Registered User
Feb 6th, Levitstown, Kilkea & the Rainbow

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After taking a few pictures (once again, not enough!) we were back in the cab to the Levitstown cemetary where my great-grandmother & great uncles are buried. What and adorable little church!! The church of St Laurence O’Toole (confused me for a sec- Laurence of Arabia + Peter O’Toole?) with headstones worn away- we knew what area my kin was supposed to be at, so we went over in the general spot. Sunshine so bright it was almost angelic, wind whisking around us, and that green smell!! One grave was sunken in from age, and just covered completely with snowdrops (the flower). Joes’ kin was buried there also, so he had gotten out to pay respects too. It made it nicer to share it with him.
Back in the cab, and off to try and find my moms’ childhood friend. There are maybe 6 houses in the main of Kilkea, the two roads shaped like the head of an arrow. We went down the one side of the arrow and found the house that Johnny Brian was to have lived in the last my mother heard. Under normal circumstances (i.e. back in the US) I would have never just banged on some strangers door looking for someone, but in Ireland, it just seems right. A head poked out from a window by the door of a woman in her 50’s- I asked for Johnny Brian- she looked a little confused, poked her head back in, and our popped a old mans head. I explained who I was, and since they were talking to me thru the window, I figured that they didn’t want company, so I just said that my mother would be happy that he was well, and that she sent her love.
Got back in the cab, and as we were turning around, out comes Mr Brian- clasping my hand and looking pleased as punch he invited us in for a cup of tea. It was a lovely visit, the man was charming and cuter than a bug implying that he always had an “eye” for my mother. LOL His wife was in the first stages of dementia, but was sweet also. She kept on forgetting that she had already given Jeff a muffin, so he ended up eating about 6- she kept on insisting he try one! The other lady was the neighbor who kept an eye on them, AND her house and the house my mother were born in are now B&B’s!!
After about a half hour, Jeff & I made our goodbyes and went to sit out by the road to wait for Joe. Most of the times I really enjoyed were just “being” in Ireland. It didn’t have to be anything special, just feeling it. There was a dog who came and sat with us while we waited for the cab- he just came up and sat til we petted and scratched him, then when he was done with us, off he went. I saw quite a few loose dogs in the country, but it was different than the US, it seemed like people kept an eye out for them, even giving them the right of way at times.
After Joe got us, we went back to Athy and had coffee, then off to the train station. Our first “mist” was falling, but it was totally inconsequential. As we pulled away from Athy, there was the widest, most splendid rainbow! I’ve seen the puny US cousins, but this one was the real thing. I guess they lose something in the exporting, eh?

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1224
(3/3/03 7:18 pm)

Wonderful!

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Paddy,

What a wonderful naration. Yes, there is a "green smell" in Ireland that I only smelled once before outside Ireland when driving through the countryside in North Georgia. Must be some kind of plant. It's lovely that you got to pay your respects to your ancestors and that you could meet some locals that remembered your mother. And an Irish rainbow to top it off!

Michele

DRobert831
Registered User
Posts: 17
(3/13/03 9:40 am)

Dogs of Ireland

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Thanks for reminding me about the dogs of Ireland. I swear that they were one of our favorite parts of our trip there last spring! We were on a coach tour, stopping at a Famine memorial roadside when the guide warned us about the dog that lived up the hill from the memorial. He said the dog would come barrelling down at us when we pulled into the parking area, and assured us not to be alarmed. Sure enough, as if on cue, the dog came at us from up the hill. My son and another young person on the tour spent our short time there throwing rocks for this lovely dog who retrieved them over and over again. As we boarded the coach to leave, he took his leave and sauntered back up the hill to his lovely home, waiting for the next group of tourists to amuse him.Has anyone else met the Irish Rock Retriever? Sorry I can't remember where we ran into him.