Beer, Harmony and Shamrocks, too!: The start of a busy day

Monday, September 28, started out as a sunny, but chilly, morning. We were all up early and we all indulged in a hearty breakfast before hitting the road for our first performance. Costumes ready, make-up on, and voices warmed up – we boarded the bus to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney.

St. Mary's Cathedral, Killarney, Co. Kerry

Just a quick aside here- If we keep eating like this, we are all going to up our weight by the end of the trip. It won’t matter how much we’ve walked… and we’ve done lots of that too. All the beer we’ve consumed doesn’t count, because it tastes so much better over here.
Now, what was I saying? Oh, about the Cathedral. That event was a minor glitch in an otherwise smooth flow of activities. We arrived at the Cathedral to find it locked tight. We waited around about twenty minutes. Those of us with cameras – like, all of us – walked around and took pictures of the fantastic exterior of the building. The Gothic angles and gargoyles on the façade took us all back to a time before our own country’s history. Many also took pictures of the redwood tree in the front of the Cathedral. The tree stands as a memorial over a mass grave of children who were lost during the great famine of the 1800’s.

Exterior of St. Mary's with the tree memorial

So, we sort of sang at St. Mary’s. We all walked around the outside, grouped together and warmed up on the side steps and then sang a few songs for our video camera. This was when we met our “buddies”, or “flat” chorus members. Patti brought pictures of all those members – including the newbies- who weren’t able to join us. We held their pictures and posed for a “group shot”.

Chesapeake Harmony Chorus and friends

Back on the bus after that, and we began our trip on the Ring of Kerry. This ring is a road route that circles the coastal towns of County Kerry

Moriarity's Store

We interrupt this portion of the trip to bring you a quick stop at Moriarity’s, a family-owned shop along the ring route. Here we had a chance to stretch our legs and do some shopping. Many of us found gifts for family and friends. We all got a chance to try out our Horizon cards for tax free shopping. Some of us even took the great faith experience – shipping stuff home. We’ll have to check with Anne about how her shipment arrived. But what a chance to check out local artisan items from woolens to craft items!

The history behind Moriarity's

On the grounds at Moriarity's

Bridge over to the store area

Back to the Ring of Kerry… the sightseer’s dream. Our driver and tour guide, Murt O’Shea, took us on some of the most beautiful roads ever seen by humankind. The views from a rolling bus took a body’s breath away. We would occasionally stop for picture sessions. We met plenty of very interesting local merchants too. Murt was fantastic educating us all on the local history of the various towns along the way. We also got a healthy dose of Ireland’s culture from Murt’s many jokes and stories. Some of the sayings coming out of his mouth… I swear, I heard my grandparents speak those same words when I was a child.

Dog hitching a ride along side the road

Along one roadside stop...

Nearer to the coast of the Ring of Kerry

Wonderful ocean views

Catholic church in honor of Daniel O'Connell

We took a lengthy “off the bus” break in Waterville, where Charlie Chaplin liked to go on holiday. We all used the public rest rooms near the center of town. That thought is not an “oookey” one over here. Everything is so clean – the streets, sidewalks and public facilities are all kept clean and tidy. There are still loads of flowers still in bloom. Houses and businesses have hanging baskets and window boxes full of posies that add an indescribable charm to each town we drove through. Our driver said that this was all part of a national beautification contest among towns and counties. There is an immense pride in the presentation of each town or village. Citizens take this presentation seriously.