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Cliffs of Moher with O'Brien Viewing Tower on top



Sister-in-law Wendy and brother Kelly O'Brien, niece Kate de LaPlante and husband Neil,

Kate Rozwadowski and boyfriend (nephew) Michael O'Brien, nephew Shane O'Brien:

at the Cliffs of Moher

Doolin Bay near boat docks for Aran Islands



Inch Beach

Leacanabuile Ring Fort -- 9th or 10th century

 


Ballycarbery (McCarthy) Castle from Ring Fort


My time in Ireland with my brother Kelly and his family was much too short. I was only able to join them for three days of their week-long trip through the west of the Emerald Isle. My photos do not do justice to much of what we saw either, I'm afraid.

Kelly, Wendy and Shane picked me up at Shannon International Airport in Limerick on our way to a two-night stay in Ennis, where Kate, Neil, Katie and Mike met us the next morning, flying in from Boston and Chicago respectively. On the first night in Ennis we were able to hear some good Irish music at a local pub and introduce my brother to the exciting game of rugby, via the telly. On the second night, with everyone on hand, our Irish music never materialized as the Eurovision Song Contest final played out on television. While waiting with incredulity for the final results, my nieces and nephews played a storytelling game they've played since they were young, with everyone in the circle extending a sublimely ridiculous storyline that ended with Kate and Neil as mad scientists saving (or was it destroying?) the Earth with the help of Air Oars (or -- was it Errors -- or was it Eire Ores?). Having never played this game before, I was surprised at how difficult it can be to keep a story going and to think creatively and quickly.

The next morning we were off to Dingle and a housekeeping 'cottage' we were renting for much of the week. We spent the next two days in the car for the most part, driving around the Dingle Peninsula on Day 1 and around the Ring of Kerry on Day 2. This was most certainly too much time in the car for many of us, not least the drivers Kelly and a jetlagged Neil, but as is often the result at times like this, one sees unforgettable sights. At the end of Day 2 around the Ring (another term for a driving loop) of Kerry, as night beckoned, we found ourselves passing through two spectacular isolated mountain passes -- with rocks and sheep and twisting narrow roads that led to a summit silhouetted by the fading light of day.

On the Ring of Kerry, on the way to a ring fort (the fortified farmstead of a wealthy 9th century landowner), we came across the best climbing castle I have seen -- and I've seen a good share of castles throughout Wales. Regrettably, I left my camera in the car for this jaunt, but fortunately Neil and others took some great shots of the ivy-covered stronghold. My Dad used to rub it in to his friend Bob McCarthy about how the O'Briens defeated the McCarthys in ancient Ireland. This castle, Ballycarbery (a McCarthy fort), was amazingly solid still and a thrill to clamber over. Consequently, we claimed it once again for the O'Brien clan.

The fishing, tourist town of Dingle is a fine one, and I wish I had been able to stay and see more of it. The Irish music at the pub was the best I was fortunate to hear on my too-short stay. The traditional music scene is very much alive in Ireland.

Ireland is very expensive though. Pub fare and most daily costs were twice as high as here in Wales, so my limited budget was pretty well blown after two meals. Also, we were charged 6 euros a head to see the Cliffs of Moher -- highway robbery in my opinion. Accommodation costs seem to be on a par however, and many places we drove through were overcrowded with available B&Bs and places to let. In Dingle we stayed in a house with four very large bedrooms and there were many homes specifically built for tourists that lay empty. On my way back to Shannon Airport, while waiting for a connection at the Limerick bus station, I found out one of the reasons for this surplus. Waiting for the airport shuttle with me were a man and a woman of Irish descent, unrelated, who both happened to have lived, or were living in England. They began talking about the high cost of everything in Ireland and how 'Ireland is the only place in the world that raises prices instead of cutting them when there's financial problems.' The man spoke of how the government a few years ago gave people money to build hotels and places to let, but that there were now too many of them, and none of them were making money. He said it was cheaper for these people to let the new places operate at a loss rather than pay the government back with a forfeit on their loans. In the meanwhile, older established places couldn't compete and were closing. And, of course, many of these newer places will close as well.

When you're back in North America the European Union seems much stronger than while you are here. I've noticed much discontent for the Union among people -- not necessarily the Welsh, but among some of the people I work with: Latvians, Portuguese. There is good and bad in it. I fear the whole world is built on an economic house of cards.

I hope Ireland can hold on to its traditions and beauty as it battles its very difficult financial status.

Erin Go Bragh!

O'Briens lay seige to Ballycarbery (McCarthy) Castle -- photo by Neil de LaPlante