Woke up early. Read a bit. Got ready and left the hotel. Dropped the car back to Irish Car Rentals. Checked in with US Airways. Then went and had breakfast upstairs at the airport. A veggie breakkie.

Headed down to the boarding gate afterwards. Took the bus out to the plane. We got on the Boeing 757. Down the runway up and off we go. We get the lunch in flight. A wee bit of reading and puzzles another snack and we are on the ground in Philadelphia seven hours later.

We have to get our bags and go through customs. Then put our bags back on the recheck belt. Go down and go through security again. There were huge lines. This whole procedure from the time we landed and got back inside the secure area took us 2 hours. So ending any plans of seeing the Liberty Bell. No harm we went and had pizza at Sbarro’s instead. Keeping the Venice experience alive.

Down to our gate and waited for the flight to Seattle. Then they made the offer if you gave up your seat they would give you a free round trip ticket anywhere US Airways fly in the Continental United States. We went for the deal as we could take a flight through Vegas and get to Seattle two hours later than we would have anyway. We also get a $10 meal voucher. Eat another snack and board the plane. Another 757. We taxi out for the runway and then we are told we are going to be delayed as there is a bad weather front in out take off line. We wait and wait and wait. About an hour later we do take off. I watch the dvd "Alpha Dog" on my portable dvd player.

A good movie.
We land in Vegas late and had missed our 9:15 pm flight to Seattle. Now we will take the midnight flight. Just ate a veggie burger at Burger King here.

Woke up after many hours of sleep. Took Rachel and Michelle to school. Came back and walked Holly to Montessori. Met her teacher Ann. I let her know I am uncle Donal. Holly tells her that I am uncle Scruff. I chat for a bit and walk back to the house. After breakfast Mary comes with us for a spin uptown. She shows us all the new houses. Wow Tulla is gone massive.

Aunty Marie will come and visit us today. She will be over around 2 or 2:30. We head off to Gort Co.Galway and drop in to see Coole Park. I park in the square in Gort for a minute to drop into my friend Francis (Maura’s aunt).

 She has opened a flower shop here but is not working today. Back in the car and over to Coole Park.  http://www.coolepark.ie/. I love this place.

The Wild Swans at Coole by W.B. Yeats
The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty Swans.
The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings.
I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,
And now my heart is sore.
All's changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,
Trod with a lighter tread.
Unwearied still, lover by lover,
They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old;
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,
Attend upon them still.
But now they drift on the still water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
Among what rushes will they build,
By what lake's edge or pool
Delight men's eyes when I awake some day
To find they have flown away?


We head down to the lake











 The swans were here.

Back up the wooded walkway to the walled garden.

 



We pop in to the Visitor Center for a film and walk through tour.





We call back to see if Aunt Marie has arrived yet. She has been there for two hours already. They never called us. Feck.
We say good bye to the swans of Lough Coole


and take the small road home

Talked with Kevin, Mary and the kids after they got home last night for ages. I  finally went to bed around 2:30 am this morning. I set an alarm for 4:50am so I could take the long drive to Dublin.

ding a ling ding a ling ding a ling.

4:50 came too fast. Got up feeling bollixed. Went out to the car and left. Got to the Dublin Airport four hours later. Traffic was terrible. I walked right in and met Natasha right away. Back out to the car and off back down the road for Clare. Stopped off in Mountrath for petrol. 45 euros to fill it up. Then on down the road to Roscrea. We stopped in to the Tower Pub and Restaurant for a quick snack. Then back on the road to Scariff. Stopped off in Tuamgraney





 Stopped off at Traceys to meet my God Daughter Ciara. 

Talked to Ger Tracey for awhile. Then Ciara. Terry Cronin happened to be passing by and stopped off for the chat too. 

A gathering was forming so said our goodbyes and left before more people arrived. Up through the town and out the Feakle road. 

We stopped off to see Maura Honan on the way. She has been my neighbor as long as I have been around. Well longer than my mother and father have been around for that matter. We talk to her for ages and ages. Then off to Tulla through Feakle and out the back road.

Meet mam and Rachel up town as we get in. Out for the hello for a minute. A quick stop into Super Value for a few items then down to the house. A big welcome for Natasha is in effect. Talking for a good while and out comes the four course dinner. We eat a pile of food. Later on Natasha and I head up town for a walk around. We go up on the wind swept hill of Tulla. The weather is changing now and it is cold in the evening breeze. 

Back to the house to end our day. I am tired tonight. It was a long day with little sleep

Up around 9 something. Have the breakkie. Then up town to the festival. There was a traffic jam in Tulla.

 Rachel is dancing in the court house.


 I meet Noel Harrington in there. I like Noel. I meet his wife and four kids. They want me to come over for a wee visit to the house. I will this trip. After the music and dance was over I head out. Ciara Long comes over to say hello. I haven’t seen her in ages either. A wee chat and off I go.

I pick mam up at Mary’s and we head off for Killaloe. We get there and cross over the bridge to Ballina. We go into The Lakeside Hotel for lunch. I get a pile of veggies while mother has the beef. Apple pie for dessert. We sit outside for a bit afterwards.

Then off back to Scariff and out the Feakle road to Coolagoree. We go in for a bit. I grab some photos from the upstairs which I will include some later in the Irish trip posting. I didn’t realize the ceilings were so low in my house growing up. Off we go for Tulla.

Hang out at Mary’s for the rest of the day. Well I take Mary into Ennis to do a wee bit of shopping. Eamon came over to see me. He just got back from a golfing trip to Spain. He chatted for a bit but had to head out pretty fast for a reason not to be said here. I just sat around here with the family drinking tea and talking for the rest of the night. A relaxing day. Tomorrow the good woman arrives.

Slept for four hours. Got up feeling great. Ate the breakfast. Dropped down the road to see my friend Kevin Scanlan. I keep missing him every time I am home. I pop down for a few minutes. No answer at the door. As I was leaving some lady came out. She said he was gone to the shop. He arrives back before as I am getting out of the car. A big hello. He has shaved his long time beard and looks younger. I go in and meet Margaret his good woman. They have been married twenty three years today. They are going out together for thirty years. The other woman is Breeda a friend who stayed over. She is from Craggaunowen and decided not to risk driving home drunk last night. On goes the breakfast. I have another gwal of tea and irish soda bread. We chat for ages then Kevin and I head over to the new well to get Breeda some bottled water to drink.

Back we come and off she goes. I walk the land with Kevin. He has a rat caught in a live trap. I think he is more into saving the animals than me. I would have used a KILLER trap. He showes me his motor bike a Kawasaki 1200 rocket. He has three hunting dogs. They are in kennels. Well except one small fellow called “Scruff”

I go back in ant talk to Margaret for a bit longer. She gives me all the information about the island of Inishboffin. Maybe we will make it out there when the good woman arrives from Seattle. Before I leave I head out into the field with Kevin to set the captured rat free. He carefully releases him from the cage and off out the field he goes. Then he let’s Scruff go so he can chase it. Scruff catches up very quick and devours the rat. Killing him instantly. This is what he does every time he gets a live rat.












 So much for saving animals. I leave the coursing field behind and head for Scariff.

I go through the town and out the top road to see my pal Terry and his family. I get there and all are home. His good woman Mary is with him. Daughters Allison now five is there too. I haven’t seen her since she was about one and a few months. She is shy and says little. I talk with Terry and Mary for a good bit and drinking a gwal of tea the whole time. Their new baby Anna woke up while I was there. Mary brings her out. She is over one year old with the reddest head of hair. I have fun with her. Mary heads off into town. Terry and I talk about the old days and well the new days too. After a few hours I head out. I drive down to the town of Mountshannon.
Terry


Baby Anna

I pull up outside the new park that was put in about ten years ago. This will be my first visit. It is well done. A nice place to stroll around. Big changes. 


































Next I head off to see my friend Tommy. He is one of my longest friends of all time. Visiting him is like taking a walk back in time. He has a great memory and his mind is a wealth of information. I stop at his house and no one is home. Feck. I decide to head on into Whitegate for a quick spin. On the way out I meet Martin Donnelan. I haven’t seen him in years either. I pull up in the middle of the street to say a quick hello. We chat while the all the cars make their way around me. His wife and my friend Patricia comes out to say hello before she heads out in the car. Martin and I talk for ages and ages. Right before I leave Tommy comes along in his car with the family. He gets out and says hello. I say my good bye to Martin and follow Tommy back to their house. I am running late for the dinner with my family so I stop off for a quick chat. Carmel his good woman and the kids are all saying hello. His daughter Caitlin is so nice and chatty. The three sons come around giving me Malteasers. Tommy and I chat for ages. I was the best man at Tommy and Carmel’s wedding thirteen years ago today. I am sad to leave, well not sad but more wishing I had more time to talk with Tommy and Carmel and the kids too. Off like a race car for tulla I go. I am well over an hour late for dinner.
Tommy and I


Caitlin

Even though I am running late I stop off to get the name of a color on a house. I drive up get out and ring the door bell. Nobody home so I leave without the color name. Feck. Probably better as I may have been talking for ages. I get to Mary’s and everyone are gone out except mam. My dinner is on a plate waiting to be warmed in the microwave.

I eat dinner while the house is getting alive again from the gangs arrival home. We chat while I eat. A quick rest and them Mary and go up town to see if we can get tickets to the concert in the church tonight. When we get there we get the last two tickets left. In we go.

This concert had some of the finest Irish musicians playing here. Great names young and old. Sean Nos singing and dancing to boot. After over three hours we are nearing the end of what will be the highlight of my trip home to Ireland. After the show I go up and have a chat with Manus Mc Guire and later with Martin Hayes.

We meet Rachel and Michelle up town. They walk behind Mary and me as we walk home. Mary decides to go into the bar Teach Ol for a drink. I continue on down the road home. Rachel walks with me now but Michelle still lags behind. 

We get home and I have a gwal of tea. I get to sleep by 3:00am.

Finally made it in to see Shelia. A big hello. We chatted for awhile Talked with Bridie O Dowdell there too. Then Jean came in with her son. Chatted with her for some more time. In walks Ger O Donnell, more chat. I finally get to leave for the bank after getting three free 99s from Shelia. Down the street I go towards the bank.

I met Gina Sparling on the way down. Another chat. She shows me where Alan built all the new houses at the back. Wow Scariff is changing. Off I go and then I meet Maureen Shaughnessy and Ger Kavanagh, another chat for a bit. Off then for the bank.

I go inside and withdraw a gwal of euros. Enough to last for the two weeks I hope. Back up the town I go. I meet with Ger O Donnell again and have a short chat. I make a quick visit in to see Eamon Jacko. He is inside having his beer taps cleaned. We chat for a bit more. He is having another baby in January. This will be number two. He is in great form. He got raided by the Guards last weekend during Maureen Kelly (Long)’s 40^th birthday. Off I head up the hill.

I meet a fellow I knew but couldn’t remember his name. We talked for a while. He was chatting like we had seen each other yesterday. I didn’t want to ask him his name. I get away after another bit then I bump into Brendan Moloney. We chat for some more time. Now I walk up the town with my head down straight to the car. A five minute walk to the bank took an hour and a half.

I drive on around the new line so I can get a better look at the houses Alan built. Nice. Back up through the town and I meet Clare Henchy coming down. We pull up and talk through the windows holding up traffic behind us each way. No Harm. Bye bye and off we go. When in the car I can pass through the town fairly unseen. The bank trip today seems like a bit of Dejavu from back in April earlier this year.

Out the Feakle road we go. Pass by my home of my childhood. We didn’t stop. Head up to Feakle instead and go into Mam’s new house. We sit and chat for awhile. Then head back for Tulla on the back road. We go into “Flappers” for lunch. A nice restaurant. Met a couple of people I knew here too. Feck the fame is killing me.