And then there were ten

And so, our 19 2-weekers left for home, and there were ten kiddies left with Niamho to have two more weeks of fun and culture around Ireland. We wiped away our tears and hit the road again on Tuesday- and what a beautiful day it was. We went first to Lissadell House, built in the 1830s by Frank Goodwin, and a wonderful example of what the students described as a ‘Downton Abbey’ House. The house is not just remarkable for the architecture, but it was also the home of two famous Irish women, Eva and Constance Gore-Booth. Constance became more well known as Countess Markievicz, activist and revolutionary. They were friends of W.B. Yeats, who was a regular visitor, and the gallery walls included an impressive collection of Jack Yeats’ art and W.B’s poems. But we probably enjoyed the tour most for the opulence of ‘upstairs’ and the very different downstairs quarters of the servants.

Lissadell house is located on Sligo Bay, and the views are unbelievable, as are the sumptious gardens along the coast. We had a lovely picnic in the fragrant sunshine, then it was off to another wonderful place, the wildlife sanctuary ‘Eagles Flying’. As the name suggests, this sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates injured birds of prey, and during a wonderful demonstration with the birds, their keeper Lothar explained that birds of prey are essential for the environmental balance of the natural world. We were introduced to hawks, falcons, vultures, eagles, and a rather truculent owl who was having a bad day.

It was thrilling to be able to hold the birds, and watch them in flight. We also really enjoyed the other animals in the sanctuary, especially the large sow and her little adorable piglets.

Next day (Wednesday) the students spent the morning practisingtheancient gaelic sport of hurling,

After lunch, we travelled to County Fermanagh, and the town of Enniskillen. From there we took a boat onto Lough Erne, to travel to Devinish Island, to visit the astonishing monastic site of St. Molaise. The round tower and high cross are among the few complete remaining in Ireland, and the whole island is astonishingly beautiful and evocative of times past.

We rambled around and returned to Enniskillen where much to the delight of all, we stopped off at an acclaimed Mexican restaurant for burritos and tacos.
Those monks were missing out!