Well, I Took a Stroll on the Old Long Walk!

Of a day -I-ay-I-ay, I met a little girl and we stopped to talk, Of a fine soft day -I-ay-I-ay, And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do, 'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue, And I knew right then I'd be takin' a whirl, 'Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway Girl! Galway Girl-Steve Earle We arrived to Gort na Coiribe in Galway late Sunday night. Taryn decided to make a CD for the students and everyone was able to pick one favorite song, so we listened to it countless times on the bus journey from Dublin to Galway. The students were introduced to our incredible ILE bus driver-Brian Farrell with Burren Coaches-who would be our tour guide for the next week. Parents and Friends..., if you are ever interested in doing a tour of the Burren, Connemara, or Galway while you are in Ireland-Brian is your man. He's one in a million! www.burrencoaches.ie We woke up early Monday morning with packed lunches in hand to start our first tour along the West Coast. We first made a quick stop for a brief tour of the Connemara Marble Factory. Connemara Marble is one of Ireland's most original products. Geologists estimate this natural green rock, quarried at the Streamstown Marble Quarries two miles northwest of Clifden, is about 500 million years old. Unique to the region, the marble shows twisted and interlocking bands of serpentine, in various shades of light green and dark green. Many students purchased a few souvenirs here for themselves, family, and friends. They couldn't resist. By the time we got back on the bus, torrential rain showers had begun. We all began to hope and pray for a miracle that it wouldn't be miserable weather for the rest of the day. We decided to make a few brief stops for some gorgeous photo opportunities with the students. Connemara is spectacular and simply breathtaking. The low lying clouds, mist, and rain-gave the countryside that picturesque feeling. The rolling hills couldn't have been more lush. We even managed to encounter an Irish traffic jam. About fifty sheep blocking the road. What a site. We pointed out the famous Quiet Man Bridge and stopped for a few minutes at the spectacular Kylemore Abbey. Luckily enough, the heavens eventually broke free and the sunshine beamed down upon us, before we reached Dan O'Hara's Cottage. According to local history the ruins of a cottage on the farm was once the home of Dan O' Hara who was famous in song and story. Dan farmed eight acres until he was evicted and forced to emigrate and ended up selling matches in New York. Martin Walsh and his family started started Dan O'Hara's Cottage in the 1980's to give tourists an insight into life in Connemara in the 19th century and the hardship endured by tenant farmers. The ILE students learned about this..., and much, much, much more. Martin was even able to show the students how to cut turf. After we learned a lot about the history, we were able to gather the students together for a quick game of horseshoes and tug-a-war. The horseshoe toss was very close, as Cliff and Conor ended up trying to win for both of their teams. Cliff ended up with one more successful toss, so Team A pulled off the victory. However, Martin couldn't resist treating both teams to a box of Bailey's chocolates for their efforts. The tug-a-war was a little bit more interesting, as both teams were coached by Angie and Pete. Pete told his team to play a little trick on Angie's team and when he said "bananas" after pulling for a few seconds, his team let go, so the opposing team flew back and fell. Everyone was in giggles. Oh well! When we arrived back to Gort na Coiribe, students were able to go shopping across the street at Dunnes with their food per diem and make dinner. All of the boys made dinner for the girls. Spaghetti and garlic bread! It looked delicious and was a formal event, as everyone dressed up. Candles were lit and music was playing in the background. You should have seen it! What a great day with lots of memories to treasure!!!

← All posts