3/28/10—Blog 5— 11:57 PM Ireland Time (5:57 AM your time)

Hello Everyone Interested in the DHS travels to Ireland:

Today we got up early as usual and felt like we needed a breath of fresh air. So after our 7:30 AM breakfast at the hotel, we took all the kids for a JAUNT in the National Park of Killarney. Now, a jaunt in Ireland at least in our experience, is not a brisk walk or jog, but rather a seated carriage ride led by a harse and driver (that’s a horse, in case you still haven’t adjusted to the accent). About 8 people sit in a carriage, six in the back and two up front with the driver. The horse travels for a short bit on the road but soon turns left into the park area where you enjoy the Irish scenery once again. The park winds through a forest-like area which according to the driver is very safe. He noted that women jog there at night or day without a worry.

We were fortunate to see wildlife native to the area, specifically, a herd of red deer. Timing was such that we saw half of the herd cross over a river—they had to jump a fence and traipse through the stream to get to a field on the opposite side. There must have been about 25 in the herd so everyone in our carriage watched it happen. It was not like at home where one person sees the deer and shouts about it to realize that it is now no longer in view for the others to see. At various points, we saw different angles of the same lake with a few different islands in our view. One island, the smallest, was called Honeymoon Island, because it is said that only two people can fit on it. The kids have all been really good so we did not want to ship any of our students off to any of the various islands.

The ride ended at a castle (where else?—we are realizing that castles are abundant). This one happened to be Caislean an Rois, Ross Castle, built in the late 15^th century by the O’Donoghue Family who ruled Killarney at the time. The ancient brick building was on the waterfront and was the site where some boats that board passengers for a lake tour depart. We learned an interesting fact from our driver, besides the fact that Francis was our horse’s name. We learned that his family has been in the jaunting business for 4 generations and that you can’t just apply for this type of job. It needs to be passed down to the next generation of the family or the driver upon retirement of his position must turn in the license to the government. If you ever want to go, it is a website and an ocean away at www.killarneyjauntingcars.com

After the jaunt, we boarded the buses and drove to a Flying Boat Museum which sounded strange to me, but was a great history lesson about how man learned to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. The museum is in the process of being renovated but there was a lot finished that we could see. We boarded the only Boeing B314 replica in the world, which is about half the length of a current day 747. Did you know that people had chairs that folded out into beds for this flight?

We also saw a 3D hologram that re-enacted the night that Irish Coffee was invented at Foynes. Not to worry, no samples were allowed, but there was a coffee and hot chocolate shop as well as a small gift shop. As the story goes in my tired mind, Irish Coffee was invented in this very building for a pilot who had crossed the ocean in one of the earliest flights. However, others correct this memory and contend that the person who was first served Irish coffee was simply a passenger (one of the affluent 35 or so, who fit on the plane and could afford a 700 dollar flight) who got off the plane and was “served something special from Joe.” Joe was inspired by his grandfather who noted that “presentation is the key”. These details were shared with us in a somewhat cheesy 4 minute movie that we watched while standing in a replica bar. Ask your child about it because that’s the best I can do and although this memory is clearly quite shaky, I swear I did not sample the Irish coffee. The students sang for a packed house of local folks of all ages, from 2 or 3 years old to 83 years old. They received a standing ovation and great appreciation from the curators and employees of the museum.

After the performance, we boarded the buses, stopped quickly at a grocery store for students to buy some food for snacking to hold them over as they would be having a late dinner at the Bunratty Castle. I anticipated that this experience would be like Medieval Times, but the only part that really echoed that was the attire of those hosting the party. The rest was unique to Ireland in that the evening was filled with Irish song and music. A special feature was the naming of the Lord and Lady from the guests for the evening and guess what…Ron V. was selected as the Lord and I was selected as the Lady. Our students were excited and amused as we were crowned and escorted to the throne and main table for the evening meal. My Lord tasted the soup first to ensure its goodness and the feast was on! We had bread, soup, ribs, and for the main course, chicken, vegetables and potatoes. For dessert, we enjoyed a mousse. In the midst of the meal, my Lord was asked to name a guest who would be placed in the dungeon. Our student, Rahm, was called to the stage and quickly hauled to the dungeon. When my Lord was asked what should happen to Rahm, despite shout outs from the audience to import all sorts of evil on him, my Lord said he would be saved if he sang for us. Rahm sang for his life the U2 song we’ve been performing. Nathan Fertig joined in the rendition as did the rest of his classmates. It was their joy to sing most of a song to the unsuspecting audience—onlookers who just thought they were going to the castle meal-- commented that they felt that they had now seen Glee first hand. It was indeed a GLEEFUL experience and I intend to remind my family of my ROYAL stature for many days and years to come.