Rupert's Farm

After our stay in Tramore we made our way to County Cork to a small town called Midleton.  This is where we were picked up for our first farm and where the Jameson Distillery is.  

We quickly learned that despite the modest size of our first organic farm the owners were well known in Ireland.  Well, to be more exact Rupert's wife was well known.  She is the daughter of Darina Allen, the Martha Stewart of the United Kingdom.  She runs the Ballymaloe Cookery Course which is an internationally recognized cooking institution situated on a 100- acre organic farm.  It is also connected to the Ballymaloe House, a famous hotel and restaurant owned by her mother- in- law.  Darina has several cookbooks sold internationally, a relish that is stocked in every grocery store and restaurant in Ireland and England and has revived the practice of farmer's markets in Ireland.  The students are not allowed to take home the food that they make to their dorms so Lydia, our host and farmer, would go and pick up boxes of gourmet food for us to eat.  I have never eaten such delicious food before; Indian mussel soup, gooseberry consomme, chocolate mousse and meats and cheeses from the Ballymaloe Cookery animals. 

Rupert, the husband on our farm was hostile to us from the first day we arrived.  He seemed to enjoy the fact that he had figured out how to get free labor but was annoyed that we were still

 there at the end of the work day.  One of our projects was laying hardcore and gravel around his house and driveway with small buckets.  He and Lydia used their connections at Ballymaloe

 Cookery to sell the Cookery school's surplus vegetables as their own.  In fact, Rupert's own farm had not grown anything but a few heads of lettuce.  They also sold Ballymaloe Jams, Relishes, and Salad Dressings as their own, without the label.  Customers at the Farmer's Market would constantly ask us if the products were from Ballymaloe.  

The above picture is from the Ballymaloe glasshouse.  Tommy the duck eats the slugs rather than using slug pellets or pesticides.  They've had some trouble lately with Tommy dipping into the lettuce stock, though.

One major highlight of the farm was that kittens had been born just a short time before we got there.  One kitten we grew particularly attached to and brought him into our caravan to sleep at night.  The kitten got very attached to Ian and would fall asleep in his lap.  

During the weekends we took day trips to other areas.  One day we spent at the Distillery, getting the historical tour and a sampling.  Another day we went and explored some abandoned places a few miles from the farm and found a graveyard and an old stone estate.  

During our two- week stay we grew quite attached to Rupert and Lydia's daughter, Amelia.  She is turning two this November and has quite a personality.  She calls all volunteers on the farm "people."  So, she would call us over to her going "The people, the people!!"  She loved to wander to our caravan and the only way we could get her back to her home was to offer a fistful of nutella.  You can see the evidence of the bribery on her lips in the picture above.

We left our first farm on  a Thursday after working the Farmer's Market in Mahon Point, Cork a second time.  

Tramore

Our last stop before our first farm would land us in the ocean front city of Tramore. We spent our days hiking against the sea cliffs and looking for chances to jump in the water. There were so many spots along the cliffs where you could stop for lunch and be completely by yourself amid unbelievable scenery. 

On one hike we found the Guillameine Swimming Cove.

 Ouch!! Sorry Katy, but rules are rules. At one point along the cliff we found a diving board that led right into the Atlantic, with a stair case that crawled out of the ocean. 

During the week, with overcast skies, we were the only ones around. We wasted no time jumping in and no time jumping out because I didn't know water could get that cold! 

On our last night in Tramore we wandered over to the amusement park that was set up on the beach. Here Katy tried to conquer her fear of heights with little success. We packed our things and got ready for our first farm in Ballycotton, and took the first bus the next morning. 

Cashel

Ian and I found out from our first farm that they needed a few extra days before our arrival.  With this last minute change we decided to first check out a place north of our farm in Cork, Cashel.  From the moment we arrived in Cashel the entire atmosphere of our trip seemed to relax.  The hostel was absolutely stunning, a converted factory that was impeccably clean with the most current amenities.  We spent two nights in Cashel and in our eight- bed room we had one other roommate, a Seattle native.  The very first thing we did was take a nap in our room and relax for a bit.  Then, we were ready to start seeing the sites.  Across from the hostel was Hore Abbey, an abandoned monastic site from medieval times.  The Abbey was open to the public in a large pasture filled with steers.  The dog from the hostel, Captain, takes it on as his personal mission to make sure that each tourist arrives at the Abbey safely.  So he walked us all the way to the entrance, waited patiently for us to open the door for him, waited on the sidewalk until we were in the Abbey and then walked home.  

We wandered through the different rooms and were stunned by little things that have remained through the years such as scorch marks on the inner stones of a decrepit fireplace.  After a few photo opportunities we went back and made dinner and called it a night early.

The next day we went up to The Rock, the site of where St. Patrick baptized an old area ruler.  The myth of the place is that St. Patrick accidentally stabbed the king's foot several times as he emphasized his points with his sword.  The king never spoke up because he thought that perhaps that was the standard procedure for baptisms.  The local residents after witnessing this refused to be baptized themselves.  At the Rock we were toured through an old graveyard, the choir's quarters, the bishop's quarters, the chapel and more.  The most important, though, was St. Patrick's cross which Ian successfully wrapped his arms around, ensuring a future without toothaches.  

After The Rock Ian and I took a picnic lunch on a hike on the other side of Cashel.  It lead us past even more cow pastures to a slow- moving stream.  There was a moss island in the middle and we decided that was the place to have our food.  We rolled up our pants and waded across.  Everything we were wearing got soaked, including my shoes which I accidentally dropped in.

Right into IRELAND and Straight into Galway

All the waiting, planning, and budgeting has finally paid off. We are here in Ireland! We arrived in the the country at half 7 (thats irish for 730) and found our way to the bus stop somehow as we were operating on no sleep. We took a quick bus ride to the Ireland's westerly gaelic capital, Galway.  We stayed in the Claddagh Hostel where the dorm rooms were more than cramped. I imagine there would be bigger rooms in prison. We spent our day adjusting to the time change and then going out at night to see Galway. Lucky for me the sun doesn't set till 10 pm. So far this place couldn't be any more perfect. We took a quick walk to the fishing village of Claddagh, the birthplace of the Irish engagement ring, the claddagh ring.  At the bank we found a small skull and cross bones where it is said that the former mayor of Galway hung his son in the ultimate stance of City before Family, after his son killed the prince of Spain after he made eyes with his wife. We found Galway's best fish n' chips, watched street performers, and then came upon Saint Patricks church in the heart of downtown Galway. 

All the heads within the church had been knocked off, due to Cromwells military tirades to 

extinguish Catholicism in Ireland. 

An example of the claddagh symbol on the left. 

Our stay in Galway would only be for one day as we would get on a bus and head south towards our first farm.

-Ian