The Kellys Go to Ireland: View All Impressions

Day 1

Arriving in Shannon - Reagan

We left Logan at 7pm and arrived in Shannon at 6am the next day, and by the time we'd collected our luggage and met the driver it was 7:30. The sun had been up for over an hour by that point, and it seemed like mid morning, but literally nothing was open yet. Our first stop was the Cliffs of Moher, and at 8:30 we were the only tourists there - even O'Brien's keep, a tower on the cliffs, wasn't open. The cliffs, though, are always open, and a little fog meant we could just make out Inismore, the largest of the Aran islands. The rest of the day was a drive through Connemara, with a stop by Galway Bay to marvel at locals going into the 45 degree water. By the time we reached Roundstone, where we were staying for the night, we'd been up for more than 30 hours and were just about the sorriest group you'd ever seen. A shower and bed was the only prescription for it, and so we ended our first day in Ireland.

Kylemore Abbey - Mike

It was late in the day when we finally arrived at Kylemore Abbey. The abbey sits on the side of a lake in Connemara. Today it houses a Benedictine Girls' School. It was originally built as a mansion and later given to the Benedictines.

The grounds are absolutely beautiful. I have visited there three times. The inside tour is not all that much, but the scenery and the majesty are worth the stop.

There is also a nice gift shop there. One thing about traveling in Ireland is that you are never far from gift shops!

St. Brigid's Well - Shayla

We made a quick stop here after the bus driver suggested it. We went into the little shelter to see what other visitors have left behind. Most of the things left behind were prayer cards for the deceased. The bus driver then suggested that we light some candles for Pappy. Some of the kids lit a candle and put it on a rack. Uncle Mike then said a short prayer for us. Then it was back to the bus to continue our journey. This was a very special stop because we got to take into consideration the reason we were all there. We were there to do something Pap would have wanted us to do

Kylemore Abbey - Shayla

The scenery around the abbey was beautiful. The abbey its self was amazing, although we only saw the outside. It reminded me of Hogwarts from Harry Potter. If you looked up on the hillside behind the abbey pretty far up there was a statue of Jesus. The statue, although not very visible was beautiful. This was a really cool stop for us.

Day 2

Up the West Coast - Reagan

The hotel's lack of working wake up calls left us scrambling, but we were off on our way to Knock to see the shrine. After a Mass where Mike assisted on the altar and a quick lunch were on to Sligo and Yeats' grave. Seeing his grave isn't that exciting, but the scenery is beautiful and the churchyard is old and mossy - just what you'd expect. Ben Bulben, the "table top mountain" rises on the horizon, and it's easy to see why it inspired Yeats. Donegal town is where we spent the night, and after dinner we went to listen to a surprisingly good Irish musician.

Knock - Mike

The small town of Knock became famous with the apparition of Mary on August 21, 1879. This was witnessed by fifteen people, all who reported the same thing. Some say it was a miracle; others say it was a bunch of drunks. Seriously, it was an honor to assist at Mass at the shrine. I had the opportunity to do that in 2001 and this time my family got to witness it as well. The Mass was year end Mass for a Girls' school. Fr. Mark was gracious enough to allow me to participate. I wonder if my accent made it hard for them to understand the Gospel I read?

Day 3

Giant's Causeway - Reagan

We took a trip out of our way today to visit the Giant's Causeway in County Antrim in the north of Ireland. Although the bus ride there and back was tough, the causeway itself is one of the most breathtaking things I've ever seen. The hexagonal basalt columns look different than almost any other rick I've ever seen. They stretch way out into the ocean, almost like a pier, pointing towards Scotland.

They told us the fairy tales of how these were formed: how 60 million years ago lava cooled into these pillars, but we know the truth. The giant Finn MacCool built a causeway to Scotland to challenge the Sottish giant Ben an-Donner. When Finn saw how big he was, though, he fled back to Ireland. Ben an-Donner came looking for him, so his wife, Oonagh, dressed him as a baby. When Ben an-Donner saw the size of the baby, he feared the father, who must be so much bigger, so he ran to Scotland, tearing up the causeway as he went to prevent Finn from following.

Teaching - Mike

The first picture on this page is me teaching the others, particularly the younger ones, about the history and culture of Ireland. I figured that this trip would be more beneficial if they had a background knowledge of the sights they were seeing. We talked about the history of Ireland from the misty legends of the Tuatha de Dannan through the Christianization of Ireland and the struggles with British Imperialism and plantation up to the war that finally brought independence to most of Ireland. Each day we would move through the spectrum of history. On certain occasions, like today, I would skip ahead to talk about a more pertinent topic. Today was of course Northern Ireland and how it came to be up and the troubled times that followed through the Good Friday Peace Agreement and the power sharing government of Stormont. I hope my efforts helped them to understand the country and the situation better.

Day 4

Dublin - Jamie

Dublin is a city -- a real city, polyglot, bustling and dirty. It's also big, too big to even consider walking in a day, despite what James Joyce might have you think in Ulysses.

But it's beautiful. Phoenix Park is comparable to Central Park in New York, and is lushly green. Kilmainham Gaol is a chilling tour. It's not just that men who wanted to change the world met a bloody end there, it's the hundreds of thousands of souls who suffered there, some for just begging on the streets. That it still stands is a testament to volunteers and the fact that history has a lot to teach us still.

They Roll Up the Sidewalks Here - Emily

It's strange that a world city like Dublin would close so early -- you're lucky if shops stay open till 7. People seem somewhat less friendly than other parts of the country, but they're still pleasant. There's so much history -- things are older than the US -- it can make you crazy.

Dublin - Mike

What can you say about Dublin? It is at the heart of much of the history of Ireland and yet it has become so cosmopolitan that it is almost not recognizable as Irish. The song "Rare Ould Times" laments the changes that Dublin has seen in recent years. One must really experience Dublin to appreciate the song.

Kilmainhem Jail - Shayla

We went to see the Kilmainham prison which was actually kind of neat. This was where the leaders of the Easter Rebellion were kept and then killed. The only leader not kept here was James Connolly who was kept at Dublin Castle until the time of his execution. We got to go a tour of the prison which was cool and bone chilling all at once. We got to peak into the cells to see what the insides were like. The west wing of the prison was very dark, however the east wing had natural light streaming in. When they opened the east wing they thought that the sunlight would help heal the souls. The whole prison was damp and cold. It was pretty disturbing to hear about the prison and what life inside those walls was like. For me seeing the mural on the wall of the cell that Grace Plunkett was kept in was pretty surprising. Grace was married to Joseph Plunkett on of the Easter Rebellion leaders the day before he was executed. She was arrested years later on unrelated charges and kept in jail for six months in which she managed to make a mural on her cell wall. The mural was a very detailed picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. I never knew that anyone could make a beautiful mural in six months let alone in jail.

Day 5

Glendalough - Reagan

We spent night 4 in the only real hotel of the trip, a Ramamda in Bray, a resort community just south of Dublin. After a night of relaxing in the lobby, uploading photos, and playing with stray cats at the hotel, we woke up fairly early and set off for a big day of travel.

Today was the only real day of rain on the entire trip. It had threatened the day before but Dublin was dry, if overcast. Our first stop was the forge where my great-great-grandfather learned to be a blacksmith. I'll leave a description of this experience to someone else, but I will say that the rain made it harder to stand and just appreciate the forge for what it is.

We decided to forego Powerscourt Gardens because of the rain and head to Glendalough, a very old monastic settlement. Founded by St. Kevin, one of the earliest Irish saints, the site was used from about the 500s until it was destroyed by the English in 1398. The round tower there was built sometime around 1000. Besides being so rich in history, the site has a special connection to our family. My grandfather, on one of his trips to Ireland with my grandmother, climbed a low wall there to get a better picture of the roof of St. Kevin's church. He fell, cutting his leg, and providing us with yet another story ending with him in a hospital.

Enniskerry - Mike

The forge featured in the pictures is where my great grandfather, John William Kelly, learned his trade as a blacksmith and farrier. I have visited it every time I have been in Ireland. It is uncanny to be able to have a physical connection like that even though it has not operated for many years. This visit was marked by pretty heavy rain (the only rain we saw during the whole trip) but we were really only stopping for some pictures.

Glendalough & Cashel - Mike

We did not originally plan to visit Glendalough but our planned visit to Powerscourt gardens was rained out. Glendalough is an old monastic site situated in the Wicklow hills. It has a family history as well. On his first visit in 1990, my dad fell on the one wall while trying to take a picture and ended up in an Irish hospital for stitches. It made for a good story for many years. Cashel was the site of the ruling Munster kings until it became an ecclesiastical settlement. To be around things that date so far back in history is incredible. Here in America, we think something that is 100 years old is old but some of these date back about 1000 years. It is humbling to think that our "great accomplishments" here are only infants in comparison.

Day 6

Kinsale Town - Reagan

This whole island is basically lousy with history - something important seems to have happened on every square inch of ground here. It's a little overwhelming, but sometimes there are moments where it crystallizes.

As we were writing some postcards today, we started to talk with Tom, the proprietor of the B&B we were staying at. He pointed out the high wall just behind his house, telling us it was the old Kinsale Town wall, the very same wall that James the Second left from when he fled to France in the late 1600's. That's a story I've heard many times, in songs, books, and oral history, so I needed a closer look.

Jen and I climbed the stairs, stopping briefly at a B&B that was just below the wall, but there was no good access. We climbed up to the street above, and over Jen's vociferous objections, I began to look for a way back to the wall. There were several houses that looked empty, but their backyards ended in a fence before the wall. Finally, the very last house on the street had a clear path all the way back. Reluctantly, Jen followed me into the back yard past the house and too my picture standing on the wall. As we got ready to swap and take her picture an old man appeared.

"What're ya taking pictures of?" he asked. I told him, and the then asked me why we hadn't knocked to ask permission. I told him, mostly truthfully, that we had thought there was no one home from whom to ask permission. I apologized and he softened a little, asking "Would ya do that in America?" Hedging, I said that it would depend, but generally no, I would not. "You're in Paddy's land, now", he said.

He asked why we wanted pictures of the wall, and I told him we'd heard that this was the old Kinsale city wall that James the second had left from. "City?" he asked. "Well, town" I replied. "Aye", he said with a sparkle in his eye, "you're amateurs at this." After apologizing again, we left, but we had the picture we wanted, and a great story to boot.

Cobh - Mike

The National Heritage Center in Cobh is a chilling experience. Seeing the conditions under which emigrants traveled to find a better life and the numbers that did so touch the very core of your soul. It is not even possible for us to understand what would make someone choose to do such a thing. But intellectually, I know that it was in many cases leave or die from starvation. A very sad and disturbing chapter in Irish history.

Cobh - Shayla

We went to the Cobh Heritage Center. We walked through and learned about the famine, the prison boats, and the Titanic. We learned about the famine and how it ripped through Ireland. The famine caused masses of people to immigrate to America in hopes of a better life. We also learned about the prison boats that took Irish prisoners from the jails in Ireland to place like Australia to work. These boats usually carried between 200 and 400 passengers although sometimes it was more. These boats were not pleasent to be on because conditions we bad and there was overcrowding. We also got to see the effect that the Titanic had on Ireland. We got to see the names of all the Irish passengers on the boat and the ones who dies in the accident were marked with crosses. We got to see some Titanic memorabilia. The center was really facinating and reading about the history was really interesting. Reading about the mass confusi on that the famine causes was just unreal.

Day 7

Blarney - Mike

Shopping in Blarney is an experience. Think outlet mall for Irish goods. But the small shops outside the big complex are interesting as well. And we did not kiss the Blarney stone. Blarney Castle has much more allure that just that. The grounds are incredible. We did not visit this time but I did last visit. This time a few wanted to go but the 10 euro price was too steep.

Portmagee - Mike

We stayed at a B&B that Shawn and Liz visited before. The proprietor was just wonderful and the house was incredible. It was a very relaxing evening way out from the distractions of any of the larger towns.

Day 8

Skellig Michael - Mike

Skellig Michael is the site of an ancient monastery on an island eight miles off the coast of Ireland. The monks arrived around 600 A.D. and established the monastery on the two peaks of the rock island. Over the years they made certain improvements, like carving stairs or constructing them from stone, depending on the need. The monks lived in beehive huts of stone and farmed what little land they could find. Their diet was supplements by fish that they could catch and supplies from the mainland that arrived occasionally.

When we set out for the Skelligs, the day was incredible. It was sunny and warm, with calm seas - the perfect weather for such a trip. The boatman who took us out was very good at keeping the wake down and providing a smooth ride. In order to board the boat, we had to limb down a ladder from the pier. Once we got to Skellig Michael, we had to step from the boat to a set of stairs. That was the easy part. We walked up a pathway to the base of the stairs. Then the work began.

There are approximately 600 steps from the bottom to the top. Very soon you could feel the burning in your legs. We had to stop often on the climb up. At one point my brother Kevin and his daughter decided to stay put. This was at a point where the north and the south peaks split, a site called Christ's Saddle, about two thirds of the way up.

As we continued the climb, it did seem to get easier. At the very top, the path skirted the very edge of the Cliffside. At this point we were about 600 feet up. It was not for the faint of heart. But the experience of seeing the site of early monastic life made it worth it.

I explored the beehive huts and then climbed to the peak via a dirt and stone path. At the peak was a large slab of rock. Sitting there felt like truly being in the presence of God. I read Daytime Prayer there and marveled at the view and the peace. Going back down to the huts, I sat in several while praying the rosary in both thanksgiving for the opportunity of the trip and requesting guidance from the Lord.

The descent was much easer than the climb. On the way down I took pictures of the steps looking up. I could not have stood taking pictures on the way up as it took everything to stay focused on the climb without thinking too much about the distance.

We met the boat back at the landing and started back. On the return, the boatman took us past Small Skellig, where only birds and the occasional seal seem to live. We did see a baby seal and an adult seal (thanks to Maura's sharp eye).

We chatted with the boatman on the way back about Irish and American politics. He seemed very well versed in the situation in the States.

Altogether, an incredible and unforgettable pilgrimage.

St. Finian's Bay - Shayla

Those of use who did not go to Skelling Michael had fun too. After dropping the boat crew off we headed to the chocolate factory and then after we were done there we decided to hit the beach. Saint Finnian's Bay had a beautiful beach. We all walked on the beach collecting rocks and relaxing. Three beautiful dogs came down and were playing with us. It was a fun and relaxing to feel the sand in our toes and to put our feet in the water. So, they really didn't have all the fun.

Day 9

The Ring of Dingle - Reagan

As Jen and I began walking the 2km back to our B&B from Dingle Town, we happened across our driver, who offered to give us a lift up. On the way, he asked "Your father is Michael, the deacon, right?" "Yes," I replied, and he said "I told him yesterday I'd take him to see the Gallorus church, the oldest church in Ireland - it looks today as t did when it was built." I told him I'd relay that, and when we got to the B&B I found my father. He was putting on sunscreen getting ready to go to the beach, about 4km away. When I told the driver this, he offered to drive us, and told my father again about the church. Seemingly determined to show it to him, he also offered "There's a beach nearby, where Ryan's Daughter was filmed." My father was not terribly excited, but we're a fairly polite group, and I suppose that we weren't quite forceful enough in our rejection of the idea.

The rest of the group wondered as the beach they had planned to visit receded further and further into the distance, but still our driver pushed on. Finally, after going through on the tightest hairpins I'd ever seen, we reached the stopping point for the beach. We stayed for a little while, playing in the surf, watching dolphins, and playing hurling. We climbed up the hill (nothing after Skellig Michael) and set off for home. As we rounded the tip of the ring of Dingle, the distance to Dingle Town began to decrease. Then, signs for the Gallorus Oratory appeared, and we turned away from the main road.

We stopped by a house with a small campgrounds in back, and our driver, knowing the man who lived there, went to fetch him. When he came back, he had in tow an older man, who he introduced as a tour guide and foremost scholar of the Dingle Peninsula. He offered to give us some history of the oratory and suggested we not enter the main way, but rather look for the back entrance to avoid paying the 3 euro a person entrance fee. He said he'd get his car and meet us there.

Five of the thirteen of us joined the driver down the very narrow road with high hedges on either side. None of us were terribly comfortable with the ides of sneaking in, but it certainly beat paying for admission. Worse, we all expected the tour guide we'd just met to be waiting by the oratory to give us a perfunctory history of a site we didn't even care to visit and then expect a tip for his trouble.

We turned down a small cow path with an unlocked gate, and wandered past cows, electric fences, and barbed wire. We finally arrived, and just as we did, the proprietor stepped out with tickets for us to buy. The driver, seemingly embarrassed that he'd made the wrong turn (for neither the first nor the last time on this holiday), purchased the tickets. We walked a few hundred yards to the oratory, looked briefly around, made friends with a small orange tabby cat with a bum back left leg, and headed out, no sign of the tour guide. We quickly saw that our driver had jumped the gun, and that the path we'd wanted was the next one down, and as we reached the end we saw that it was actually a public right-of-way, meaning that going down that was wasn't sneaking in, but rather just avoiding the 3 euro admission charge. More than anything, though, we felt somewhat kidnapped - we had no particular desire to visit the church or any beach other than the nearest one, but it seemed we had no real say in the matter.

Connor Pass - Mike

Shawn, Reagan and I rode with the bus driver to Connor Pass, reported to be the highest road in all of Ireland. The view was just spectacular. We also climbed one of the hills to get a better look and ended up face to face with many, many sheep. Of course there are twice as many sheep in Ireland as there are people so seeing sheep in not at all remarkable. Getting close enough to get good pictures of them is.

Dingle Bay - Shayla

After dinner we walked down the pier to the bay. Dingle was one of Pappy's favorite places so we decided to do something in memory of him. After the sons said a few words Libby and I threw one of Pappy's men and a horse into the bay. He will now live forever in Dingle Bay. It is also going to be cool to back someday and know that a piece of him is always in Ireland.

Day 10

Reflecting on the Trip - Jen

When we were getting our bags from the overhead compartments to exit the plane, Marty turned to Reagan, Jamie, Emily, and I and gave us our goodbye hugs. I said to her something like, "I never imagined such generosity and kindness from a man I met once and a family that isn't mine." I want to offer my most sincere gratitude to the Kelly family for all they did for me on this trip - most of all, for the joy of the adventure.

This experience really touched me on many levels. One of my favorites was the laughter! I couldn't stop having fun on this trip because everyone in the Kelly family loves to smile and is SO funny - or thinks they are. Get this, they even have this traditional donkey that they pass around when someone says or does something dumb. The original donkey (one of Pap's) broke its leg on the flight from Pittsburgh to Boston, but that's ok because I hear that many of Pap's animals were missing extremities - Anyway, I left the donkey (which I earned many times for many dumb things said in haste) in a hotel room on the first night, but we were in Knock a few hours later and someone (Nevin? Colin?) saw a bin of donkeys and picked one up - and it had a broken leg too! But seriously, I had a great time with this family because they are genuinely good-hearted people.

Another fascinating experience was the intensity of the family tradition and family togetherness. Reagan and I grew up in very different types of families, his rooted strongly in their Irish heritage, history, and principles. Spending time with this group experiencing their native land and their personal history was very powerful. I really feel very proud of the Kelly family for taking the opportunity to go through this journey together and to have fun together and to enjoy each other so much, through kidnappings, sweltering bus rides, and winding roads to nowhere. It really gave me a deeper understanding of the meaning of family and to the time we spend with our flesh and blood. I also have different attitudes toward religion and religion's place in history, and I want to thank the Kellys for showing me the bright side of religion, which has been rather dark in my past.

Not least, witnessing structures that were thousands of years old and built by our ancestors gave me a much deeper sense of my own place in history. I've never been interested in history; it was my worst subject. But in Ireland, everywhere you look, there are ruins. You can't help but think about it: so many people came before me, lived a very different life than I do. It's humbling. The rolling hillsides, the pastures of sheep(!), the breathtaking views, dolphins swimming near the beach, so much natural beauty that I don't see here in Ann Arbor. But not beauty like the Bahamas, it's natural earthiness that makes you feel close the people that walked the very same land thousands of years ago. Because it looks exactly the same.

Finally, the people in Ireland were super super nice. It was refreshing, to think that there are places in this world where people are overtly nice to one another! So, on this adventure, I got a taste of the past and a hope for the future.

- Mike

Our trip is almost over. We have planned and planned for this. Now it is almost gone. But the memories and the bonds forged here will last forever. It was a true blessing to be able to do this trip. I thank God for the opportunity and the family with which to do it. I also give thanks or my dad, who first instilled the Irishness into me and finally left us the means by which to accomplish it.