I will be traveling the next couple of weeks in western Ireland with the Four Shillings tour. Rather than waiting till im done, I'm going to try doing a daily update. Who knows how this is going to go, but it's worth a try.
So the first issue to arise is that the app has opinions about how the photos should orient. When I have access to a computer, I will go back and tilt them correctly.
Current update Fri 30 May.
Wednesday to Friday Ennis for music
My first few days are in the town of Ennis. In recent history it very much parallels Hey On Wye. Declining population and growing poverty put the city at risk. They decided to become a town for music. So there is music everywhere. And most of it is free-ish.
F Festival is everywhere. Out door squares, schools, churches, and of course in the pubs. A few of the big names have a fee, but never very high. One can tip the musicians, or buy a CD. And in a pub, it is expected that one should buy a drink.
The old town area is charming, clean, safe. Not wheelchair friendly, but walking stick good. Watch for uneven pavement and the occasional missing paver.
The shops are an odd mix of high end clothing, shabby offices, pharmacies, book stores (dangerous places), bakeries, coffeehouse and pubs.
The Fergus River gives the main shape to the town, meandering thru town.
I get bored with too much random shopping, so I wandered into the residential neighborhoods
This is the old corn house. Near the mill on the river, grain was stored in fire resistant buildings. Called corn, but not maize, it is wheat, barley, and other grains. These have been converted to modern flats.
The museum was free, and had some nifty stuff, but it was designed in a time where dark was fashionable. Unfortunately it means you can't see the objects very well.
We are staying at Temple Gate Hotel. It is a comfortable slightly posh hotel built in an old convent. I am finding it an interesting blend of local flavor and a real focus on their guests having a good experience. My recent hotel stays have been about the appearance of elegance or luxury with no real effort at being about the guest's experience.
I am sitting in the "library " with overstuffed chairs and plush carpet. I could easily ask for tea to be brought out.
I am being forced to look at my feelings about the Catholic Church. It has been the major shaping force of Ireland. So much of what is here is expressed through that portal. The oldest buildings are churches and other church run concerns. The schools are mostly run by the catholics. Most of the political history is stated as Catholic or Anticatholic. It is a marker of oppression, both of being oppressed by the British, but also of evil being done to those not in positions of power within the church. The Magdalene laundries haunt me.
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