever said that this was mainly an American holiday was completely wrong because those Dubliners are crazy! It was 10am and everyone was hyper up for the parade while drinking their Guinness's in the street. Unfortunately  we also experienced true Ireland weather that day when it was freezing and raining! Once we couldn't take the cold anymore, we jumped some barricades and RAN to catch the bus back to Dungarvan.

I am so thankful that I was able to be in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day, something that many people only dream about doing!! It was an awesome experience and the best way (I think!) to celebrate the holiday. Later that night the party continued in Dungarvan with some live Irish music at the pubs. Definitely one of the best St. Patrick's Day I will have!