Do you remember your first kiss? The first kiss I got yesterday gave me more than just butterflies in my stomach; it bestowed on me the gift of eloquence, or as some call it, the gift of talking your way out of anything. Yes folks, I kissed the Blarney Stone! But, it isn't as simple as leaning over and kissing a rock; you have to be lowered down the side of the very top of Blarney castle and held on to by someone as you cling for dear life onto the iron rails sticking out of the wall above your head. Terrifying, right? But I did it! I conquered one of the world's 99 things to do before you die and joined the millions of visitors over the past hundred years who have kissed the stone. The term blarney actually means "clever or flattering" as in a way with one's words. As Irish politician John O'Connor Power once said, "'Blarney is something more than mere flattery. It is flattery sweetened by humour and flavoured by wit. Those who mix with Irish folk have many examples of it in their everyday experience." There are many stories explaining the origin and meaning of the stone, but the one story that everyone holds true is the stone's powers of bestowing the gift of the gab.
Blarney castle is the first castle I've gotten to actually go into while on this trip, and let me tell you these pictures do not do it justice. First off, the thing is MASSIVE! It towers over the tops of the trees and if you are brave enough to climb the incredibly steep winding staircase all the way to the parapet where the stone sits, then you can see a spectacular view of the rolling green hills of County Cork. Although the castle has seen many renovations through the centuries, much of the original stone castle still stands in place. The original stone structure was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidir McCarthy, but even before that there stood a wooden structure built in the 13th century as a hunting lodge. Through nearly 600 years this castle has seen wars, besieges, and many families and visitors, and yet still it stands tall with all of it's history seen in the names and dates carved into the castle's stone walls.
What I wasn't expecting to find at Blarney was all the other attractions to see! The grounds of the castle boasts two beautiful waterfalls, flower gardens, a poison garden, a pond, walking trails, and even an area called the Rock Close where magic and mystery dwells. The entire grounds looked like a whimsical enchanted forest; at times I felt like I had come straight out of the pages of Alice in Wonderland or Snow White.
In the Rock Close, the legends say there lives a witch who has lived on the castle grounds for centuries and could have been the one to tell McCarthy of the powers of the Blarney Stone. Tourists can see the ruins of her kitchen built into a giant rock, there is a stone that forms the shape of a witch's face, and there is even a rock that sits balanced on the points of two smaller rocks which could have only gotten there by somehow being lifted (not very likely) or... magic.
The legend I found best of all in those enchanted woods were those of the Wishing Steps. The legend says that the witch must grant each of the visitor's one wish in return for the wood she uses from the castle grounds to heat her fires. However, in order to fulfill this wish, the visitor has to walk up and down the wishing steps with their eyes closed, thinking of nothing else but their one wish. If they can do this, then their wish will come true for the rest of the year. It is a difficult task to do, let me tell you! The stairs are uneven and you walk into a dark cave, but I did it. The best part of it all was right after, when I was walking on the trail, I saw a fox sitting in the middle of the path just staring at me. I swear it was the witch.
After the castle, I set off and explored a bit of Cork City. It is the second largest city in Ireland, next to Dublin, and yet "city" is still a very loose definition of it. But, there is a lot of history in Cork, and I would definitely recommend taking a hop on hop off tour to see the city's attractions. I did not, and my friends and I ended up walking about 12 miles in total to see all of the historic sites. We got our exercise in for sure, but we were exhausted by the end of the day. Just to highlight a few of the unique structures in the city, here is the original Red Abbey tower, below is one of the many beautiful churches you can see throughout Cork, and the old Cork City Gaol (jail) filled with history and writings on the walls done by the rebels who helped Ireland gain it's independence. And the final picture is the entrance to the city park and my favorite photo from my trip to Cork. See the face?
Guess what; there's a Boston, Ireland! We passed the sign for it when I went on my first excursion today with my study abroad program, API. The excursions included in my trip to Galway were actually a huge reason why I chose API as my abroad program provider, and I am so glad I did. Not only do I get to go on some incredible excursions around Ireland and even to Edinburgh, Scotland, I also had the chance of meeting Kevin and Finn, my program directors. They are the most wonderful couple and mentors I could have asked for on this trip. Finn refers to herself as our "Irish sister" and she truly lives up to that title. The pair of them are a fountain of information and resources as we plan our own trips around Europe and encounter the day to day challenges of living in a foreign country. They have many stories to tell and are very admirable and influential people. Oh, and their children are so adorable! But, Finn and Kevin have made this transition into a new country so easy and I am so grateful for their guidance.
Anyways, all 40 of us in my program loaded onto the bus at 10 a.m. and headed off in the direction of County Clare. Along the way, we made a stop at Dunguaire Castle on the very outskirts of the small oysetring town of Kinvarra. The tower was built in 1520 by the Hynes clan (ironic, Hynes is my boss's name from the restaurant at home I work in and he told me that his family is from Galway!) How cool is that?! So anyways, the castle has since been restored to as we see it today, and you can actually use the castle's banquet hall for events!
From here, we travelled up to the Burren in County Clare. The "Burren" is derived from the Irish word "Boireann" meaning "Land of Rock". The Burren is a national park of Ireland and much of it is covered in... rock! It is Limestone, to be exact, and according to our wonderful tour guide, Tony Kirby, author of "The Burren and The Aran Islands: Walking Tour", 50% of Ireland is covered in the stone. Fissures called grikes can be seen running their course through the stone, and plants grow through these cracks. The climate is an interesting aspect of the Burren. the temperature stays fair through January (sunny but just a tad nippy today) and for this reason, it has some of the best agriculture in all of Ireland and Britain and sustains a variety of plant growth. The Burren, ironically, is also where most farmers bring their cattle up to when the winter months set in. This isn't because of the cold, more so than that if the cattle were left elsewhere, they would destroy the fields from grazing due to the heavy winter rains in Ireland. In the Burren, there is so much green and the climate is so temperate that there is no worry about the cattle harming the agriculture.
As we continued along through the Burren, we could see miles and miles of stone walls built along the expanse of the hills. They looked like lines etched out of the ground and traveled as far as the eye could see. The guide informed us that in Ireland, if all the rock walls were put together, they would expand over 250,000 km; that's a lot of stone! These walls were often used as land perimeters, but many in the Burren region were also formed as a way to keep animals out of the agriculture. There were two kinds of walls. The shorter walls were made to keep sheep in and rabbits out of the farmlands. The base of the wall was made with horizontal stones wedged together so that rabbits could not fit through the cracks, while the top was made with vertical stones that allowed a small amount of sunlight to shine through that detracted the sheep away so that they wouldn't attempt to jump the wall. The larger walls, as pictured here, were made entirely of horizontal stones jam packed together and built tall in order to keep deer out of the fields. Neither of these walls were made with any kind of mortar. They are known as dry stone walls because of this, and I don't know about you, but it amazes me that they are still standing hundreds of years later.
Our next stop was at the ruins of an incredible old monastery. This tiny church seen through the trees was built 1000 years ago at the height of pilgrimage into Ireland. It is a church in honor of the Saint Cronan, and directly outside of the church is a shrine in his honor.
The shrines at one point in time held relics of the saints such as their bones, robes, books, and more. The shrine here is a miniature replica of the church, and although the relics have since been lost or stolen by thieves, the significance still remains. The entrance to the church is surrounded by a ring of rock, marking the sacred grounds. On the grounds of the church, a convict would no longer be under scrutiny of common law, but instead was under church law and in the hands of God and could escape conviction. At one point in time, the church was thought to have a thatched roof as it's cover. It was restored by European settlers, as depicted by the arched entrance on the north wall as well as the
small human and animal-like faces carved into the stone. Despite the changes made, the bones of the church still remain in tact, and it is an incredible sight to see. To think that this church has seen 1000 years of history and human life is incredible.
We left the Burren and began our trek back through County Clare. We couldn't leave, however, without a stop at Hazel Mountain's Chocolate. It is a local chocolate factory at the base of the Burren mountains which produces its chocolate entirely from scratch. The house was once owned by the chocolatier's grandparents, and it is now an adorable café where you can sit and enjoy homebrewed hot chocolate, brownies, pastries, and of course delicious chocolates. Hazel Mountain Chocolates is Ireland's only bean to bar chocolate boutique. What this means is that the company buys their beans direct from the cacao farmers in Madagascar, Colombia, and Venezuela, and takes those beans and roasts them and then melts them down into the chocolate bars we know. There are two ingredients that they use in their chocolate, cacao beans and sugar cane. That is all. Any fillings or toppings such as caramel or pralines are made from scratch in the store, and the crushed berries and nuts are bought fresh or grown.
You can tour the one room factory and get samples of the delicious chocolates, but be careful because I guarantee you will go into the store after and buy some! I bought a dark chocolate with hazelnut and salted caramel bar as well as three truffles, a dark chocolate salted cocoa one, a milk chocolate and Guinness truffle, and something else with a pistachio crumble. There is so much flavor and creativity in each of the chocolates that I can't choose which one I like best!
It was a great trip off the beaten path of the traditional bus tours of the Burren, and if nothing else, if you're ever in Ireland, stop at Hazel Mountain Chocolates and do some taste testing!
Another beautiful day in Galway! First, some friends and I walked down to Shop Street where they hold a local farmer's market every weekend. And, unlike many of the markets I tend to find back home, this one stays open until the sun sets! There is a variety of tents with crafts, fresh bread, local produce and fish, and much more! We keep hearing about these infamous homemade doughnuts sold at the market, but we have yet to come across them! The past two weeks the Doughnut man hasn't shown, but hopefully I'll be able to tell you all about their deliciousness after next weekend! Third time is a charm, of course!
After the market, we made our way back towards Claddagh and The Long Walk. We walked further on the trail where the fields are, and ended up at the entrance to a small island with a lighthouse. But, right before the lighthouse there was a beautiful bench sitting at the entrance. I had actually been looking for this bench ever since I came to Ireland. This bench is a big part of the reason why I chose to come to Galway. I had known I wanted to study abroad because of the stories I had heard my older cousins tell me about their adventures. When they came to visit Galway, they were stunned by it's beauty. They walked the same trail I had this morning and found this bench with the intricate circles and the saying that reads, "Life is for Living." My cousin told me that if I ever came to Ireland, then I would have to find her bench and think about her being here in that same spot 5 years earlier. The quote spoke to her and it really spoke to me, too. Life is not about going through the day to day motions, it is about living and experiencing the world, just as I am doing.
Living is also what my ancestors did when they fled Ireland during the Great Famine and came to America. The island that I mentioned above with the lighthouse is called Mutton Island and that lighthouse is the last piece of Ireland they saw before their journey. If my ancestors had not chosen to take that journey, I wouldn't be here today to even write this blog. You can walk the length of the bridge to the lighthouse, however, the island itself is closed to the public. Continuing down the road, there is a small park with three stones dedicated to the captains and crew as well as all the men and women who took the leap of faith during the famine and came to America. The stones explain the significance of the lighthouse and lists the names of the hundreds of ships.
At this point, you enter an area of Galway known as Salt Hill. We didn't get to explore too much of this village, but we do know that it is famous for it's beautiful ocean views and casinos! Yes, I said casinos! There are also beautiful villas and hotels for travelers to stay at. We passed the Galway
Aquarium, which we unfortunately did not go into because we were STARVING. But, right passed the aquarium, we found a little bar called Olso's. It's Galway's only microbrewery and home of the famous Galway Bay beer! We walked in and were able to taste a few of the options and I ended up with a DELICIOUS chocolate milk stout called Burried at Sea. They had a great deal going on where you could get a pint of beer and a burger for only 10 Euro! I had a chicken burger with caramelized onions that was AMAZING! It was a great deal and so delicious AND we got to try the local beer! In addition, there was a massive screen playing the day's rugby game. I wonder if they'll air the Patriot's game tomorrow night at 1 a.m. here? Hey, a girl can hope!
That's all for today! Tomorrow I am traveling up the coast of Galway to a place called the Burren, so keep posted to find out all that it has in store!
Well, what do you know, the sun does shine in Ireland! It doesn't happen often, but when it does you had better take advantage of it! Yesterday was one of these sunshine days; it started off drizzling per usual, but then a miracle happened! The clouds broke and there was sun! For an entire 6 hours it was sunny and beautiful in Galway!
I started off exploring where NUIG all began. Pictured here is the Quadrangle and it is the original building on the campus. When the university first opened its doors for teaching in 1849, it was called Queens College, Galway with sister colleges in Cork and Belfast. There were only 37 professors and 91 students whom comprised the college's 3 faculties, the Arts (including Science and Literature), Law, and Medicine as well as a school of Engineering and Architecture. The story goes that this architecture was nearly used as the building for the Queens College in Belfast, but good thing it wasn't because this building and it's beauty was one of the main reasons I wanted to come study at NUIG! There are also some very notable alumni who have walked these very halls . First, there is Alexander Anderson who is credited as the first person to announce the existence of black holes; class of 1881. Then, there was Professor George Johnstone Stoney who is known as the scientist to first coin the term 'electron' which led to the particle's discovery 40 years later! In the sports world, NUIG sent more athletes to the Beijing Olympics than any other Irish University! And to think that I am walking the same halls today as these incredible men and women; it is quite an honor.
From here, some friends and I traveled the river walk which travels the length of the city's famous river, the River Corrib. It is one of the shortest rivers in Europe, but in terms of water flow, it is actually the second largest in Ireland. Trust me, do not go jumping into that current! Old architecture can be found all along the sides of the river, and it is so beautiful to travel down toward the village of Claddagh, where you find the famous Spanish Arch and The Long Walk, a promenade which overlooks the harbour.
The Spanish Arch, locally called the Sparch, was built in 1584 and was built as an extension to the town wall in order to protect the city's merchant ships from looting. I've been trying to find the reason why the arch is called the Spanish arch, however, from what I can tell, there is no actual association between the arch and Spain other than some Spanish merchant ships using the wall extension as protection. The Spanish Arch was the home of the Galway city museum, but it has recently moved to a brand new building right down the road, and it's FREE!
I would definitely call the colorful houses (the ones pictured at the top of this blog!) one of the most photographed locations in Galway. The houses are located on The Long Walk and can be seen from the village of Claddagh which was known as the fishing village of Galway. There are many boats floating in the harbor as well as many pulled up onto the shore. My favorite was the one called the Kingfisher because that is actually the name of my street back home! It was a nice little reminder that despite how far away I am, home is always nearby. There is another beautiful trail called NimmO's Pier that follows the city's coast and hosts a number of rugby, hurling, and Gaelic football fields. The Long Walk was once a place where Claddagh women sold the fish that their husband's had caught that morning in the park where the fields now stand.
It was a beautiful walk on a very beautiful day and lots of pictures can be taken here! My friends and I have vowed to return on another sunny day and bring a picnic and watch the sun set over the same Atlantic ocean I can see from back home.
I made it! I am here in Galway, Ireland. The ride from Boston was easy, no hassle at all! Aer Lingus was a great, inexpensive airline to use with a direct flight into the Shannon airport an hour outside of Galway. On the plane, every passenger got to watch the plane's course of travel on individual screens on the back of each of the chairs. They even played music, movies and a variety of t.v. shows! It was SO COOL! Getting settled in has been a bit more of a challenge because of the scheduling of classes, finding my bearings, and dealing with phone and bank issues, but I have tried to just keep an open mind and explore in the times that I have felt overwhelmed.
I am living in the student apartment complex called Gort na Coiribe which is where a vast majority of the students at the National University of Ireland at Galway (NUIG) live. The complex is made up of an assortment of apartments and villas all with different styles. My villa is a 6 person place with a full kitchen and living room, 5 bedrooms, and 3 bedrooms! It is huge! There are 4 single bedrooms and 1 double on the third floor which is where my American roommate Rachel and I live. We have yet to meet our other roommates because they are all Irish students still on holiday who won't be back until tomorrow.
Across the street from the apartment complex is a great shopping plaza, kind of like a mini mall. There is even a McDonald's here, though the Irish have a version of it called SuperMacs! A big thing over here is the garlic sauce, it's like mayo with garlic; so yummy and a great replacement for ranch which NOONE carries! In the plaza there is also an amazingly cheap Irish store called Penney's which is similar to our T.J. Maxx, I got all of my bed linens and towels and other small toiletries here it was perfect. For cheap groceries, there is Aldi's in the plaza. It is a smaller grocery stores with great prices, but very local foods and not a lot of options. Next to the plaza, Dunnes Stores is like the Irish version of Walmart; they have EVERYTHING! It is a grocery store, a pharmacy, a pastry shop, and a clothing and home goods store all wrapped up into one. They even have American foods like Doritos and Oreos!
They aren't kidding when they tell you to bring your raincoat and rain boots to Galway, or slicker and wellies as the Irish call them. It rains here everyday. The first day was by far the worst! It was like a tsunami outside because of the insane winds! We were all thinking to ourselves, "What in the world did we get ourselves into?!" But, even the locals said that it was a bad day and that most days it only
sprinkles. The sun made a debut today for 3 whole hours! That's the most I have seen it all week! But, surprisingly with the sun came the cold air; there were no more clouds to provide insulation.
I have mostly just explored the downtown area in the three days that I have been here. It was crazy to first set foot on Shop Street, where all the postcard pictures are taken. I was standing in the middle of the scene which had taken up residence as my cell phone background in the weeks preceding my departure, and now I was finally there! Downtown looks like a larger version of Church Street in Burlington, Vermont. There are coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, stores, and even live music on the streets. The pubs were filled with music, both traditional Irish as well as famous cover songs everyone knows. The Quays, The King's Head, and The Front Door have all been my favorites as of yet. I have heard the song "Galway Girl" by Steve Earle from the pub scene in the movie P.S. I Love You every night I have been at the pub! Of course I sing along!
This is called Lynch's Castle. It is now a bank, but it was originally built as the house for the Lynch family and protection from the raids of the original 14 tribes of Galway. The story goes that in 1493, one of the city's mayors, James Lynch Fitzstephen, hanged his own son after he discovered that his son had murdered a Spanish sailor who had become involved with a female family member. It is now known as Lynch's window.
Galway is also the home of the Claddagh Ring. For anyone who doesn't know, the ring is a symbol of love. It is a pair of hands holding a heart and it is said that when a person wears the ring with the point of the heart facing in towards their own heart, then their heart is already taken by someone. But, if the point of the heart faces out and away from them, then their heart is ready to be given.
The most beautiful building I have seen yet in Galway is the Galway Cathedral. The Cathedral actually stands on the grounds where the city jail once stood many, many years ago (ironic right?). I haven't had the chance to see the inside yet, but I heard that the entire floor is made of Connemara Marble, just one giant slab of it stretching the length and width of the cathedral!
Also, if any Irishmen ask you, "Where's the crack?" They are actually asking you, "Where's the craic?" and craic is actually the Irish word for fun.
