27 Jun 2024, Thursday

 27 Jun 2024, Thursday

Prioritized Daily Task

check out and visit Clonmacnoise Monestary ruins-9-6:30

Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge

ref# 173957-1 hour

Travel to Galway (City of the Tribes),-one hour from Clonmacnoise

Walking tour of city-drive to Salthill and walk the longest Ireland beach

See a show Trad on the Prom-dance and music

Stay at VRBO  The Crescent “Silver Acres” apartment, Galway, County Galway. Check in 12:00-check out 10:30

I got up about 7 am; Debbie and I had prayer, showered and got ready for a nice Irish breakfast Joe cooked.  We did not meet Jackie.  He said they were not married and called her his partner.  She works at a clinic or hospital and Joe runs the B&B. We stopped at Clonmacnoise Monastery, Shannonbridge Co Offaly, Ireland founded in the 1600s by St. Clairm.  It is cold and raining today.  We drove to Galway and found our apartment we will be staying for 3 nights and 4 days.  It is raining and wet and cold.  The GPS did not get much of a signal and could not keep up with us driving.  I finally stopped a Petro station that was in the vicinity.  The lady who worked at the station knew the area and told us we were only a block away.  There is parking on the street and lots of apartments.  We could not read the street signs or house numbers.  I found a parking spot and paralled parked what was backward for me being on the right side of the car and parking on the left side of the street.  I paid for parking and we found the apartment.  We went out the back door and around the building to a narrow ally that led to the street and when I had parked the car.  "Not a coincidence! The Lord hears our prayers and has certainly blessed us in so many ways."   I parked the rental car in our backyard.  Later we walked to Mortons Grocery Store of Galway a half mile down and half mile back carrying groceries for a few days.  Debbie fixed dinner and we watched part of a movie before we walked about a mile or two to the Leisureland Theatre and saw the Trad on the Prom production.  We walked one and a quarter miles and arrived at 8:15 pm. The performance started at 8:30 pm and was over at 10:30 pm.  I thought the River Dance group we saw in Dublin was incredible.  They seemed to be dancing in the air but the group tonight was not as large but exceeded the River Dance group in talent.  Sylvia Caroll held the World Championship title in 2022.   Claire Greaney was crowned World Champion an incredible SIX TIMES – making her one of the best, if not the best female Irish dancer in the world. Gerard Fahy is recognized as one of the most accomplished musicians and highly talented composers of contemporary Irish Traditional music. Gerard is the composer and musical director of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, Dangerous Game. His compositions have also been recorded by a wealth of famous artists, including the world-famous Boston Pops Orchestra. Cathal Keaney is Lead Dancer in Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and is a member of the famous Hession School of Irish Dancing in Galway. Cathal started dancing at age five, with his older brother Fergal, and quickly began winning competitions – earning the titles of unbeaten Connaught Champion, an All-Ireland Champion, and World Champion.   There were others and guests equally talented.   The dancing, singing, and Irish bagpipe or the uilleann pipes sometimes called Irish bagpipes, are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes".   The dancers were full of life, light on their feet tap-dancing on the floor to the beat of the music.  Next, they were in the air still dancing as if they were on the floor.   After the show, we walked back to our apartment.  The wind was not blowing as hard coming back as it was going but we did get a little cold drizzle.  Debbie and I had tried to get the deed for the sale of her mother's home signed and notarized but Debbie could not get a picture of her passport to go through.  We got ready for bed and had prayer together.  We got to bed before 1:00 am.                                               

                                                                                

         Pope John Paul II visited  Clonmacnoise Shannonbridge Co Offaly, on 30 September 1979                                                                                                           

(Me) Grandpa MxAlpin at the base of the Clonmacnoise tower pointing up at the entrance.  The tower served as a watchout.  If danger was seen approaching a bell in the top of the tower was rung.  A ladder or rope allowed entrance.  When everyone was in the tower the ladder or rope was pulled up and the door shut.  

                 

                                                

                                         Trad on the Prom-dance and music group