A month of Ireland

Here are all the locations where we slept over the month of August

A country lass surveys her beach on the west side of Achill Island.  As they say... the next parish west is Boston.

Our hotel room on the west side of County Kerry, on the Dingle peninsula.
this simple dry-stone structure has remained waterproof and in near-perfect condition to the present day. The Gallarus Oratory was built and used by local farmers of the area at an early date, around 800 AD.

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This is a session we sat next to in Cavan.  We were lucky to arrive during the all Ireland traditional music festival.  Many young people were involved so trad music is still strong here.   All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil              see link=  http://www.bostonirish.com/node/15098  

Our country lass makes herself at home in the Boyle Abbey

We visited Kilmainham Gaol. (jail in english)  The majority of the Irish leaders in the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867 and 1916 were imprisoned there.  The leaders of the 1916 rebellion were executed in a manner that galvanized the community behind the independence effort and probably created the momentum that resulted in the Irish Free State.

We went on a seven day boat journey on the River Shannon with my sister Anne and husband John.  We were thus able to imbibe the stout and experience the trad music in the deep heart of the land.  Here is the Captain at the helm and the swarthy first mate casting off.

The captain left the deck for a moment and the fist mate and his sister speed dangerously toward reefs while looking over their shoulders.