One of my cousin's uncles, Danny, offered to take me for a drive along the coast. He's retired, so it was as much fun for him as me. We saw pretty coastal towns, islands, Croagh Patrick (famous mountain in Ireland), and a beautiful valley of large hills around a fjord. We had a pint at a pub where some movie called The Field was filmed. This is a new thing for me, this alcohol at lunch idea.
Speaking of that, my inability to drink like an Irishman made me a bit of a joke with the family. I started off with that pint of Guinness the first night, and quickly was banned from Guinness for the rest of the trip because I drank too slowly. The next night, I managed just over three pints of cider, and by the third night, I finally got to four. So damn proud of myself. Anyone who told me not to try to compete must be shaking their heads at this moment. No worries, Anne put an end to the pubbing quickly.
My cousin Padraig took me out to the family farm, where my grandmother grew up. It is about twenty minutes from Ballina. She lived in a tiny stone cottage during the time when Ireland was very poor. I have heard the stories a thousand times, but to actually see the place was powerful. And, I saw the wall where a very old picture of my grandmother with her family was taken. Just like the others who have come to visit, my cousin took a picture of me standing at the same wall.
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