Day 11 - Derry to Sligo.

Started the day at the Ulster- American Folk Park which explained why 2 million Irish people left for a new life in other parts of the world.  The Doagh Famine Villlage gave us a great deal of information about the potato famine of 1845 - 1852 and the preceding years.  Because the shoreline was sand, kelp would not grow so the farmers carted rocks to the edge of the sea which eventually grew kelp which they ate.  Other than the kelp, they really only had whatever fish and birds they were able to catch once there were no potatoes.  The first year that the government ever paid any allowances to help was 1909.  

Ireland is not a very large island - about 600 miles north to south, and 300 miles west to east.  We have received much more information about the Titanic - many more died than first thought (about 50% of passengers and crew).

There was much superstition surrounding unmarried mothers and burials.  Unmarried mothers were banned from the family to avoid bad luck.  A "wake" comes from the fear of being buried alive, so burials could not occur until 3 days after death, and a set of rules were followed to ensure that the corpse was really dead.  There was loud wailing, a pinch of salt thrown over observers' shoulders, snuff was given to the deceased, and the deceased always had company as observers in case of waking up.

People were afraid of dying in their sleep (usually from TB or Asthma), so sleeping whilst sitting up was common.

Any legal "infringements" were not treated justly - no trial and immediate imprisonment with no defined  sentence.

Any job advertised in early days stated that "no Catholics need apply".

Currencies throughout the country vary depending on location - pounds sterling in the north, and euros in the south.

The Folk Park blacksmiths shop.  The room was full of smoke and he reckoned it was a good day for smoke, not as bad as usual.  The visitors thought he would be lucky to last another year in this shed !

A typical street in Ireland prior to the exodus of the Irish to other parts of the world

The pottery factory, nice lunch but mediocre pottery even though Prince Charles was here last week.

Short stop for ice cream on the way to Sligo.

The Drumcliffe Church where the poet W.B. Yeats was buried.

Yeats grave.   He was buried in 1939 and later his wife George joined him (1968 ) -  strange name for a sheila.

This guy is pontificating on the meaning of life !!!

Parkes Castle

And again.

Now this is a castle, it is called Kilronan Castle. They don't come any better than this.  The surrounds are magnificent right alongside a lake with many acres of closely mown grass around this huge property. The rooms are huge, took some time to remove the pillows, covers and other Royal type of stuff from the bed before we could get in.  It seems as if we are getting better treatment than the others, perhaps because we are about to embark on another "back roads" tour in the UK.  We have been placed in the best rooms most nights compared to the others on the tour - maybe the influence of our travel agent ???  This is our small bus with driver and some of the 8 passengers.