Leaving Ireland

The top two sports in Ireland are not Rugby and Soccer, but two Gaelic sports: Football and Hurling. Hurling is played with a funky stick and probably most closely resembles and mixture of field hockey and lacross. Gaelic football is a big running, kicking a goal sport, but a player carries the ball instead of moving it with his/her feet, and must dribble it every three paces. Both are amateur sports and wildly popular.

The national championship game was in Dublin on Sunday, with Dublin (who hasn't won in 16 years) facing the favorite Kerry for the cup. Dublin won by a point, and the Dubliners were celebrating until late in the night. One couldn't go anywhere on Sunday without hearing about the game. Pam and I watched a little in our hotel room, and I must admit I liked watching the game.

The football frenzy was enough to keep us from being very adventurous on our last night, so we had a picnic in our room, watched the game, and played pinochle. I was dead tired, and went to bed pretty early. This morning we left the hotel about 9, said goodbye in the elevator at the airport, and Pam was off to her flight to Atlanta, and I was off to Oslo.

It was really fun traveling with my sister, who made me coffee every morning and set up the fan for me the last two nights in our hotel. I hate being hot, and our hotel was too warm for me.

It's hard to say what will be the most lasting memories I will have from this trip; we saw so many beautiful things in such a short time that it will take some time to sort them in my mind. Certainly the Cliffs of Moher were astounding, but that little visit to that cave on the beach was pretty remarkable. The hillsides of heather, and the rocky terrain dotted with sheep will probably be the first thing I will think of when I think of Ireland, along with my beautiful sister and her cups of tea.

Pam and Molly Malone