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