The Horse Fair (final one)

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The horse fair was a strange mixture of worlds. Here I (an American) was wading through a muddy field, dodging kicking horses and poop with the most picturesque people in Ireland, but the real madness existed on the outskirts of the field. It was on the side streets that crowds crowded into street markets... that a traveling amusement park played thumping music... where teenage boys threw firecrackers... where psychics read cards... and where scams and back alley deals were made. The following picture is of a 'three card monte' game taking place in the middle of a market. If you look.... you can see my friend S's camera in hand ready to take a picture, and a guy keeping lookout for the police. It cost fifty EURO to play the game, and we saw several people loose their money in a matter of seconds. It is funny how you always know where the right card is until money is on the line.


I was only brave enough to take this one quick picture...






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The Horse Fair

It is that time again.... Time for the Ballinasloe horse fair! This amazing fair is really a crazy spectacle of animals, carnival rides, and markets. The main section of the fair takes place in a massive field. There really is no rhyme or reason as to how it is organized... horses and owners claim a spot in the field early in the day, and potential buyers (and 1 crazy American photographer) have to navigate the maze of poop and kicking horses at their own risk.

I love the fair. There truly is something timeless about it. The way deals are made by slapping away and eventually shaking hands... the games of three card monte being played as lookouts watch for the Garda (Police)... the timeless look of the farmers.... It is truly a photographer's paradise! Here are just a few of the hundreds of pictures I took (more to come this week).



While standing and looking out over the massive field a friend compared it to a scene out of Lord of the Rings (the battle for Helm's Deep). I have to say... it was a good comparison!


















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The Running of the Mackerel

For two or three weeks at the end of August / beginning of September, conditions are just right for something magical to happen.... The mackerel run...

The high tides line up with the setting of the sun... and a small bait fish (known locally as a sprat) migrate close to the shores. These conditions make millions of hungry mackerel swim in close to the shore and bite at anything in the water. This flood of fish is a dream come true for any fisherman willing to throw out a line. Locals say that the fish are so bunched up close to the shore that they can be snatched out of the water by hand. I've never seen anyone do it, but I have seen many people pull in four or five at a time.

Right now everyone is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the mackerel. They have come in close to the shore several times over the last couple of weeks, but storms have pushed them back out again. Last night, however, the storms let up for a little while, and people flocked to the shore with their rods and reels to try their luck. I watched for awhile, but never saw anyone catch anything. Who knows... maybe they will be delayed until my dad comes to visit! Here is hoping!



The view from the shore last night...





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Street art

There have been some interesting things taking place on the city streets during the arts festival. Last week there were several street performances that took place at night. There were not really parades, but rather were stories being told by actors in a creative way. For instance: One night last week we were in the city around 10pm and witnessed a flying race. Five "inventors" had created "flying machines" and were racing through the city's pedestrian center. The only problem was that they kept breaking down. Once one stopped they all stopped and started trying to sabotage each others machine. Oh... did I forget to mention that some of the flying machines were equipped with weapons? And that they would occasionally kidnap bystanders and take them for a ride? It was crazy and funny! We walked down the streets and watched the madness! here are a few pics!

Off to a fast start the vehicle in front soon lost the lead. Notice the child that has already been placed on the front of the flying machine!





Racing in luxury...





No doubt that this was the fastest of the group... it also had the most 'flair'.



(see next post!)



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A few more pics...

(See the post above)



Showing off for the crowd... I'm sure that the kids was scared to death!..... I was!





The winners celebrate...










After the race - trying to extinguish his flying machine!




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Feeling Festive

I love this time of year. The long summer days seem to linger for ever, and all of Ireland seems to be celebrating the nice weather. There are several cool little festivals going on over the next month. Currently there is an arts festival taking place in the city. There are concerts, art exhibitions, comedy shows, and street performances. Tourists are everywhere, and buskers (aka - non official street performers) are having impromptu concerts, magic shows, face painting, etc on every spare portion of the main shopping streets. The whole city seems to be alive lave into the night and the craic (aka fun) really is mighty! Dee and I have gone to a few things (spoiler alert) and I'll be posting a few things over the next few days.



These are a couple of pictures of the main tent that Dee and I took last night around midnight.












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Making hay while the...

Living in Ireland - I quite often see flashes of a former world. It might be something as simple as an old man walking down the street with his cows... or a traditional fishing boat on the ocean... or even the look on someones face.... but the instant you see it you know that this truly is living history.... something that has not changed for generations. These brief windows always happen in a split second and when you are not expecting it...... They can never be planned and are never put on display for the tourists. Seeing them is just part of living here... something that you stumble upon... and when you do see them you instantly know that you have witnessed a treasure.

It happened again this week. I was out for a drive (not too far from where we live), and I noticed some hay stacks in a field. I parked at a pub down the road and hiked back to find them. After standing there taking a few pictures I decided to hike up some of the boreen (little side roads) to see some other hay stacks that were off in the distance (see the picture I got below).



Seeing hay stacks like this is becoming more and more rare these days. These are the real thing. The were not made by a machine, but rather have been dried and stacked by backbreaking labor... just as they have always been made. The farmers put a small plastic bag on top of them and then weigh it down attaching rocks with string on each corner of the bag. The result is a beautiful pile that is stable and won't blow away.


After walking down the boreen and back I decided that the lighting and sky were too nice to pass up. I had to keep walking and taking pictures. Boy... am I glad that I did! I walked up a large hill in hopes of getting some panoramic shots. Once I came to the crest of the hill I discovered that I was overlooking a field where a family was making hay. Seeing the several generations (at least three) working together just as they have for generations was a beautiful sight. It does not take a hopeless romantic like me to know that I was seeing something that may someday fade way. I really do love Ireland... and I love that even though it is a changing and modern country it has not lost its history... that it is alive in the fields...













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A great day!

Today is a great day here.... "Why?" you ask.... Burger King has opened in our town! Ok... i know that may not seem like a big deal..... but when you never get to have a whopper it is a VERY big deal! We are going to go out to lunch there with some American friends to celebrate and toast our fries together!

To celebrate this grand opening (and because I have a ton of pictures that I want to post) I am going to post a random pic!







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Paddy's Day!

It was an amazing St. Patrick's Day! The weather was perfect... not too hot... not too cold... but a perfect 60 something. The sun was out... and there was not a cloud in the sky! Dee and I met up with some friends and went to the parade. The warm dry weather really brought out the crowds, which really added to the excitement. Here are a few quick pics... but I'll be posting more soon!

The modern version of St. Patrick (and his pet snake - I think). It is a rare sight that St. Patrick has to wear sunglasses!





Watching the parade





There were several groups of immigrants that marched in the parade... even a group of Americans that dressed like Obama and carried masks. These are a couple of our friends F and E. You did know that Obama is Irish... didn't you? That isn't a joke.




at the end of the parade...





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TV in Ireland...

This is my new favorite commercial on Irish TV. hope you enjoy!

Counting Down...

Well... we only have a couple of days left now... I am looking forward to the exhibition's opening on Friday...... but I am not looking forward to setting it up. We can't really get in to set up until Friday morning, and I fear that we are going to be running around like crazy all of that day. I know that is just my tendency to worry... but I kinda feel like a kid who has a big exam coming up and knows that he should be studying... but doesn't (not that that was ever me... well... actually it was always me).

Over the weekend we worked to narrow down the photos to the select few to display. I had a horrible time doing this. It is like picking a favorite child. Thankfully - Dee was very objective and would quickly say - yes or no - to the photos that I held up. We still don't know exactly how many we can display... I don't think that we will know that for sure until Friday morning. We are going to go in tomorrow and actually measure the room and try and figure out a guess at how many we will hang. I'll post more soon... right now I have to go down to the local photo shop and get some more of the pictures printed out.


Oh.... and happy first day of Spring!!!!!! yep.. in Ireland today is the first day of spring!!!! I can't say that enough!!!


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Haggis anyone?

Last weekend was a weekend of several firsts. We had our first "Burn's Night" with our friends I. and L. (names have been withheld to protect the guilty). We didn't even know what a Burn's night was before moving to Ireland... so - for those of you out there (Americans ;) ) that don't know what this is - let me tell you. This sacred night (the 25th of Jan) is a Scottish holiday in remembrance of Scotland's national poet - Robert Burns. Most of you are probably familiar with his work "Auld Lang Syne" (that is sung every New Year's Eve). The evening can be formal or informal... with large groups... or small... but they always require laughter... speeches.... toasts... poetry being recited and...................... (take a deep breath)............... Haggis!

The Haggis was paraded around the room.... addressed with poetry (that was written to it) and eventually eaten.

Haggis.... well............ How should I describe Haggis? I'm not really sure how to explain the smell... and taste of sheep's heart, liver, and lungs.... that is minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt and then is boiled in the animal's stomach for three hours. I'll just let your imagination tell you what it tasted like.... I didn't think that it was all that bad. I don't know that I would order it for dinner anytime soon... but there was something cool about eating a traditional dish that you know has to be thousands of years old.

In the end - Burn's night was a lot of fun. Not so much for the food (although it was cooked perfectly) but more for the friends and the time we got to spend with them. What a fun night of laughter and fun. I can say for certain that it was a night I will never forget.

Here are a few pics for you to enjoy.

Fresh Haggis!





I. carving the Haggis (no joke)





Who wouldn't want that?





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Two weeks and counting

Ok... our photo exhibition is going to be two weeks from today. We still have a TON of planning to do! I have put together a few posters that I am getting printed today. I plan on posting them up in a couple of places around town tomorrow ( i hope). Here is a quick sample.


















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Happy Birthday - Irish Rain!

Don't know if you have noticed... but we have passed a big milestone around the ol' website.


This month marks the 5th anniversary of our Irish Rain website! I can't believe that I have kept this going for SO long!

Over the past 5 years the website has had over 34,000 visits! Who are you people?

Over the past year we have had visitors from all over the world. Here is a map that shows all of the visitors locations in 2008:





This last year we had an average of 100 visits per day:






Thank you to everyone who drops in from time to time... and especially those of you that check on us every day! I can't tell you how much we appreciate you coming by the website! Stay tuned... I'll keep posting!




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Taking the plunge...

Well............. I can't believe that we are going to do it.... but we are!


(insert drum roll here.......)


In just under three weeks - we are going to hold our first public photo exhibition!


Wow... that is a scary thought! Our local library has a very large multipurpose room that is used for just about anything/everything. It is a courtroom (once a month)... a reading room... a concert hall... and even an art gallery. So... before I left to go back to the states I reserved this room for the month of February (yes - I picked the shortest month!). My plan is to hang/display photos that we took while in the States. We will have an opening on Friday the 6th of February 7pm to 9pm and then the photos will hang (and the room will be open to the public) for the rest of the month.

I went in to reconfirm that we do indeed have the room, and just talking about the details made me nervous. I don't really know why... but it does make me a bit nervous to have strangers and friends come look at my photos while I am still standing there...... But I also think that I need/want some push to evolve and... a reason to take more pictures. There is just something about being able to share what I see, and I think that it will be great to share our experiences in the states with our friends here.

So... there you have it... more details later...

Oh... and I have changed the timer on the top of the page to countdown to the show...



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The Tin Whistle

Ireland really can be a magical place. The way a modern place mixes with ancient traditions and way of life really amazes me. Here is an example: As I write this I am sitting outside with my MacBook and wireless internet. I am also instant messaging with a co-worker and at the same time I can hear the faint tune of a tin whistle on the air. Only in Ireland.... wow... I love that!

The tin whistle is probably the most abundant instrument in Ireland (I would think). Here, most kids learn it first and then graduate to a harder instrument. The simple little whistle can be played with such complexity and speed that it astounds me. The airy tune can be carried on the wind across fields and water for what seems kilometers. I often will hear the magical music on the air and have no idea where or what direction it is coming from.

It is that time of year again...

Each summer loads of fishermen descend upon this little island with the hopes of catching Ireland's famous trout and salmon. The only problem is that in modern Ireland nothing is free. All lakes and rivers are privately owned/controlled. The best spots to fish always cost the most... and their is usually a waiting list to get a spot. There is a river near where we live that has a waiting list a year long! In honor of this season here are a few pics!











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Not stuck in a box...

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A while back I observed something that struck me as really funny. As I stood and watched the crowds of people shopping and enjoying the day I realized that even though we are a continent away from where I grew up the teenagers here are just like the teenagers back home. It does not matter if you are in America or Ireland the result will be the same if you give a couple of teens a bit of freedom... time on their hands... and a mime:





Don't feel too bad for the mime. These two girls helped to draw a lot of attention to her act and a load of coins in her hat.



This weekend I happened upon the mime taking a break.... Her silent appreciation of a peaceful moment in the fading sunshine really made an impression upon me.





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Dustin the turkey...

Everyone in Ireland is talking about Dustin this morning....

Last night was the annual EUROvision song contest. Each year every European country selects and sends a musical act to an 'American Idol' type contest. This song contest started back in the early 50's and has produced such musical acts as: Abba, Celine Dion, and even Riverdance. Ireland has won the competition more than any other country but has not had much success since the contest was opened to Eastern Europe. This year all of Ireland's hopes were pined on a puppet named Dustin. The performance - if you can call it that - was a blatant attempt to get laughs, mock the contest, and win votes by playing to every country. Dustin's song 'Irelande Douze Points' contained such riveting lyrics as:
"Hello Abba, hello Bono, hello Helsinki
Ola Prague, hello sailor, se la vie
Alvida sein Mama Mia, and god save the Queen
Bon joir Serbia, good day Austria
You know what I mean?"

or


'Eastern Europe we love you
Do you like Irish stew?
Or goulash as it is to you?

Shake your feathers

Listen Bulgaria we love you
Belarus, Georgia, Montenegro,
Moldavia, Albania, Croatia,
Poland, Russia, Ukraine,
Macedonia, Love you Turkey
Hungary, Estonia, Slovakia,
Armenia, Bosnia Herzegovina
And don't forget the Swiss!'

Needless to say... Dustin was disappointed when he did not get past the first round last night. The final contest will be held on Saturday night. I don't think that we will watch it... I think that we will go see the new Indiana Jones film.

Here is a youtube video of Dustin's performance. Enjoy if you dare!

Only during the summer in Ireland... (pt.1)

do you go to the beach to play hurling...

Today's Random Pic...

St. Paddy

We had a great St. Paddy's day yesterday! The weather was wonderful for the first time in 5 years! We met up with another couple that Dee knows from her painting class and we decided to spend the day together. The parade was shorter than usual this year, but the atmosphere was great! It is amazing what a little sunshine will do to lighten up the spirits! Here are a couple of shots from the parade.... As always... more to come soon!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!!

Dee and I getting ready to head out to the parade! Every year this is day is a miserably wet and cold day. It is currently sunny and no sign of rain!!!! We will be taking pictures and posting soon! In the meantime here is a short video about St. Patrick. I don't know if you have ever seen it... but it is well worth a watch!

Behind the camera...

It is a funny thing to be on this side of the camera. What you see really never tells the whole story. You guys see the peaceful mountain lake, but you never see the 18wheeler nearly blow me off the road while I snapped the picture. You guys get to see the beautiful old building but never see the grafiti on the building next door. So.... I have decided for once to pull back the curtain and let you see what is going on behind the camera.


What you see:

Beautiful and sleepy harbor after a long day of work:







What you don't see:

Stinky (wet) neighborhood dog that has been pestering me for the past hour... wanting me to throw sticks and a plastic bottle for him to fetch.







What you see:

Beautiful 14th century Norman castle reflecting in a perfectly still lake.







What you don't see:

Neighborhood dog spraying me with the stinky lake water as he shook it off.






There is always something going on on the other side of the camera. I enjoyed the peace of the day... and I did enjoy my new little doggie friend. Here is the catch. What was the first thing Dee said to me when I picked her up after my little adventure? "Whew! What did you step in?"


Yes.......yes......... I did!


Now my friends, you know the rest of the story.

Strangeness...

A strange thing has happened.... Summer has come to Ireland!!! I know that it won't last... but for the last three days we have had some summerish weather! As I sit here, there is not a cloud in the sky... no rain... no wind... and Dee isn't wearing a coat! Miracles do happen!

I have to say that yesterday evening turned out to be one of the most beautiful nights we have had in months. Dee and I had a very busy (and good) day yesterday and decided to get out for a bit of a drive and walk before the sun disappeared for another month. Along the way we met a farmer named Pat (which I'm sure is short for Paddy or Patrick). He and his sheep dog came riding up the road while I was taking some photos. He jumped right off the bike and greeted me with a very firm handshake. We stood and talked about the weather - a conversation I have had a million times here. He asked where I was from. He wasn't familiar with where the state is located so I tried to act out it's location with my hands. In the end he was convinced that I was from Florida. I couldn't correct him. We stood and talked about the differences in our two homelands, and he shared with me how he has seen Ireland change over the past few years. With a twist of the head, a wink, and a smile he told me that he has been speaking Irish ever since he was "a bab in the cradle". He had come out that night to do some work. He had cows in the field that needed to be taken in before the temperatures dropped. He laughed and agreed when I asked if I could take some pictures. Now that I think about it, it must have seemed absurd. Here is this lad from Florida wanting to take pictures of something that is so normal and routine.... I'm sure he didn't know that I love this part of life in Ireland - a part that has not changed for generations. The last thing he told me as he walked away with his cows was that I needed to take the pictures home and show my friends and family in Florida.

What did I just say?

Here are a few things that I never would have said before I moved to Ireland:

Said to a group of friends: "How are ye?" (This is one of my favorite things that is said here... but I miss a good southern Y'all from time to time)

Said to a friend: "Look at the pretty hooker out there!" (A hooker is a fishing boat in certain areas of Ireland)

Said to a friend: "Are you going to hurl this year?" (Hurling is a sport in Ireland)

Said to the shop keeper as he stood behind the main counter: "Do you have any craic?" (Pronounced 'CRACK' - it is Irish for good news/fun times)

Tradition!

It is that time of year again... I renewed my membership in the polar bear club by taking a quick dip in the ocean today. This little tradition all over Ireland is alive and strong in our area. People all over town postponed present opening and Christmas dinner long enough to meet up at the beach... strip down to swimsuits... and jump into the freezing north Atlantic. It was a blast. The best thing about it was the camaraderie on the beach after the swim and goofing off with some good friends. The temp on the sand was a warm 40 degrees F... I don't know about the temp of the water... but I know beyond any doubt that it was colder than on the land!