Friends' Ireland Trip ... Done

"It is Friday now, and we are back in Canada, visiting family in Calgary before heading the rest of the way home on Monday. I meant to get this written at the airport yesterday but ran out of time.

Our last day in Ireland was spent in County Down, in the company of a fellow named Andy Peters, who we met a couple of years ago at the Canada Day celebrations in Armstrong. This is a slightly convoluted story, but it just brings home what a small world it really is.

Armstrong  BC is a sister city to a village in Northern Ireland called Rathfriland. The connection between them is a woman called Catherine O'Hare Schubert, who was born in Rathfriland in 1836 and wound up immigrating to Canada, marrying, having several children, and eventually winding up in Armstrong and living there before her death in 1918. She lived an incredible story, and by all accounts was a remarkable woman.

Andy and some other members of his community journeyed to Armstrong to commemorate this woman and link the 2 towns on Canada's 150th birthday, and we met him through our friend Chris Pieper.

When Chris heard we were making a trip to Ireland, he encouraged us to look him up, and we were very glad we did. He met us at the lovely B and B I had booked for the night  and drove us around his part of county Down, showing us the lovely sights.

He is very knowledgeable about the history and geography of the area, and very proud of his lovely part of Ireland. He took us out to Newcastle, where "the mountains of Mourne reach down to the sea" (another lovely old song I remember from my mom's records!) and around to several other very pretty spots, most with historical significance.

This is an area of green, rolling hills, lots of rock walls, fields of sheep, old rock houses and many pretty little villages. We even went past a "fairy ring", an area in a pasture with a naturally occurring ring of trees, that no human will disturb due to the superstition of what will happen if they do! Bad luck all around if you disturb the fairy ring!

Andy also knows the woman who runs Kiltariff Country House, where we were spending the night. They have been friends since going to elementary school together. From Catherine we learned some of the history of her stunning home, built in 1880, and in the family ever since then. It is a country manor, with high ceilings, ornately decorated woodwork, old oak hardwood flooring, stained glass windows, and various other Victorian embellishments. Another fun place to stay and think about people and times long past.

We have really enjoyed our time in this country. I will miss the gentle humour, friendliness, and pretty accents of the people, the drop dead gorgeous scenery and iconic sheep around every corner, soda bread, and all the wonderful history and tenaciousness of a people who have had to be tough to survive." 

Glad Hugh and Kathy are back in Canada, safe 'n sound.