Cobn

On Thursday, we went to Trinity College and did a walking tour with a student named Rory who reminded me of a vampire. He did a great job. Of course, we also went and saw the Book of Kells. There were a lot of people pushing and shoving to get good looks of the works. Two of the four books were on display. Trinity College was built during the reign of my favorite English monarch, Elizabeth I. It was built to promote the Protestant faith in Catholic Ireland. For a while, it was (rich) Protestant males but eventually Catholics and then finally women were allowed in.

We then began walking and hit Grafton Street and St. Stephens Park. After that we went in search of Kilmainham Gaol (Jail). We happened upon Little Jerusalem and went to and Irish Jewish Museum. Some of the Jewish people came when they were expelled from Portugal and Spain during the times of Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon (the Inquisition). Others came during the Napoleon Wars.

We finally just took a cab to the Kilmainham Jail and did a tour. Another Rory gave us a tour. He reminded me of a short version of my current favorite actor Gerard Butler. The Jail has a painful history. The youngest male inmate was a 5-year-old boy who was put in jail for a month for not paying his bus fare. The youngest female was a 7-year-old girl put in jail for five months for stealing a cloak. Of course, a lot of leaders of the Irish independence movement were put in jail and executed here. The majority of people consider the leaders to be trouble starters but after their executions they become martyrs and the movement caught on fire. A sad part of the history is that during the potato famine people were desperate for food and would steal and be placed in jail. A jail built to house over a hundred people had ten times that amount and the jail was overcrowded but inmates were guaranteed one meal a day.

Yesterday, we headed off to Cobn, where we are now. I met a new friend last night who has displaced Michael in my affections. His name is Derek. We had made eye contact during the evening and he finally came over and chatted with us. I have a picture of us together. He is a cutie and could be a good import candidate. LOL. During our eye contacts, he began singing this song that goes I have a woman across town and I started cheezing. You'll know how I do!

Today we are probably just going to take it easy before heading off to Dingle tomorrow.

I've enjoyed talking with Candy and Pam and am getting great insights from them. They are two wonderful women who I am glad to get to know better.