Farewell to Ireland

In Donegal I caught sight of a sign: Famine Cemetery. Woodsie did a U-turn and we drove back to see it. It is now a rectangular lawn, the site of the paupers' grave used during the Great Famine.








Outside the stone fence recently a Famine pot was installed.




The plaque to the right is bare, but a gardener for the site told me porridge was cooked up during the Great Famine in pots like this and the poor could come and receive a portion. Apparently countries like India supported Ireland with food at this time. But he told me the food never got distributed far out into all the communities.

One thing we were shocked to learn on one tour was that Ireland had plenty of food during this time, but it was largely exported to England, leaving local Irish to starve.

Last night we stayed at The Europa Hotel.





I had left my camera accidentally in the car, so don't have photos of it, except these two I snapped as we were leaving. The Europa was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as THE MOST BOMBED HOTEL in Western Europe, as many politicians and foreign journalists stayed there. President Clinton chose to stay on his two visits, as a symbol of defiance to the sectarian violence. By the size of our room, I realised we were in the same one, plus the fact there is a Clinton Suite on another floor!!!





We detoured through a few coastal villages today, on our return to Dublin.












We stopped for lunch in Castlington, at this quaint tea room, run by one family, set in a thatched roof building. Below is the courtyard at the rear.



An man, maybe in his 60s, approached our table and asked us about where we were from, where we had been, etc.. He asked us to sign the guest book. I am sure the novelty of the thatched roof helps many international tourists choose his place for a meal. His grandson, about 15 years old, approached and kissed him goodbye.

When we were leaving, he shook my hand and wished us safe travels. He was such a lovely man.

"May I be like your grandson?" I asked.

"You most certainly may," he replied, offering me a smoothly shaved cheek to kiss.

Our Dublin hotel this time is the Clyde Court Hotel, in Ballsbridge.





It is in a lovely area, with some wonderful properties on the opposite side of the road.








We walked into the south side of the city and strolled around Merrion Square, which is very close to where we stayed a week ago. It is a garden which occupies a city block. Opposite on one corner is the house where Oscar Wilde lived for over a decade.










Then we cut across to St. Stephen's Green, an even larger public area. Once grazing land, it was designed as a park largely with money from Sir Arthur Guinness, later made a Lord. By the way, I sampled his dark brew tonight and found it quite palatable.







On the way back, I took this photo of a canal with a series of locks, which we crossed over.




We also saw this unusual set of doors. The little panels were metal images of a nose, or mouth, ear or eye.







We fly out tomorrow morning. Some points about the Irish economy I wish to note. Friends visited Dublin a few years back and were amazed by the number of cranes at new building sites all about the city. We have not seen one crane. We read that 40% more horses were taken to abattoirs that last year. The cab driver told us today houses we were passing were once €10 million, but prices had crashed to €2 to 3 million. The Communications Minister was abused at lunch last week, with a protestor claiming there are 4 suicides each week due to desperation regarding debt. Plus 86,000 mortgagees have not made a payment in six months. Many more have had loans restructured, to only pay interest.

Yet the businessman we spoke to during our Castle stay believes Ireland has weathered the worst and will emerge sooner than many European countries.










Farewell to the Emerald Isle, a country we have found of friendly, humorous and polite people and such beautiful scenery.