Not far from the Doolough Valley, we came upon Croagh Patrick. This is the mountain where Saint Patrick was said to have driven the snakes out of Ireland. ‘Apparently’ he was so powerful there are also no fossilized remains of snakes either – you decide!
In the shadows of Croagh Patrick we came across a monument that had been crafted to remember those who left Ireland during the famine, searching for a better life. The way in which the artist crafted the people to look like skeletons was quite haunting and a reminder of those who did not survive the journey.
To offset our sombre moods, Gilliian told us a story of a famous Irish woman called Grainne Ni Mhaille (or Grace O’Malley in English). She was alive in the 1500’s and the daughter of a pirate. When she asked her father to join his band of pirates, her father said no because her beautiful hair would distract them from their task. To this, she chopped off her hair and her father could see no reason for her not to join.
So strange, never knew JFK would be so important in Ireland, interesting to have his pic next to a religious mural. With the polish against the Irish, it must have been hard to chat up anyone if a match was on. Learning to dance the Seize of Enis would be so much fun, sounds like a great time!