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June 28, 2018
TripsWithKevin Flashback: 10 years ago today Sarah and I landed in Dublin for our Honeymoon
Today we chose for a day in Gleann Cholm Cille. We piled in the car and it was already 27° at 10:15 AM. It apparently wasn’t too hot for some morning hurling though! We began our day at Tobar Cholmcille (St. Colmcille’s Well). We each located the stones that we had brought from America for our version of this pilgrimage. For the first time, the walk to well wasn’t at all difficult for anyone. On our last visit it was still a challenge. We stopped at Colmcille’s Chair and continued on to the well. We tossed our stones on the massive cairn, said our prayers and completed our pilgrimage. Liam and I explored the back side of the well (he is now sure footed) and were soon joined by the girls for a few minutes.
On the way to the well we ran into a small traffic jam
The path to Tobar Cholm Cille (St. Colmcille’s Well) and the Tower Loop
The path to Tobar Cholm Cille (St. Colmcille’s Well)
Cathaoir Cholm Cille (Colmcille’s Chair)
Malluch na Croise (Stad 4: Height of the Cross) agus Séipéal Cholm Cille (Stad 5: Colmcille’s Chapel)
Fionnuala reaches the well on her own for the first time!
Tobar Cholm Cille
The path to the well
Tobar Cholm Cille (St. Colmcille’s Well)
The cross and tokens above Tobar Cholm Cille (St. Colmcille’s Well)
The cross dates to about 700.
The view from above
Effigy of Colm Cille. This is a form of folk art that I think is underappreciated.
We then headed back down the hill to our car and made a visit to Oideas Gael. Both of the children enjoyed looking around An Siopa and I really enjoyed getting to catch up/converse with two native Irish speakers. After our shopping spree, we got back in the car and returned to the house for lunch. Both of the children immediately started playing the Tin Whistles that we had bought them in An Siopa and Liam could play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” before lunch!
After we finished eating our lunch we made a visit to the fresh vegetable stand that comes on Thursdays to the carpark in An Charraig. The vegetables were good and fresh and better than the shops in the village offer. We dropped off the produce that we had bought and then reloaded the car.
There was also a vendor selling flowers and other plants in the car park.
Fresh vegetable stand in An Charraig
Our next stop was the Craft Shop in the Glencolmcille Folk Village. Sarah was hoping to find some St. Brigid’s Crosses to bring home as gifts. We found some that were made in Gleann and just as our last visit were served through Irish. The women that work in the shop were speaking Irish to each other as well which was nice to hear. Today was the first Irish I had heard on our trip where I was not a participant. From the Folk Village we headed across the road to the Glen Bay beach (they share a car park).
Bá Ghlinne (Glen Bay), Gleann Cholm Cille
The path to An Trá, Gleann Cholm Cille
It was a perfect place to spend a 31° day. I even met someone on the beach from the U.S. that I had originally met in Gleann in 2007!
After we were finished at the beach we headed back to the Folk Village, this time to visit the Tearoom for some cold drinks. The children loved the new play area and Sarah and I were able to relax on a bench while the children played away. Again we were served in Irish (by a local teen) and both children were able to order for themselves.
The Glencolmcille Folk Village
The new play area at the Folk Village
After finishing up at the Folk Village’s play area we headed back to the house for the evening. The kids and I played Kubd (as Gaeilge) before dinner, and winded down the end of the hottest day on the island since 1976 (according to the news)!
Liam’s Highlight of the Day: The Beach
Fionnuala’s Highlight of the Day: The play area at the Folk Village
Gaeilge Experience: Oideas Gael is always (obviously) a good place to speak Irish and I was fortunate enough to have two conversations with the local native speakers who run the school. The Folk Village also did not disappoint as the woman in the shop was clearly pleased to speak Irish with us and that Fionnuala was learning Irish. To cap it all off, the teenager in the Tearoom effortlessly spoke Irish with the two children and myself. Every Irish person we saw today spoke Irish with us. You can’t really ask for much more.
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