A Land of Poets and Rebels
On Monday, we drove around the Twelve Ben mountains, the heart of the wild and rugged region of Connemara. We stopped in the National Park Welcome Centre and learned about the history, geography and politics of the region. Connemara served as muse to many of Ireland's grandest poets and literary figures; they often sought refuge amidst its brutal beauty and simple country life, drawing strength from this magical land of potcheen and banshee. It was also a hotbed of rebellion, sheltering many a Fenian insurgent needing to hide from the oppressive British colonizers.
We also visited the Dan O'Hara Heritage and History Musuem. O'Hara was a tenant farmer who made a hardscrabble living for his family, a wife and seven children, by toiling on his small tenancy of eight acres, raising potatoes and keeping sheep and chickens. In 1868, he was driven from his house when he added glass windows for the comfort of his family. The resulting "window tax" was exorbitant and too much for him to pay. He set out on the journey to America in a "coffin ship," so called because of the high rate of mortality among passengers. And, indeed, Dan's wife and four of his children died during the passage. When O'Hara reached New York, he gave his three remaining children over to foster care and tried to make a living selling matches. This was the only job he could secure; he spoke only Irish and his lack of English doomed his chances of success. He died within two years.
The walls of O'Hara's cottage remained intact for a hundred years and the Heritage Society reconstructed the remainder of the cottage with complete historical detail. You see a picture of the cottage above. It was quite an emotional and heartwarming experience for Mom. The cottage seemed to match her mother's description of her childhood home - the hearth, the sleeping loft for the children, the thatched roof, the outdoor toilet. It seemed to prompt an outpouring of fond memories.
We were fortunate to take the tour by ourselves and spent a long time asking our guide Jerry questions about the lives of people of that time. Our interest and curiosity were rewarded when Jerry reached into a hidden recess next to the fireplace and pulled out a bottle of potcheen - the potent potato whiskey that was only recently legalized in Ireland. Well, legalized at far fewer proof than the spirit proffered by our new-found friend. Those who imbibed swore to the smoothness of this 190 proof elixir. And, to finish the day, Candee actually found a four leaf clover!
By the way, if you like the pictures, you can click on them to get a full-size version. Enjoy.