Indolence

I'm trying to figure out why I've been so remiss in posting on the blog this year.

Certainly some of it is the cheap and expedient availability of posting a photo and brief comments on Instagram, which automatically posts to Facebook.  It has been an effective vehicle, I am sure, to generate the green monster amongst those of you who like to eat and those of you who love to golf.

And I guess to some degree it's been laziness.  Perhaps it's a lack of new insight, worth sharing, about what we're up to.  And, of course, we've not gone outside our usual daytrips to explore new territory as of yet.  Or maybe just my long post about "The Obsessions" wore me out.

It has been a comforting and restorative visit nonetheless.  We've actually followed through on our threat of many years' time and gone out to look at the modest properties that we might have a chance of securing to allow for a more extended visit here in the not-so-distant future.  We love the cottage that we've rented these last four years (and especially our gracious landladies), but extending our visit from our 8/9 week stay to a longer stay of 4 months or so would probably be financially challenging in a rental property.  We have looked at four apartments in the town center - 2 - 2/1's and 2 - 1/1's that would most likely be within the budget, and have actually put in bids on two.  We shall see.  We believe that any of these properties would yield a modest but significant Airbnb income when we're not here, which, of course, would help the financial equation. Westport is a coveted stay-cation spot for folks in Ireland - as I've written many times before, each weekend has something going on to draw people to the town.  And an in-town property allows people to pub-crawl, enjoy the music, and walk home - avoiding the worry of the very strict "drink-driving" laws in effect.  We have local friends who would manage the key and arrange for the unit to be cleaned after each use.  It looks workable.  I am timid; Candee is brave about such things.  Thank goodness her optimism will offset my natural pessimism about novel and worrisome situations...  An actual quote from my sometime spirit animal - Eeyore -  “Sure is a cheerful color. Guess I’ll have to get used to it.”  😛

We do have some new things to look forward to, however.  Our friend Carol has been visiting and has expressed an interest in touring a bit.  We'll head out Friday to drive through Co. Sligo and Co. Donegal, and then into the "occupied territories" - Northern Ireland, the northeast corner of the island still under British rule.  We'll visit the city of Derry, the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, and Belfast.  We'll tour the Titanic Museum (universally well-reviewed) and, while in Donegal, Glenveagh Castle.

As I'm sure you're aware, both Derry and Belfast were the scenes of much violence during the Troubles.  We plan to take guided tours of the areas of significance in these cities to better intuit the emotional impact of the struggles between the Irish Catholic republicans and the Protestants loyal to the Crown.  Unfortunately, the pressures of Brexit have renewed some of these animosities and it is feared that the construction of a "hard border" between the Republic and North Ireland might re-ignite the anger of a segment of Irishmen who believe that Britain should rightfully cede the conquered counties back to the Republic.  And, in fact, a young reporter was mistakenly shot and killed in Derry during a protest a month back by members of the "New IRA" who resented the presence of "Crown forces" in the city.

Our local "pp" or parish priest - the term for the pastor at Irish Catholic churches - Fr Charlie McDonnell is an outstanding man.  I'd gauge him to be in his late forties, a true man of the people.  A passionate sportsfan, an unapologetic Mayo partisan, a frequenter of local pubs, a guttural growl with an Irish brogue attached, a comfortable sense of bonhomie, an oh-so-Irish way with self-deprecation. You would see him hauling himself up and down the town several times a day.  It seems to be his way of being visible and available to his congregation.  After all, although mass attendance is down substantially throughout Ireland, the vast majority of people would identify themselves as Catholic.

He always has a homily of significance - short, to the point, and extremely germane to the challenges of modern life.  Always insightful.  Never preachy.  Never scolding or judgmental.  Always encouraging and kind.  An exhortation to be compassionate, thoughtful and, most importantly, generous in forgiving ourselves for our failings.  Charlie, as he would be universally known, is challenged frequently - the incidence of young people committing suicide here can sometimes seem epidemic.  Charlie seems to feel each of these terrible occurrences in a deeply personal way.  He is quite active on social media, and many of his posts address this issue in a direct and awareness-building way.  He asks people to reach out, to be alert, to be their brother's keeper.

A recent post of his was quite sad.  For a very different reason.  He related the story of a friend and fellow seminarian at Maynooth - the seminary for the best and brightest in Ireland.  The friend, who had always been circumspect about sharing his experiences growing up under the terror and bigotry of Northern Ireland (directed from Protestants to the minority Catholic population), became animated and expansive upon the signing of the Good Friday agreement in 1998 - a first and important step in stopping the violence and discrimination.  His joy and hope was infectious.

Charlie related that it was this very priest, his old friend, who gave the reporter her last rites.

Sadly, the young perpetrators were not even alive before the Good Friday agreement was negotiated and signed during the Clinton administration.  They never knew life under the violence and terror of the Troubles.  Old hatreds are shared and nurtured and savored and die a long and lingering death...

I hope to post while we're on the road and give you a sense of our experiences - certainly the food we eat...  😊

I'll leave you with few pictures from today's drive out to Achill Island, north and west of Westport.  Out to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean...

Achill's Coast Road. Click on any of the pictures for a larger version

One of Grace O'Malley's lookouts, from the late 1500s

Keel Beach, a popular surfing spot

Killer super tart mixed berry crumble with warm custard sauce from the Beehive

Actually, from the other day's drive through the Sheeffry Valley

Coast Road, Clare Island is in the distance