I want to start out this week by talking about something that has really been on my mind lately. During my stay in Ireland I have met people from all over the United States and the world. Before coming here I had some serious stereotypes about the people that come from certain countries and even some states. At first I was not sure how I would get along with these people, but I have come to understand their kindness, generosity, and warmth. They proved to me that stereotyping is never a good idea, and it can keep you from getting to know the true people underneath them. I wanted to pass on this wisdom to anyone reading this. Never assume things about a person based on where they come from or what they look like. Give them a chance and in time they could become one of your closest friends.
The beginning of my week was not too exciting or new, but the end of the week certainly was. Thursday night I crashed the boy's night at my house and headed to the City Centre to enjoy some of the night life with the five of them. It was two of my male roommates and three of our friends that ended up going. We went to a bar that had some live music playing at it. Derek (one of my friends that is from Texas) taught me how they dance in the South and I had a blast twirling and gliding around with him. Later in the night he also taught me a bit of salsa. We stayed out a bit later than we should have and were caught in a cold rain when we did end up leaving, which may account for my slight illness the following day.Friday morning I met with Marion and Emilie (both are from France) to grab lunch and spend some time together catching up. We went to the campus restaurant Eden, which was pretty nice, but was a lot like a cafeteria. After lunch and my class for the day I felt pretty ill, so I headed back to my room to try to get some needed rest. I was worried that I would not be able to go on the trip the following day if I still felt sick, but later that night I felt much better and the next morning I felt well enough to go.
I realized on Friday that the trip I assumed was going to Tipperary was actually one going to Kilkenny. Emilie was also going on the trip, and informed me of my error when I met with her on Friday. I was a bit embarrassed, but I honestly was happy to be going anywhere in Ireland again at a price that I could afford. Saturday I prepared myself and embarked on my journey with the International Society to Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel. The first stop on our trip was at Athassel Priory. However, the surrounding area was badly flooded, and the area actually leading up to the priory was underwater so we could not go into it. We still managed to snap a few photos though, so that was good. My second picture above shows all of the flooding and on the left side of the picture is the flooded footpath. This flooding was due to all of the rain that we have been getting the past few days, and the ground was also quite muddy in several spots. After a short amount of time here we headed on to the next stop.
The Rock of Cashel was our second stop of the day. We had a guided tour of the grounds, which was great because our guide was a local woman with a refreshing sense of humor. She led us around the parts of the grounds that we could go on, and mentioned the renovation sections that were off limits at the time but what they were doing with them currently. My favorite parts of the tour were St. Patrick's cross, the cathedral, and the round tower. The St. Patrick's cross that was outside was a replica, but in a separate area that the public could still enter was the real deal. The tour guide said that there are a few superstitions for luck that involve the cross. If an individual is able to wrap their arms around the cross (either by sheer luck or by having freakishly long arms) then they would never suffer from tooth aches again. The other myth was that if you hopped on one foot clockwise around the base of the cross three times then you would be married within the year. The tour guide quickly added that it was all a load of rubbish. Inside the cathedral part she mentioned a darker part of the history of the Rock of Cashel. She said there was a time when over a thousand people who sought refuge there were killed by soldiers, including thirteen priests who were beheaded.
Right across a giant field was the ruins of Hore Abbey. After a bit of a trek and some wall hopping we managed to enter the ground. Do not worry, the public is allowed inside the ruins. We were simply taking some shortcuts. On the way back there was no hopping required. My favorite part of the ruins was the graveyard in the back, because it had a beautiful tree behind the tombstones and long grass covering the graves. It just looked gorgeous, and to the left you could see the Rock of Cashel. Our next stop was none other than Kilkenny itself!
Our first stop in Kilkenny was the Castle there. to enter the castle requires an entrance fee, but the grounds have been turned into a public park, and those are free to walk. The trees still had some orange leaves on them, so the walk around the grounds was gorgeous.We were allowed to wander the city as long as we got back to the bus by a certain time, so Emilie, another girl, and I decided to see some of the attractions of the city. Many of these places are buildings and cathedrals, so maybe it is better to call them landmarks. Anyways, the first place we went was to St. Mary's Cathedral. I am pretty sure that there is a cathedral in every town with this name by the way. We next began to wander around looking for the well known St. Canice's Cathedral and Black Abbey. We found St. Canice's Cathedral first, but it was too late in the day to enter the building. They offered the chance to go into the round tower to the right of the main building, which would have been a great experience. We finally found Black Abbey as it began downpouring, so the three of us took shelter inside. As usual the inside of the building was gorgeous and had exquisite stained glass windows. We made our time there brief in order to not disturb the people there, and made our way to the city centre in search of food.
Due to the continuous rain and my limited funds I tried to find a place as quick as possible that was obviously cheap, which lead us straight into an American/Italian style restaurant called "Uncle Sam's." I kid you not. It had the logo and everything. I had to laugh a bit at the irony of choosing an American style restaurant when I am studying in a foreign country, but honestly it did not even cross my mind. The only thing I had cared about at that moment was a dry, warm place that served cheap food. After our meal we wandered the shops a bit before heading back to the buses and finally heading on our way home.
Fun Facts:#1: Guinness was actually invented in Cashel, but the founder moved to Dublin and set up the brewery there. (Tour guide fact. She then made the joke of why she has to live in a small town while Dublin is now a city.)
#2: Dogs are very obedient here, and are often found wandering along without a leash but always obediently following their owners.
#3: The pronunciation of names here can be very strange. An example is a pale ale with the name "Smithwick's." A majority of people are inclined to pronounce it as it looks, but the correct pronunciation sounds like "Smiddick's". The brewery is located in Kilkenny, so this fact is extra relevant this week.
#4: There is a mass grave at the Rock of Cashel for victims of plague. It is located under the remains of a giant cross that was struck by lightning.
