"Nil aon tintean do thintean fein."
There is no fireside like your own fireside.
Irish Proverb
Well here I sit with a glass of Jameson and water by my side, no ice, in a hotel lobby near the Shannon airport. I am going to find it hard to write this. Today we basically retraced our steps back from the west coast through Limerick. We did cross to the North of the Dingle Peninsula to find a hidden gem, too well hidden, and got caught in a major traffic jam in Tralee (40th annual Rose of Tralee festival), and Sue almost went through the windshield when I stopped to get another Irish Horse picture. Horses are plentiful in the fields; places to pull over are VERY rare. But, ach, a fine horse it was.
Well goodbye Ireland, I will cherish for the rest of my life the memories of your Heather covered mountains, your bountiful flowers, your timescapes and landscapes, and yes your forty shades of green. But most of all I will miss your warm, warm hearts, your way of ending a meeting with "god bless" or similar phrase, your trustfulness, and the beautiful melody of your voices. The beauty and history of your land may make you who you are, but it is you who make Ireland a place where all feel so welcome. So to paraphrase a song written by Ian Byrne and sung by one of my favorite Irish / American groups The Elders:
Fare thee well men and women of Erin
I will dance your memories with joy in my heart
I will go now and pray that as I traveled your land
I learned by the lessons you gave
Crioch
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