Ireland, Part 4; The Road to the Cliffs of Moher
The narrow road to the Cliffs of Moher twists and turns its way past many spiritual locations. One of these being St. Brigid's Well. Brigid was the goddess of all things of high dimensions such as hill-forts and upland areas; and of elevated mental states such as wisdom, excellence, perfection, high intelligence, poetic eloquence and healing ability. This site has a particularly mysterious atmosphere which is felt as soon as you enter the grove and hear the gentle lapping of the water in the background. The visual impact of all of the personal offerings left to honor deceased loved ones is moving beyond words. Ethan quietly observed the items left behind...small toy trains, pacifiers, pictures, rosaries. The personal tributes were overwhelming to the eye and too numerous to describe. He asked, "Why are there toys for kids here?" We answered him. We got into the car and drove for some time as Ethan sat quietly. He then asked, "What would you leave there so people remember me?"
Cill MacCreicche church and cemetery, likely the most ancient ecclesiastical ruins in County Clare, overlook Liscannor Bay and date back to the 6th century. We felt as if we were swept back to an ancient time as the cold wind whipped across the bay and we walked silently among the headstones. Surprisingly, this cemetery is still in use as some of the headstones had current dates.
The Cliffs of Moher. Rising 702 feet at the highest point, stretching for five miles into the North Atlantic, these rugged cliffs are truly a sight to behold. The wind that day truly took your breath away. There were some reports that maybe tourists should avoid the Cliffs that day due to high winds, but hey, it's not like we can visit this place anytime we want, and I had a schedule to keep!
After a nice long day sightseeing along Liscannor Bay, the Cliffs of Moher, past Doolin and Doonagore Castle which sits quietly on the Atlantic Ocean, we went to the grocery store so I could buy ingredients for Colcannon. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish that we enjoy, made of mashed potatoes, cabbage, ham, green onions and lots and lots of butter. I was excited about making this dish with actual Irish ingredients! I love doing everyday tasks in a new place. To me, grocery shopping in Ireland was a form of sightseeing. All of the food seemed fresher--especially the meats. We ended up having the house to ourselves for awhile, so we cooked, ate, drank some wine and made plans for the evening as it was time to hit the pubs. We were given contact information for a lovely musician in Ennis. Earlier that day, she emailed me and told me where she and some friends would be playing sessions that evening. We arrived at the Local and Jennifer and her family were already there. It was a small pub with two fireplaces, one of them ablaze with what appeared to be an old wooden stool burning inside. The band sat in the corner at a long table singing, and all the musicians took turns singing or they all played together. There were River Dancers raising money for a competition trip to Montreal, who put on a performance for us all. It was one of the most memorable nights of the trip. If you go to Ireland, find a local pub, sit back and take it all in. It really does not get more Irish than that. We loved it.
