Céad Míle Fáilte: A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Sunday, June 21^st, 3:30 p.m. in Texas (4:30 in NYC, 9:30 in Cork)

The kids and I spent Saturday night at my parents’ so my dad could take me to the airport early on Sunday morning. My flight to LaGuardia in New York was scheduled for 7:05 a.m., so I told Dad I thought we could leave at 5:00 and be okay. Sunday morning that early? Should breeze right through.

Wrong.

I got there at 5:30 and walked upstairs to a sea of people. I checked in at a kiosk and then got in an excessively long line to check my bag. The line crept along and I watched other anxious people as they questioned the employees about making their flights. I caught on that many of us had 7 a.m. flights and were in the same boat, but I was still becoming more and more anxious as the time clicked closer to boarding time, and then past boarding time, as I stood waiting to check my bag. I could see the security line, and it didn’t look any better. When it was finally my turn, the agent told me my bag wouldn’t make the flight but he would put it on another flight at 7:30. He then printed my pass and told me that if I couldn’t make my flight, I would be on standby for the 7:30 flight. Then he said to hurry, and get to C16 and I might still make it. I got in the security line and overheard someone saying the security at C30 was shorter, so I jogged with my carry-ons to that line, which moved very quickly. I then RAN to my gate and handed them my pass, with about 15 minutes to spare before take-off. The gate agent told me that I needed to get an assigned seat, which surprised me because I had chosen a seat when I booked the flight. Still, I dutifully stood at the desk until she could help me, and when she did, she looked at my boarding pass again and said, “Oh, you’re not even on this flight. Your flight is at D39.” She then turned away and ignored me as I practically shouted, “WHAT?? How do I get there??” It was about that time that I believe I lost my driver’s license, which I had stowed in my pocket with my boarding passes and passport for easy access. I grabbed my things and began running to the Skylink to get to another terminal. I looked again at my pass and realized that the man at the ticket counter had apparently already put me on standby for the next flight! What a jerk! When I arrived, they told me that was the case and said I was about fourth on the list. That flight was to take off at 7:30. Luckily, either they had enough seats or my complaint about being on time for my original flight yet being sent to another terminal was effective, and I was soon issued a boarding pass. Whew!

The flight to LaGuardia was uneventful, and I collected my luggage and checked in with NYC Airporter, a shuttle service I was taking to JFK. Yep, my good ol’ handy dandy American Airlines miles afforded me the opportunity to CHANGE AIRPORTS in NEW YORK CITY… so there you have it. I waited quite a while for a shuttle and was finally crammed into one, and I enjoyed a conversation with Bob from Dallas for the duration of the ride. When I got to JFK it was virtually empty, and I easily checked my bag and went through security with plenty of time to spare. I exchanged dollars for euros at a currency exchange, then called my kids and talked to them via FaceTime. I grabbed some “New York pizza” (ha!) for lunch and now I’m waiting by the gate with an hour and a half to spare before take-off. I’m hoping the rest of my journey goes smoothly, since I still have to take a shuttle to the train station in Dublin and take a 2 ½ hour train ride down to Cork.

Tuesday, June 23^rd, 6:00 p.m. in Cork (Noon in Texas)

I’m waiting at the hotel apartment for Chris to get back from work (he’s putting out fires as usual), so I thought I’d catch up! 

Sunday evening I got on the plane to Dublin and was thrilled to be seated next to two native Dubliners who were returning home from Las Vegas. They gave me some tips, some of which I actually understood (accents! Whew!), and were very good seatmates. The flight was uneventful; I managed to get a few hours’ sleep and wake up in time to view Ireland as we flew over it. We flew past Dublin and out above the Irish Sea, turning around to come in from the east. 

Sunrise over the Irish Sea

It was a gorgeous first look at this beautiful country, as the sun was rising over the Irish Sea! We landed at about 7 a.m., having made good time after being delayed over an hour in New York for various reasons. I deplaned, sailed through customs, got my first stamp on this passport, and went outside to purchase a €6 ticket on the Dublin Bus that would take me to the Heuston train station. I had already purchased a ticket to Dublin online for €20, so the timing worked out well since I arrived about 15 minutes before the 9 a.m. train departed. The train ride was almost three hours, so after I realized that the scenery would be identical (verdant fields and plenty of cows) for the duration, I set my alarm and fell asleep. 

We arrived in Cork close to noon, and I followed the crowds out of the station, looking for a taxi all along. I went up this big ramp to the main street and saw no sign of a cab. I started to walk, hauling my luggage and thinking perhaps I could hail a cab. I probably ended up walking a mile, having no idea where I was, until a kind Irishwoman took pity on me and gave me some tips, including pointing out a line of taxis up ahead and telling me to go to the first one in line. She then asked if I was “on holiday” and continued to chat with me about my trip and my plans all the way to my cab. The cab driver was friendly and talkative as well, and when we arrived at the hotel, Chris had left a key for me at the desk so I made my way to the apartment, took a bath and changed into PJs, and took a four-hour nap! Chris and his coworker Scott arrived at around 6 p.m., and I was ready to get some dinner and see a bit of Cork!

The Kingsley hotel, where we stayed

We walked to a restaurant called The Liberty Grill where Chris had fish and chips and I had a buffalo burger (made from water buffalo, apparently?). After dinner, we took a long walk around the city centre, their designation for “downtown,” and I tried to orient myself. We headed back to the hotel and called my mom to speak to our kids, but Audrey was napping and Noah was swimming so we didn’t get to talk much.

FaceTime with Noah

Today I got up early to eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant with Chris, then headed out around 8:30 a.m. towards the city centre. I took some pictures while I waited for the tourism place to open so I could buy my ticket for the Hop-On/Hop-Off Cork City Tours bus.

The name "Cork" is from the Irish Corcach, meaning "marsh," since Cork is built on islands surrounded by the River Lee.

According to tradition, Saint Finbarre founded a monastery here in the seventh century. The cathedral in this picture is St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, named after him and built on site of the original monastery.

I then walked over to St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral to use the groupon I had purchased for a discounted admission. It is a beautiful Church of Ireland building in the French Gothic style, designed by William Burges, begun in 1864 and consecrated in 1870.

Even the stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments were designed by William Burges

The High Altar

View of the Nave and Gallery from the Chancel

The elaborate and colorful painting on the sanctuary ceiling was carried out between 1933 and 1935, to the designs of Burges.

The mosaic floor was made in Paris by craftsmen from Italy, using marble from the Pyrenees.
The theme is from Matthew: "The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind." The mosaics show all sorts of people within the net which has weights and cork floats.

Above the beautiful bronze door, inlaid with silver, is a carving of the Old Testament King David with his Irish harp. He is surrounded by carved foliage and four lions. This door was designed to lead to a small organ gallery which was never built.

The pulpit was completed in 1874 but not painted until 1935. It shows the four evangelists with their symbols, together with St. Paul sitting on an upturned pagan altar. The winged dragon beneath the reading stand symbolizes evil taking flight at the sound of the Word of God.

Suspended from the chain is this 24-pound shot found in the steeple of the old cathedral when it was demolished in 1864. The ball had been fired from nearby Elizabeth Fort during the siege of Cork in 1690. Elizabeth Fort was my next stop!

I then walked over to Elizabeth Fort, which was supposed to open its gates to the walls at 10 a.m. I was anxious to see the city from that high point, but I waited until almost 10:30 and no one showed up with a key.

On my walk back to the bus stop, I discovered a “Cork City Walk” that directs tourists with subtle markers by some of the significant locales of the area. I walked by the Red Abbey and the South Chapel, where I viewed a sculpture of “the dead Christ.” 

This tower is all that remains of a 13th-century Augustinian abbey known as Red Abbey. It is the oldest remaining structure in Cork.

   

After a few more sights, I got on the 11:00 bus to take me to St. Anne’s Church, home of the famous Bells of Shandon and the Four-Faced Liar, a tall clock tower. 

St. Anne's was built in 1722, and the bells were cast in 1750. They still bear their original inscriptions.
The fish-shaped weather vane is over four meters long and painted in gold leaf. It symbolizes the important salmon fishing industry as well as being the early Christian symbol for the name of the Lord.

The clock was built in 1847 and given the name "the four-faced liar" by local wits who noticed that the four clocks were not always in agreement. This was the first four-faced clock, preceding even Big Ben.

I paid my money to climb the ancient, narrow steps to the top of the tower, past the bells themselves (and their resident pigeons) to the top of the tower for some spectacular views of Cork.

I also rang the bells of Shandon, playing a part of “Frere Jacques” and, later, part of “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”

The Bells of Shandon

(written by Francis Sylvester Mahony, “Fr. Prout,” 1804-1866)

With deep affection and recollection

I oft times think of those Shandon bells

Whose sound so wild would In days of childhood

Fling round my cradle their magic spells,

On this I ponder, where'er I wander,

And thus grow fonder sweet Cork of thee

While thy bells of Shandon sound far more grand on

The pleasant waters of the river Lee.

I've heard bells chiming, full many a chime in,

Tolling sublime in cathedral shrine.

While at a glib rate brass tongues would vibrate.

But all their music spoke naught like thine.

For mem'ry dwelling on each proud swelling

Of thy belfry, knelling its bold notes free,

Made the bells of Shandon sound far more grand on

The pleasant waters of the river Lee.

I've heard bells tolling "Old Adrian's Mole" in,

Their thunders rolling from the Vatican,

With cymbals glorious, swinging uproarious,

In the gorgeous turrets of Notre Dame;

But thy sounds are sweeter than the dome of Peter

Flings o'er the Tiber, pealing solemnly -

Oh! the bells of Shandon sound far more grand on

The pleasant waters of the river Lee.

There's a bell in Moscow, while on tower And kiosk O!

In St. Sophia the Turkman gets,

And loud in air calls men to prayer,

From the tap'ring summit of tall minarets;

Such empty phantom I freely grant them,

But there's an emblem more dear to me-

'Tis the bells of Shandon that sound so grand on

The pleasant waters of the river Lee.

These statues, popularly known as "Bob" and "Joan," once stood over the gateway to the Green Coat Hospital School nearby. They date back to the school's opening in 1716!

After I left St. Anne’s Church, I was waiting for the bus near The Firkin Crane and the former Cork Butter Exchange when a group of ladies asked me to take their picture. 

The Firkin Crane was opened in 1855 to meet the needs of the nearby Butter Exchange. "Firkin" is a Danish word meaning "quarter barrel," and the tarred firkins were weighed on a balance known as a "crane." 

A butter market began in the Shandon area of Cork in 1730, initially as an outdoor market. By the 1880s, the Cork Butter Exchange was regarded as the most important provider of butter in Britain and Ireland.

They then asked where I was from, and when I said Texas, they reacted with excitement—turns out they were from Houston! We chatted a little and got on the bus together. We all alighted at the same stop later—the Cork City Gaol (Jail). 

Cork City Gaol from the street

Cork City Gaol opened in 1824 and closed in 1923

Up until 1878, prisoners were totally segregated, but changes in legislation in 1878 made the Cork City Gaol into an all-women Gaol. From 1878, this section of the prison was almost unused until the 1920s when Republican prisoners were put in here. They were often crammed in with five to a cell. This is original graffiti left by some of these prisoners, which included Frank O'Connor, a well-known short story writer.

Prisoners were made to walk in single file around this designated circle so that there would be no talking between them. This rule derived from a penal philosophy known as the "Separate System," in which prisoners were made to behave like Trappist monks who had taken a vow of silence. Many of them went mad.

One punishment method

I enjoyed the self-guided tour of the historic jail and caught the bus again after I had my fill. I disembarked and decided to take the scenic walk along the river back to my hotel and after dropping off some things and seeing that Chris still wasn’t back, I took a short walk behind the hotel to snap some pictures of the former lunatic asylum and some of the other interesting buildings.

Holy Trinity Church and Friary, opened in 1850

The former lunatic asylum, being converted into apartments

 Later that evening, when Chris returned, we walked back to the city centre to a place my guide book recommended, the Strasbourg Goose. Chris ordered some kind of duck entrée and I had the salmon, and the food was fabulous. Chris was nervous because he noticed people paying cash and we unfortunately weren’t carrying much in euros. It all worked out, though, and we didn’t have to wash dishes to pay for our meal or anything. We walked around a bit, enjoying the nice weather, and ended up at a little internet café place for dessert and coffee. 

We meandered back to the hotel and talked to the kids, then went to bed--I was quite ready after such a day!

Link to the entire album from Ireland