Connemara’s Twelve Bens , courtesy of CLCC

I studied the Irish language for a few years and have family ties to the Gaeltacht of Connemara, so when I first saw Connemara Language and Cultural Center (CLCC) on Twitter, I assumed it was an organization promoting Irish language. I was only partially correct. CLCC is doing much more, and I can’t wait to share this innovative venture with you.

The folks at CLCC are energetic, positive, supportive people who are bringing something new and dynamic to education, tourism, culture, and leisure in Ireland. And it is all happening in the gorgeous Clifden, County Galway. I will let them explain it to you – keep reading for the latest CLCC press release, or click here to download the pdf version.

Connemara Language and Cultural Centre

Connemara Language and Cultural Centre (CLCC) is a newly formed educational tourism destination located in Clifden, County Galway. Clifden is the capital town of the geographical region of Connemara world renowned for its rugged and unspoilt beauty where the wild Atlantic Ocean has etched a landscape only Mother Nature could create.

CLCC is a unique venue combining an existing holiday village, Clifden Glen, located within a safe and fully self-contained 80 hectare site 1.5 km from Clifden town with an English as a Foreign Language School catering for families, groups and individual students. The site contains a licensed clubhouse, restaurant, laundry, 85  detached 3 bedroom lodges, children’s playground, 3 tennis courts, mini-golf course and nature walks, all bounded by the Owenglin, a prolific wild Atlantic salmon spate river. The site is set off the main road with no through traffic and is a haven of tranquility and safety adjacent to Connemara National Park with the magnificent backdrop of the Twelve Bens Mountain range.

CLCC in its initial stages is providing English Language Tuition for non-native English speakers with classes in the morning and adventure activities in the afternoon and cultural events hosted in the clubhouse in the evenings. Our professional, friendly and experienced staff including our qualified native English speaking language teachers are here to meet all our clients’ needs, whether customizing an English language course or providing specific activities to suit individual clients or families.  Our educational ethos is centered on interesting, enjoyable and creative lessons delivered by thoughtful and caring professionals while embracing the latest educational and technological tools available.

It is the introduction of educational services within the pre-existing site that makes CLCC innovative and we aim to meet all our clients’ needs on the one site with no commuting required from accommodation to classes or for entertainment or meals.

CLCC is currently developing Gaelic language classes for those wishing to improve their Gaelic or indeed complete beginners and Connemara is home to Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht, a region where Gaelic is still commonly spoken.

Synergy is a major factor underpinning the development of CLCC with each element of the business enhancing the other. Integration between native speakers is vital for language learners and with Irish families using Clifden Glen and Connemara for their annual holidays as well as local native Gaelic and English speakers’ integration is assured. Our activities and cultural activities enhance the learning experience with a focus on experiential learning and we strive to create a unique and memorable Connemara experience for each of our client’s.

We are justifiably proud of our culture and heritage in Connemara and we showcase this at our cultural events hosted in our clubhouse at CLCC. Connemara is unique both in Ireland and Europe with its own identity, heritage and culture and untouched by the excess of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.  It has inspired countless artists and embraced royalty with its captivating raw beauty, ever changing light and the un-spoilt  landscape abundant with wildlife, epitomized by the magnificent wild Atlantic salmon to be seen leaping through its many rivers and lakes. Its essence is perhaps encapsulated best by its roads and fields bounded by stone walls, hand built without mortar and aged with  lichen and moss over centuries yet perfectly preserved and withstanding the forces of nature and time. These roads promise unrivaled vistas to the traveler who ventures throughout their length and evoke memories and emotions, even in those who have never visited previously, and truly represent the road less travelled both in terms of spiritual journey and travelers met along the way. These walls speak of an era when time meant something different than it does today and when, despite or perhaps because of hardship in everyday life, few were the people who could be referred to as poor because all they had was money. Neighbors, community and friendship are still the essence of Connemara and visitors always remark on this warmth and hospitality and it is this and the landscape that draws them back year after year.

So whether to learn English or Gaelic or have an activity holiday come and stay at CLCC and experience this for yourself whilst creating your own Connemara Experience.

     http://www.connemaralcc.com/en/

     Click here to follow CLCC on Twitter! I think they would love to meet you!

For many Americans, the meaning of Memorial Day has broadened to include remembrance of all deceased loved ones – those who served in the military and not. In my book, Memorial Day is a perfect holiday – we get together with family and friends to celebrated the beginning of summer, while keeping in mind those who have gone before us.

When Irish people contact us for help learning more about their relatives who came to America, so often they mention the relatives military service. They say with a sense of pride that their grand-uncle served in World War II after emigration. One woman from Galway shared with me how her family would say an extra rosary at night for “the boys in the war” – American cousins she had never met – during the Korean War in the 1950s.

The Waterford County Museum in Dungarvan makes a special effort to remember the contributions of Irish emigrants to their adopted homelands, and they pay tribute to Ballinroad, County Waterford native John Mansfield. John Mansfield (1906-1965) emigrated to America in 1927 and served in World War II. An exhibit case at the museum contains Mansfield’s medals and honors, photographs, and a biography outlining his service. Read about John Mansfield on the museum’s blog here.

An account of Mansfield’s 4th Armored Division on CombatReels.com indicates that the division trained in England for six months before landing on Utah Beach in Normandy on July 11, 1944. I wonder what it felt like for John to be so close to home?

Since John Mansfield’s medals made their way to County Waterford, it’s probably safe to say he had no children or “next of kin” in the United States. There may be no one left today to remember his service and sacrifice, so I plan to keep him in my thoughts this weekend.

Click here to view a photo of John and Bridget (Power) Mansfield, John’s parents. Waterford County Museum Image Archive has a fully searchable database of all the fabulous photographs in the collection. Plus, if you see something you like, you can buy it for your own collection!

After reading my post, From Sheepshead to Casper, a reader told me a story about her brush with a soon-to-be Casper, Wyoming sheep rancher.

In 1949, Katie Tierney was one of a new breed of Irish immigrant. Unlike the millions of Irish who came to the United States before her, Katie traveled by air, not water. An airplane trip back in 1949 was exciting enough, but factor in that this was a 3,000-mile journey from home to a new life in a foreign country, and you can imagine how Katie felt.

From AmericasHeartland.com.

Katie was anxious as she stepped on the plane, but was soon distracted by a handsome man seated next to her. Richard Thornton was on his way to Casper, Wyoming to work on his uncle’s sheep ranch. Katie and Richard got to talking and hit it off, sharing their life stories and dreams for the future. When the plane landed, Katie and Richard exchanged addresses and went their separate ways.

Quickly, Katie settled into her new American life, and after about a month she received a letter from Richard. It wasn’t just any letter, it was a proposal. Richard laid it all out for Katie, telling her they would live on the ranch, but she wouldn’t be too isolated since they would go to town once a month. Richard assured Katie that he could not be drafted since he was engaged in the vital service of food production.

Although Katie was flattered, she turned Richard down. She didn’t see herself as a rancher’s wife. Richard was disappointed, but he soon recovered, married, and had a family. Katie went to work in Boston, met and married an Irish American man, raised three children, and had a happy life. Katie never forgot Richard Thornton, and from time to time thought about how different her life would have turned out had she accepted his proposal. Katie had something else in mind for her American life, and she worked to achieve her dreams.

Katie may have arrived in 1949 America in an airplane, but she was part of the tradition of single Irish women who left home in search of a future, since Ireland had so little to offer them, economically or socially. I admire these women so much.

If you are interested in learning more about the lives of Irish women immigrants, you must read Hasia Diner’s Erin’s Daughters in America. It focuses on the nineteenth century female immigrant experience, but is important to understanding the larger theme of Irish immigration. Excellent book.

© Novena Art/Joe DeVito. Used by permission.

May First is Our Lady’s Feast Day. Two girls would be chosen in advance to be presented to Her. We were all very excited, wondering who would be picked for that great honor. The “rich girl” would be either a doctor’s, shopkeeper’s or farmer’s daughter and the “poor girl” would be from a needy family. One of my friends still remembers being dressed up as a nun. The rich girl’s parents would buy her a beautiful blue dress, black patent leather shoes with dainty anklet socks. The poor girl would be given a new frock of dull, serviceable cloth (convent stuff, we called it) and wore her own shoes and socks. The “poor girl” would later wear the dress which lasted a long time; although modest, it was a new after all. The contrast between the girls was indeed startling.

As the procession began, dressed in our best dresses, we lined up behind a nun and the “girls,” who were carrying the flower garlands crafted by the nuns, all the while singing hymns. We walked through the long school-yard into the extremely hot greenhouse with its geraniums and grape vines, along the garden path reverently approaching the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the nun’s garden and cemetery where the crowning of Our Lady took place. As the presentation ceremony took place, we sang the hymn, titled “Bring Flowers of the Rarest.”

Bring flows of the fairest,

Bring flows of the rarest,

From garden and woodland and hillside and vale;

Our full hearts are swelling,

Our Glad voices telling

The praise of the loveliest,

Rose of the vale.

Oh Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May;

Oh Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Our voices ascending,

In harmony blending,

Oh! Thus may our hearts turn

Dear Mother, to thee;

Oh! Thus shall we prove thee,

How truly we love thee,

How dark without Mary

Life’s journey would be.

Oh Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

O Virgin most tender,

Our homage we render,

Thy love and protection,

Sweet Mother, to win;

In danger defend us,

In sorrow befriend us,

And shield our hearts,

From contagion and sin.

Oh Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today;

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Oh Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today;

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Of Mothers the dearest,

Oh, wilt thou be nearest,

When life with temptation,

Is darkly replete?

Forsake us, O Never!

Our hearts be they ever,

As pure as the lilies

We lay at thy feet.

Oh Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today;

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Oh Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today;

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

May Day always seemed to me to be a sunny day in Milltown when I was a girl. We liked to think She was favoring us and smiling down upon us.

About the author…

Maureen, 1953

Maureen Angela Teahan was born in September 1928, Milltown, County Kerry, Ireland. She was the firstborn of a large family. The household included a maternal grandfather and an older cousin, all living in a small thatched home. Maureen was educated at Presentation School and received her Leaving Certification from Presentation Secondary School, Milltown, 1944. She emigrated from Ireland in 1947 and lived in Lawrence, Mass.  Maureen worked at the Wood Worsted Mills for two years until they closed and moved their operations south. After that she was employed as a nanny for a year, also in Lawrence. Then she moved to Boston and worked for the First National Stores (FINAST) in the meat department. During that time she met her future husband and left FINAST when she married Patrick Murray in 1952. Maureen raised three children and was active with volunteer work, the church and community. Her hobbies included reading, sewing, cooking and gardening for as long as she was able.

This is a fantastic idea. Today there is so much emphasis on using local products and patronizing local businesses, but it is also important to stop and consider your local environment. There are amazing things hidden in plain sight, just waiting to be explored.

Events kick off this weekend with woodland walks Saturday and Sunday. See below for all the details. Visit the ETHOS blog (click here) to read more about what’s going on in Tyrrellspass. Events are open to local residents and visitors, anyone interested in the history and natural surroundings of Tyrrellspass.

I had the pleasure of meeting Eugene and his lovely family last autumn in Rathdowney, County Laois at our mutual cousin’s wife’s surprise birthday party. He was the party photographer, snapping pictures all night long. Wishing ETHOS and Eugene every success!

Helen and Jimmy McCormack

Can’t believe the month is already over. And here I sit with a list a mile long of things I love about Ireland! What to pick for my last favorite thing…

The entire Irish branch of the McCormack family tree is the best, and their warmth, humor, and hospitality make our visits to Ireland fantastic. But Jimmy and Helen are the ones who are usually stuck with the Yanks when we visit. They live on the farm in Ballyedmond, County Laois where my great-grandfather was born, so I suppose it is the natural place for us to end up.

I could go on forever about Helen’s magnificent cooking and entertaining panache or Jimmy’s GSOH (Good Sense Of Humor for those of you who don’t read the personal ads in the Farmer’s Journal on Thursdays) but what makes them so special is their generosity. Whenever we visit, they invite us into their lives and make us feel welcome.

A couple of years ago, Jimmy and Helen even came to our rescue. There was a problem with the self-catering accommodation my mom, dad, sister, and I had booked for our two weeks in Ireland. (We will save that story for another time, this is about my favorite things in Ireland, after all.) Jimmy and Helen found us a place to stay…

Lisheen Castle, County Tipperary

Yes, we actually stayed in this castle. Our vacation went from disappointing to a fairytale in less than a day, thanks to Jimmy and Helen. It was a memorable couple of weeks.

An afternoon at Birr Castle

But even more memorable than a castle are the evenings spent at the farm in Ballyedmond, after a day of site-seeing and a glorious dinner by Helen, relaxing while Jenny or Sarah do their homework, deciding whether we will go to the pub. That is a tough decision, sometimes it even requires a vote by secret ballot. The pub usually wins.

I am so fortunate to have family in Ireland like Jimmy and Helen, and all the McCormacks. Luckier still that they are my friends. Now, if I could only get them to come visit us in the States!

Thanks for following my month of Irish favorites…hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have!

Photos by Regan McCormack

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Image from http://www.sligoarts,ie

It’s been too many years since I’ve made it up to Sligo for a visit with my favorite butcher-turned-woodcarver, Michael Quirke. I have a couple of Michael Quirke’s gorgeous sculptures at home, so I am reminded of him so daily but I miss seeing him in his workshop and listening to him talk. When Michael Quirke describes his pieces and sets them within the mythology of Ireland, it is pure magic. I am transported to my childhood, when I considered folk tales to be true stories. The days before I got so “smart” and realized no one lived for thousands of years and no one could ever turn me into a swan.

Regan and I each have a couple Quirke creations. Pictured on the right are Amhairghin (mine) and Queen Maeve (Regan’s). I love it when you walk in to the shop, inevitably just as someone else walks out, and Mr. Quirke looks up and welcomes you. He might look a bit tired, but one comment on a sculpture in the window is all it takes. He was just catching his breath. With a twinkle in his eye, he launches into a wonderful story. And when you decide on a purchase, you get to hear the story all over again – always with a new details and instructions for care – when he pulls out a piece of paper and a pencil and writes it all down for you.

Regan and I visited Mr. Quirke for the first time in 1995 on instructions from our Aunt Eeny to buy a sculpture for her to add to her collection. She had visited him several years earlier. I don’t remember at the moment which one we picked out for Eeny, but Mr. Quirke told us the story, then told us again as he wrote it out, wrapped the treasure in brown paper, and tied it with twine.

Then he asked us for our favorite animals, scrounged up a couple of scraps of wood, and carved the images of our favorites on one side, with our name on the reverse. Of course, more stories about our animals followed. I treasure this little square as much as the larger-scale sculptures. Visiting Sligo is a priority for my next visit to Ireland, and I can’t wait to take the journey through Irish folklore with Michael Quirke.

I love Cobh. I wrote about the harbor town  in County Cork here. Cobh was the last of Ireland seen by millions of Irish leaving home for new lives in North America. For this reason, it was called the saddest town in Ireland.

Today Cobh’s streets are lined with brightly painted buildings and luxury cruise ships dock in the harbor. Housed in the Victorian train depot is the Cobh Heritage Centre which tells the story of the harbor and the people who left Ireland in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

As a visitor from America, the exhibit is a powerful reminder of the hardships endured by my ancestors, especially those who left Ireland in the years surrounding the Great Famine. I suspect it is as moving for Irish visitors, as they consider their country’s history, as well as their own personal connections to those who left.

For many Irish Americans, there is no old homestead to return to in Ireland, no family to invite them “home” for a gathering. Too many years have passed, and those who emigrated were forgotten generations ago. But this doesn’t stop us from visiting Ireland and searching for our Irish roots. In keeping the emigrant story alive, Cobh celebrates the connection between Ireland and America.

Cobh will always be there to welcome us back, and that is why it is a special place for me.

Photos by Regan McCormack

Image from www.ILoveMayo.com – click to visit the website!

I sent out I Love Mayo Christmas cards in 2011. I have never received more compliments on a Christmas card. Click here to see the whimsical and very special cards. I am a huge fan of her “Irish Blessing” series of prints – they are a beautiful and super versatile for gift-giving. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, retirements…you name it. Click here to see the full selection prints. Someday I hope to own a Jane Steger-Lewis original painting…I have my eye on Beaky, Dozy, or LaToya! I’m not posting pictures of these items here on purpose – I want you to go straight to Jane’s website and see all of her gorgeous work.

Jane is as delightful as her artwork. She is truly a pleasure to do business with. I think everyone should have a little piece of Ireland in their home, and ILoveMayo.com makes this possible. Thanks, Jane, for making my world a bit brighter!

Photo by Regan McCormack

There are other Johnstowns in Ireland, but I am talking about Johnstown in County Kildare. I would love this village even if I had no connection to it. The picturesque ruins of the medieval St. John’s Church (above) are one reason the village is so appealing.

Annie Hill

Another reason is the village’s sense of history. Several years ago I met Brian McCabe – Johnstown’s local historian – when I was researching my great-grandmother Annie Hill Regan. Annie was born near Johnstown, and her sister lived in the village. When we visited in 2009,  Brian was a wonderful guide, telling us what Johnstown would have been like in the late nineteenth century when Annie knew it, before she left for America.

Brian shared the rich history of Johnstown. Since  the village is just 25 miles from Dublin, it is popular with people who commute to work in the city, with several large housing estates and new construction. But Brian is very knowledgeable about Johnstown’s past and place in history. He told us all about Palmerstown House and the Earls of Mayo. And of course, he covered the 6th Earl of Mayo who died in India in 1872 and is buried in the churchyard. He is known as the “Pickled Earl” since his body was preserved in a vat of rum on the long journey back to Ireland following his assassination.

Monument to the 6th Earl of Mayo (photo by Regan McCormack)

Johnstown is a lovely, peaceful village in the midst of motorways and urban sprawl. The community values its history, and it shows with the beautifully maintained public areas and the handy signs marking buildings of interest. I am always impressed when people are truly dedicated to preserving their history, and when it happens to be a bit of my personal history, all the better!

Annie’s sister Katie + family in Johnstown