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TripsWithKevin Flashback: 10 years ago today.

July 5, 2018

Today we opted for a morning of rest.  Fionnuala (6) stept until 9 o’clock!  All of us were tired from the first part of the week so it was very welcome.  At 11:45 we headed to An Fál Carrach to have lunch at An t-Sean Bheairic which had been a highlight of our last trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived and drove to the rear of the building where we had parked last time and it was full but farther back there was an even bigger car park.  We all went into the cafe and Liam (9) began ordering in Irish only to met by responses in English.  I thought it was because he was speaking quietly and she wanted to make sure that the order was correct.  I also started to order in Irish but it was clear that the waitress was not interested in interacting through Irish.  I had read similar comments online before, but on our last visit everything was done through Irish.  I was disappointed since the only reason we had come was because we could be served though Irish.   Our food it should be noted was good.   Liam ordered a cooked breakfast and it was not to the same standard as everyone else’s food though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch we went into the front of the building and visited the Leabharlann which is about 50/50 Irish and English.  All of the history displays were only in Irish (they were bilingual on our last visit).  We also visited the small shop where the man spoke Irish effortlessly and was happy to dispense tourist information to tourists.  It was like being in two different buildings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we had finished in An t-Sean Bheairic we took the road to Glenveagh (which I had never been on before).  I expected it to be a depressing drive through the bogs, but I was wrong!  It was a beautiful drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made our way to St. Colmcille’s Abbey which overlooks Lough Akibbon, but not without a small hiccup.  We followed a signpost for Relig Gartan (the brown signpost was not visible while we were driving).  Thankfully we had been here twice before so I thought that the other option was not heading in the correct direction.  But after following the road (which seemed like it was heading the wrong way) I pulled over at a farm to let the car behind me pass.  While stopped I looked at the map and discussed turning around, but Sarah and I decided to proceed in the name of adventure.

In about 100 yards we arrived at the abbey!  We piled out of the car as a boy and his watering can departed the graveyard.  We finally had this place to ourselves on our third visit (read about our first visit here and our second visit here).

The children and I traced the stations of the Turas as I read out out what pilgrims do at each station.  The farmer had just cut the grass in the surrounding fields so I think I might have found where the north and south boundary crosses might have been located.  If you are interested in the pattern for the Turas, I wrote about here.

Turas 1:

 

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Turas 2:

Turas 3:

Turas 4:

Turas 5:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turas 6 and 7:

The Graveyard:

The graveyard itself is interesting even without the pilgrimage stops.  The graves date from the Middle Ages to the present and also document the language shift as the number of headstones in Irish gradually decrease as the graves become newer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was now almost 4 o’clock, but we decided to head to Carrickfin Beach anyway.  It was 17° which is cool for this summer (but typically would be a warm day here) so I was a little surprised when we arrived to a full car park.  We could also hear someone in the distance yelling directions in Irish.  As we emerged from the path through the dunes we saw a crowd of teenagers on the beach.  I immediately knew these were Gaeltacht students.  The students were preparing to leave just as we were arriving, but it was nice for the children to see such a large group of young people using Irish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Liam played in the waves and the girls built a giant sandcastle there were times when we were the only ones on the whole beach.  We stayed for awhile before heading home for supper.

I dropped everyone off at the house and made a short trip to Siopa Mhicí where once again I was served through Irish including small talk.  I drove back to the house amazed at how many people I have been able to speak Irish with on this trip.

Liam’s Highlight of the Day: St. Colmcille’s Abbey
Fionnuala’s Highlight of the Day:  Liked everything the same

Gaeilge Experience:

I was disappointed by An t-Sean Beairic.  I think our last visit made the refusal of service in Irish worse.  It is very confusing to enter a building with a sign that says “Ionad Seirbhísí Teanga” and have someone refuse to speak Irish to you.  I don’t think I will be back to the cafe as there are other food options and we were here because they served us in Irish before.  On the other hand, the shop in the front and the Leabharlann were exactly what you would hope for in terms of Irish.

It was nice to hear all the Irish on the beach and Siopa Mhicí once again was all you could hope for as far as the Irish language.  I have stopped even thinking about going to any other shops now.  If the goal is to speak Irish, it doesn’t get better than small talk with the cashier.

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