Village ruins on Great Blasket Island

Most of the time when we visit ruins left by vanished people, they're so long gone that much of the life there has been lost in the sands of time, and is a matter of reconstruction and speculation by historians and archaeologists. Not so with the Blaskets, where the last residents evacuated in 1953. But even though it's not that distant in terms of time, they inhabited a very different world than our modern world today.

I just finished reading a couple of books about life in the Blasket Islands, that provide fascinating views into the life on the island.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first is Twenty Years A-Growing, by Maurice O'Sullivan in 1933. This is a joyful book, full of the energy, enthusiasm, and high spirits of a young lad growing up on Great Blasket Island. As he says at one point,

An egg would not have broken under my feet with the lightness and gladness in my heart."

Just reading this book gives me a little of that same feeling! Whether he was off with a friend hunting puffins and rabbits around the island, exploring a cave, or describing the villager's excitement at scavenging timbers and supplies from a shipwreck, he always seemed to have a sense of optimism and joy.

Of course, the adults on the island didn't always share this happy view. In one conversation, Maurice tells his grandfather than the fishermen seem to have a fine, healthy life, and "there's no man on earth as contented as a seaman". In reply, his grandfather says "a man of the sea never had a good life, as I know well, having spent my days on it."

I visited Great Blasket Island after reading this book, and saw the whole scene through those youthful, exuberant eyes. As we walked around the island, and climbed to remnants of the Napoleonic fort at the top, I couldn't help but think of the fun he and the other kids had there, and it seemed like a fine place to grow up.

Twenty Years A-Growing was originally written in Irish, then translated to English. According to the Introductory Note (also from 1933), the author was mainly concerned with the Irish version, so that it would be read by people in the Blaskets, who would appreciate it more than we ever could. It's a sad irony that a mere 20 years later, there would be no one left in the Blaskets at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And what of life for the adults? What was this isolated island life really like, for those who had to worry about feeding a family? Blasket Memories: The Life of an Irish Island Community explains a lot more about that. Published in 1982, this is a collection of manuscripts and interviews compiled by Padraig Tyers, with the goal of preserving as much of the island knowledge as possible before it disappeared.

He covers the history of the islands from early settlers (who had no boats, since there was no good landing place), until the days when they were finally evacuated. In between, much of the life was tied to nayvogues (called curraghs in the O'Sullivan book). These are small open boats, light enough you could carry them up onto the shore. The three miles to the coast of Ireland would seem like much more if you had to row it in such a seemingly fragile boat. Now imagine taking a cow to market in a nayvogue like this... (!)

The men did a lot of fishing for mackerel and lobster, and the women worked hard too, carrying loads of seaweed to the fields, and gathering turf for their fires. As the author put it,

Any man who had a good wife had a good workhorse. The man lucky enough to have such a wife was much envied. One fellow would remark to another: 'What a woman he got'."

The isolation and the sea posed many difficulties. For instance, if a woman was having difficulties in childbirth, they would send four of their strongest men to carry a nayvogue down to the water, row to the mainland, ride a horse to Dingle to fetch the doctor, and then all row back out to the island, no matter how treacherous the sea conditions. If the child was born OK during that period, the islanders would light a fire, so that the returning oarsmen would get the signal that they could slow down and ease up on the way back.

This book continues right up to the end, interviewing one of the very last people to pack up and leave the Blasket Islands, late 1953. He recalls the loneliness of closing the door the last time, knowing he'd not be back. He also acknowledges how much simpler things became after moving to the mainland. "I can go for a doctor or priest on my own, and not bother with anyone else."

This comes full circle as the book wraps up with an interview with the widow of Maurice O'Sullivan (Muiris O Suilleabhain). She paid one last visit to the island after Maurice died.

The place looked terrible, all the houses fallen down except a few at the top of the village, nothing to be seen, no welcome for anyone at a door or on a hill, or on a cliff, nothing but the seagulls. There's no doubt the seagulls have it to themselves at last."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Ireland trips for women include a visit to Great Blasket Island, and it's lovely. If you're planning a vacation in Ireland, this is a wonderful place to include, and these books will give you a much greater sense of the place.  Even if you never expect to step foot on the island yourself, they give a fascinating window onto this vanished life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Ireland - Killarney carriage ride
2. Ireland: Beehive huts of ancient monks
3. Ireland says NO to EU

Take a ride in an Irish jaunting car

When you go to Killarney, Ireland, be sure to go to the National Park. There are some very cool things there, including Ross Castle (absolutely fascinating, and deserves a post of its own), Inishfallen Island (ruins now, but a place for scholars and princes in its day), and fancy-schmancy Muckross House (which will make you think twice about inviting the Queen to visit). There's more too - it's a large and scenic park.

But whatever else you manage to fit in on your visit, do take the jaunting car back to town. As your horse clop, clop, clops through the park, and the driver tells stories and jokes, you get a different view of the place, and even a different sense of time.

It's so peaceful! Sure, you will see a few other cars jaunting out on the paths too, but it's a far cry from the busy traffic of Killarney town! The hustle and bustle and high-activity of the town are totally missing out here. Here, you just clop along, stopping now and then when a photo-op appears. When you return to the town center, it feels like your pleasant dream was interrupted by a buzzing alarm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This photo is from our Ireland tour for women this summer. The jaunting cars may seem touristy (and they are -- it's not like the locals commute this way!), but the ride really is worthwhile. And if you go, please let me know -- do ALL the drivers tell the "beech" joke?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Ireland: Forlorn lion of Ballyseedy
2. Ireland: Beehive huts of ancient monks
3. Ireland must do EU revote - says who?

And not any of the Adventurous Wenches on our trip, either. It was thousands of other people...

One morning on our recent Ireland tour, the morning news reported that thousands of people were getting naked outside, in nearby Cork. This was just a wee way from where our group was staying, and it was pretty dang cold outside right around sunrise!

All these volunteers were happily disrobing to take part in a big artistic "installation" by Spencer Tunick. This is his specialty -- arranging thousands of naked people in outdoor settings, and taking photographs. He's done it around the world, and Ireland was his latest.

Check it out here: http://www.spencertunick.com/

They don't have the results of this shoot, but they DO show some of his other work.

So... I've got to wonder, how does a person get into this line of work? Do you start by taking nude photos of your friends in the park? Perhaps a couple at first, then a foursome, working your way up to 30 people at a time? Or do you just start with a group scene right off the bat, perhaps picking up participants at a frat party??

However he does it, there was no shortage of willing volunteers, happy to get up close and personal with their fellow countrymen/women. I suppose sharing body heat would have been a good thing at that point!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was a morning on our recent women's tour of Ireland. Frankly, I was glad to be fully dressed that day, and not shivering outside! I can't see myself ever volunteering for one of those installations, but the odds would go up in the tropics!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Ireland: Forlorn lion of Ballyseedy
2. Ireland must do EU revote - says who?
3. Ireland says NO to EU

Now Sarkozy, the president of France, has said that Ireland should revote. Needless to say, this has caused a furor in Ireland. The leader of Sinn Fein called it "deeply insulting".

The vote was a big deal. The Lisbon Treaty is the successor to the failed EU Constitution, which was voted down by France and the Netherlands in 2005. Back to the drawing board, and they came up with a new version, called the Lisbon Treaty. This time, people in France and the Netherlands didn't get to vote -- their governments just approved it for them. This time, the only country that gave their citizens the right to vote on it was Ireland, and those citizens said no.

It's understandable that other EU leaders are frustrated that the Irish threw a monkey wrench into their plans. But for Sarkozy to say that Ireland has to vote again seems less than diplomatic.

The clear subtext is "You people got it wrong - keep doing it over until you get it right." That's going to go over well, isn't it?

And for NO voters who fear giving too much control to heavy-handed foreign leaders without their best interests at heart -- well, this gives them an example to point to.

A comment on the BNP blog summed up some people's feelings:

Perhaps we can also have a re-run of the French Presidential Elections as well - to get 'the right' result?"

AFP: Sarkozy call for second EU vote provokes storm in Ireland

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We were in Ireland for our annual women's tour to Ireland, and happened to be there during the referendum. The country was plastered with Yes and No signs, and it turned out the No's won. It will be interesting to watch what happens from here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Ireland says NO to EU
2. Ireland: Prime Minister resigns in corruption scandal
3. Ireland: Forlorn lion of Ballyseedy

Click for larger image

Our last night in Ireland, we stayed at Ballyseedy Castle. The grounds are beautiful, and the imposing entryway flanked by lions. Just as you'd expect from a castle!

Rather than looking ferocious, this lion looks a bit forlorn to me. It's like he's saying "everybody just walks right by, and nobody wants to play with me".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was the final stop on our annual Ireland women's tour. It's fun to stay in a castle with lions at the door, and suits of armor standing in the hallways!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Ireland - Killarney carriage ride
2. Ireland says NO to EU
3. Ireland must do EU revote - says who?

During the dark ages, when classical learning was forgotten across most of Europe, isolated Ireland remained a center of scribes and scholarship. It’s quite possible that Ireland’s role during this period saved much of ancient Greek and Roman science, philosophy and the arts from being lost forever. That story is in How the Irish Saved Civilization.

We took a small boat from Ross Castle (fascinating place) out onto the lake. The castle receded, we passed a flock of swans and a few smaller islands, then reached Innisfallen. Asking the boatman to leave us there long enough for picnic lunch & exploration, we stepped ashore.

The 1st monastery here was founded in the 6th or 7th century AD by St. Finian the Leper, and the island was occupied for 700 years. It was ideal for a contemplative monastic life. Eventually, Innisfallen became a major center of learning -- Europe’s first University in centuries. Princes were sent from all over Europe to study on this tiny island. This was the A-list school at the time!

Killarney National Parks: Aerial photo of the island

On this day, we ate our picnic lunch just outside the ruined walls of Inishfallen Abbey. It’s a beautiful and atmospheric place. Wandering through the ruins of buildings and cloisters, you can imagine monks scratching away at manuscripts day after day, and lads of privilege at their studies. No doubt there was a sense of excitement at the time -- everyone knew they were in a special place.

Many centuries later, it’s so quiet we had the island to ourselves.

Echoes still seem to linger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was part of our Ireland tour for women that just finished up. The Inishfallen visit made me wonder how different my own college years would have been if spent on a little island with monks. (-:

Related posts:

1. Ireland - Killarney carriage ride
2. Video: Skellig Michael, ancient monastery in ruins
3. Ireland: Forlorn lion of Ballyseedy

We walked by and through many rock-walled fields, scattering sheep as we went. As you walk, it's easy to see why both the rocks and the sheep make sense. The land is very marginal -- mostly rocks, with patches of moss and grass. Everything was built of stone, and rock fences and buildings were advantageous by-products of trying to clear the fields. Sheep can handle this territory, able to pick their way through steep rocky hillsides, eating wherever they find some green.

One of the fascinating sights along the way is a series of stone beehive huts. The huts are reminiscent of those at Skellig Michael. Evidence shows these probably had a different purpose, though.

Unlike the huts on the Skelligs, which were part of a long-lived monastic community, the huts here were used for people in transit. This would probably have been folks who were on a pilgrimage, perhaps to Skellig Michael or one of Ireland's other holy sites. If you were traveling to the Skelligs a thousand years ago, you might have had to hold up for a considerable period, waiting for weather and waves to moderate enough for a safe crossing to the island.

Several of these beehives were scattered along the way. While most of the huts were stand-alone, a few of them were combined into multi-unit structures -- for all the world, like ancient motels.

Most of the beehives have had their roofs removed now. Like the US, Ireland has become a litigious society, and ancient roofs could prove a liability. What a shame! These mortarless huts stood for centuries, and now we purposely chop them off -- destroying history for the sake of trespassers who might decide to climb on the roof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We're in Ireland now for our annual women's trip to Ireland. It's such a fascinating place, full of history and culture -- both ancient and modern. Imagine living here, with a 1,000-year old beehive "motel" in your back yard!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Ireland: Beehive huts of ancient monks
2. Video: Skellig Michael, ancient monastery in ruins
3. Ancient Anasazi motel maps?

"YES - Put Ireland at the heart of Europe."

"NO - Ireland can do better"

I quickly realized that this was more than just a minor election; Ireland was voting on whether to accept the Lisbon Treaty - the new version of the European Union (EU) constitution. The first day of our women's Ireland tour was the day the results were announced, and we discovered that Ireland said NO to Europe.

From what we've heard here, the No votes were largely a result of
... a) fears (fueled by the No backers), that a Yes could lead to anything from EU taxes to abortion to conscription into an EU army, and
... b) general protest vote of unhappiness with gas prices, food prices, immigration, and any other problems.

The treaty had to be ratified by all 27 member nations. Other countries approved it by government action without a referendum, but Ireland's constitution required voter approval. Their No vote is effectively a veto.

So what's the world's reaction? And what happens next?

• EU government leaders are shaking their heads in frustration, but many citizens of other countries are happy. They say they would have voted No too, but their governments didn't give them a chance to vote.
  Associated Press: Would-be voters support Irish veto of EU treaty
• Many of the treaty measures are likely to be passed "by stealth", via existing EU powers, bypassing the veto.
  Telegraph: EU Treaty likely to be imposed by stealth
• Some countries are considering splitting the EU into tiers: Those that want closer integration could form their own "club of the few", while countries like Ireland would be delegated to a lower tier of involvement.
  International Herald Tribune: Split emerges in EU after Irish rejection of Lisbon Treaty

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm in Ireland right now for our Ireland tour for women. We're having a great time, and all the political doings are adding a little extra excitement. I know we'll all be watching this more closely once we get home!

Related posts:

1. Ireland must do EU revote - says who?
2. Ireland: Prime Minister resigns in corruption scandal
3. Ireland: Forlorn lion of Ballyseedy

(If video doesn't play for you, see Skelligs video on YouTube)

Today, Skellig Michael is a World Heritage Site, and an amazing place, indeed. It's incredible to be here, high on top of the island, and try to fathom what it was like to live here, year round, in these little stone huts, on this steep rocky island. It was a beautiful day when we were there, but the monks didn't always have it so good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'll be heading back to Ireland in a few weeks for our next women's tour of Ireland. As long as the weather and sea conditions co-operate, we'll be sitting by one of these beehive huts soon, imagining the life of those hardy monks who built it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Ireland: Beehive huts of ancient monks
2. Ancient Irish motels?
3. Tuzigoot - Ancient Sinagua Ruins in Arizona

I'm setting myself up for a killer schedule on my Europe trip this summer. I've got a long red-eye on the way to London Gatwick, arriving there about 630am. Then a long layover in London. Then another red-eye on the train/boat combination getting to Ireland.

And I couldn't be happier about it!

This is the perfect opportunity to try out the Yotel at Gatwick. They've got mini-hotel rooms that you can book by the hour. Instead of curling up on a bench, artfully wrapped around your luggage, you get a small, secure private room -- Real bed! Desk with free wi-fi! SHOWER!

This is something I've been wishing more airports had. It looks so cute, I can hardly wait! I'll post a candid review with photos once I've been there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm heading to the Emerald Isle for our women's tour of Ireland this summer. Yes, there are easier ways to get there, but hey -- I get to take planes, trains, and boats, and try out a Yotel all on the same trip. Sounds like a travel adventure to me!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. One must have the adventurous daring
2. Motorway vs. archaeology, as EU sues Ireland
3. Video: Skellig Michael, ancient monastery in ruins