3/29/10—Blog — 10:40 PM Ireland Time (4:40 AM your time)

Hello Everyone Interested in the DHS travels to Ireland:

The day’s adventure started in our first cloudy, misty skies. People here say to expect rain daily especially this time of year, but we have had the opposite. We’ve experienced slightly cool weather but no rain and generally blue and often times sunny skies. This morning, kids were well prepared with umbrellas and coats that would protect them from rain and cold. As it turned out, the only use for umbrellas was some pretty cute photos.

We went back to Bunratty Castle to tour it and the park grounds associated with the Bunratty Castle “experience,” as they promote it. Last night as you recall, we had our feast in the Great Hall. Today, we’d see that room again and others in the castle. This particular castle was once residential, home to the family O’Brien—kings and later earls of Thomond or North Munster. In fact, an ancestor of William Penn was a member of this family tree. William was the fourth branch to the left of the trunk, just above the birds’ nest. Just kidding about the tree imagery but he was related to them. We learned important safety features of the castle, like the fact that the spiral staircase winds in a direction that is advantageous for the owner in case of an attack. In addition, the entrance doors are so small, both in height and width, to make access difficult for intruders. Also on the grounds, we saw buildings that were reconstructed from the originals over a century ago. The doctor’s house or the post office, or the village streets or the many other buildings were designed and furnished as they would have appeared at the time.

Next, we boarded buses and drove to the Cliffs of Moher, which we were told is Ireland’s most visited natural attraction. The vista awes viewers, nearly one million every year. Approximately 700 feet at their highest point, the cliffs are geological wonders. I heard one student describing the stratified layering from a scientific perspective and connecting that knowledge to information learned in Mr. Stafford’s geology course. This is the place where the waves of the Atlantic Ocean hit the western most shoreline. The cliffs were formed nearly 320 million years ago. The view is remarkable and some students even got higher up by climbing O’Brien’s tower which is 175 years old. Panoramic views of the ocean are even more mind blowing when seen on the roof top at the O’Brien tower. It costs only 2 Euro to go up to the tower. The stress test for those still on the ground watching kids up there was free.

This experience was truly a “natural high.” While in the bathroom, we learned that the Cliffs of Moher are one of the top 28 remaining nominations for the 7 Wonders of Nature. The signs encouraged us to vote at www.new7wonders.com  What are you waiting for?? Go vote! Everyone in our group thought this Cliffs were unspeakably powerful. While there, students also presented a few informal performances, singing both outdoors and indoors. They received warm recognition.

After lunch there, we boarded the buses again and were on our way to Galway. Given that it was a few hours drive, we made one short sightseeing stop at The Burren, which was a landscape of rolling hills yet under the grasses are limestone pavements that create what they call “grikes” or crisscrossing cracks. I call it YIKES because the terrain creates an “Ankle Breaker Alley” if anyone walking on it does not take the time to be surefooted and plant.

Speaking of footedness, sure or not so sure, the students tested their footwork after dinner, now in Galway when they participated in an Irish Dance Workshop. The teacher, a local here, brought two of her 12 year-old students and they performed for our group several Irish dances. These girls were talented, national level champions, as she described. Soon enough, it was our turn and our students proved they have rhythm for more than just vocal performances. They learned traditional Irish dances called:  Stack of Barley, The Walls of Limerick, and Shoe the Donkey. I will briefly teach you Shoe the Donkey. It is a partner dance where the partners are hand-in-hand across the front of their bodies and facing the same direction. The steps are:

Hop 1, 2; Hop 1, 2; Hop 1, 2      3 TURN AND

THEN:  Hop 1, 2, 3 TURN, Hop 1, 2, 3 TURN, Hop 1, 2, 3, TURN   x 8

Back to the Beginning and repeat….it’s that simple.  You too can SHOE THE DONKEY! You have a few days to practice before your kids come home…

Come on—“get JIGGY with it” and give it a try!