In-Laws

Every summer we do the in-laws trip, with all the "baggage" that involves! Besides them, it's great to be married to a culchee, or country boy, from western Ireland. Mountains, empty white sand beaches, ponies, sea cliffs, ancient Christian ruins, shrines and holy wells, and always a great craic (crack) or good time in the local pub. The Belmullet Co. Mayo big fair day for the year is August 15. In a melancholy country stripped by immigration, that's the reunion date for all the immigrants. It's like a high school, college, and family reunion all rolled up in one, and all their children have different accents. There's horse racing on the beach, timed to the tide. I'm planning trips out to the local islands, now uninhabited, with monastic ruins. My daughter is getting good at Gaelic and Irish dancing. I plan to dine on local lamb, and loads of local seafood: cockles, mussels, winkles, oysters, scallops (pick your own), crab, lobster, salmon, mackerel, herring and fresh vegetables bought on the town square.

Another sight to see is Smithfield market. I think it's the second Sunday of every month, the local produce market packs up its stalls to make room for horses. This is in the middle of Dublin. Draft horses, especially the piebalds (or splotchy ones) are the travelers or gypsy mascots. All these city kids are racing up and down city streets with their horses, bareback and in pony traps. Animal rights people: don't go. It is a snapshot of a culture that keeps horses like Americans, or "Yanks," keep cats.

By the way, the best fares to Ireland never show up on the Web. They are usually charters. Check with your local Irish ex-pats. Two good ones are Round Tower Travel 800-621-7442 in Chicago, and Sceptre Tours in NYC at 800-221-0924 .

Bye now, Rudy -- gotta pack.

April

 

 

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