After a pleasant supper at Colm's house, we set out with the tractor and wagon, and a couple of ladders, for a last minute sign erecting frenzy, just before the opening ceremony. Above, you can see some of the team, at the top of teetering ladders, trying to tie up the support ropes for the big banner over the road to Ballyholland.
On one side, we were lucky enough to have a good solid wooden pole, but the other side was attached to a lamp standard the diameter of a small flag pole. The task would have been easier, had the lamp standard been a little more solid, but it tended to sway back and forth with every movement. That, combined with cars passing within inches of the ladders, was not without some effect on the activity. It was fine at the bottom of the ladder, but when you were up at the top, you realized that even if you survived the electrocution or the fall, you would likely be run over by a truck.
When my turn came to ascend the swaying ladder, our Irish ground crew did what they could to provide comfort. Their conversation turned to the high cost of sending my body back home for burial, in the event of an accident. They all agreed that weight would be the critical factor, and the body would be too big to go parcel post. "Maybe not" said Colm, and then called up to me, "Brian, what are your thoughts on cremation?"
The first activity of the gathering was the welcoming night at Foresters' Hall. This corner of the hall looks crowded, but in fact, it was less so than in previous gatherings. The world-wide recession took its toll on attendance, and overseas youth attendance was noticeably down, in sharp contrast to previous gatherings. We had expected a much more pronounced decrease, so we were relieved to see how many actually made it over.
Colm's famous walking tour of Ballyholland has become a huge favourite with overseas visitors, over the past few gatherings. Here, Colm, wearing his "Wellies" and carrying a blue pointer, gets the crowd ready for its first steps off the pavement, and into the countryside.
This always happens. Visitors are overcome by the beauty of the Irish landscape, and someone pauses to take photos. Seconds later, cameras appear everywhere.
Our first obstacle. Here, the entire procession gets to cross a wall into a lower field, by ladder. Colm steadies one of the ladders, while a visitor descends. Standing closest, with his back to us, is Eddy McAteer of Ballyholland, who according to my wife, is "the most charming man in the world" (not yet in the Guinness Book of Records)!
The next stop was the ruins of a stone cottage at the side of a field. Ireland is littered with such ruins, dating back to the Great Famine, when millions of starving Irish walked away from their homes, never to return. Only the footing remains, but Colm was able to explain the lay-out of the cottage, and where the hearth, doors and rooms had been. Who had lived there was not known for sure, but it was vary likely a family of McAteers.
Our last adventure in the fields was a descent by ladder, into a "souterrain" which dates back to the time of Viking raids on Ireland, over a thousand years ago. The adventurous among us made the descent, and were able to explore the ancient structure, which involved crawling through a small patch of mud at one point.
The souterrain starts out as a small passage. As you can see, the passage is not arched, possibly because the familiar vaulted arch had not yet made its debut in Ireland. The passage is covered by flat cap stones. This may well be the oldest building many of us have ever been in.
At the end of the low passage is a small round room in which it is possible to stand up. Here some of our advenuurers examine the structure.
Nothing to it! Well worth a pair of muddy hands and knees, to visit such an ancient and mysterious place.
The procession emerged from the wilds at Colm's mother's farm, on Billy's Road. The ladies had a feast laid out for us that covered several tables. There was fruit juice and coffee, sausages and sandwiches, cookies, and everything you could think of to eat, including trifle. It's hard to describe how good trifle is after an afternoon of hiking through the countryside.
Later on in the week, we were bussed over to a restored Irish cottage in a picturesque little valley, surrounded by high hedges. There, some original Irish crafts are once again practised. The ladies arranged to cook up Irish soda bread over an open hearth fire. In the photo, you can see Mitch's camera at work near the entrance, while one of the visitors examines the stone work in front of the cottage. Cousin Mitch's photos, often in black and white, appear frequently at this web site.
Sunday morning - the ecuminical service at Mass Rock: a pipe band leads the clan up the hill to Mass Rock. Flags of countries represented by the visitors behind the pipes, followed by clan members.
Behind the pipes, pennants representing the various McAteer nick names.
(To be continued as more photos arrive)
Homepage; Top of page.of Erin for we are Freemen of Cine Mhac an tSaoir" |