Tully Cross

Hello everyone... I'm sorry it's been so very long.

I don't quite have an update for you yet... but I'm working on it. I'm in my last two weeks and I have a couple papers/projects/tests/oral exams like things to do... not to mention the fact that I ended up with a plague and they've been dragging us all around Ireland... Not that I'm complaining... I just don't like 6 hour bus rides after a night of stomach flu.

But I am working on a real update... telling you about travels and trips and all such lovely things..

Much love to all

PS I've been accepted to U of Cincinnati with 80% scholarship. I'm waiting to hear from Western and Miami U of Ohio to see if they can offer me TA positions... I'm apparently in the upper portion of the list... I should find out in a week... or so they say. And Toledo emailed me asking if I was still interested... after not hearing boo from them. I told them that I might still be interested if I had known I was accepted. They said that whatever Western offers me... they can probably top.

I just want to go to school and not worry about it anymore!!

Hello everyone.

Happy Valentines Day

I wanted to let you know that I got into two of my four graduate schools so far. I am officially accepted to Western Michigan University and Miami University of Ohio. I don't know about assistantship/associateship/fellowship yet... but I wanted to let you know.

Thanks

hello friends.

It's been a while and I appologize. It has been quite an interesting couple of weeks here in Tully Cross... Well... ok the interesting spreads throughout Ireland.. but still.

So I suppose I will start with our trip. About a week and a half ago we took a trip to Clonmacnoise. Clonmacnoise was a monastery located on the Shannon river close to the center of Ireland. It was built originally out of wood in the 5th (6th?) century by King/ St. Ciaran. It was attacked something like 37 times by the Irish, the Normans, and many other people along the way. After being burnt down a few times it was rebuilt in stone. It is the home of the most famous of Celtic crosses that they have moved indoors and now replicas sit outside in the original places. It is said that a pinch of dirt from St. Ciaran's grave will ensure a good crop if sprinkled in the four courners of a field. It is also said that anyone buried at Clonmacnoise will never suffer hell. The monestary was finally pillaged and plundered by the normans who according to Dr. P "took everything that wasn't nailled down... and they didn't use nails then so... that was everything... "

We then hopped back on the bus to go to our hotel where we were finally warm for the first time since we've come to Ireland. I woke up and my thermometer on my travel alarm clock said 73 degrees... Usually, I woke up to it saying 48 degrees.... yeah...

That night (after spending some time in the jacuzzi) we went to Bunratty Castle where we tasted mead, many of us for the first time, and then had a mideval dinner. Other than the Beethoven music ruining the mideval mood, it was a very nice dinner... we lacked silverware, but still ate a four course meal. The actors elected a couple of our crew to be Earl and Lady and they presided over the court for the day. Singing and a bit of acting was our entertainment.

The next day we went back to the castle for a tour, which proved to be quite lovely, and we were allowed to wander the folk park... which ranged from mideval cottages to victorian houses. The walled gardens had to be my favourite even though they weren't in bloom. Unfortunately my camera had run out of batteries at this time... but I will steal pictures from someone else. I could have spent another hour there just looking at things.. and getting attacked by rogue geese... who didn't like it when I honked back at them....

We then got back on the bus for a while and ended up at Pangur Ban (which I think is the passage tomb that I mean to discribe.. unless it's a poem about a cat... or both) The passage tomb is 5500 years old I believe. It looks more or less like a section of stonehenge. The amazing thing is that at one time it was said to have been covered with a mound of ground... but now it stands on a field of limestone with ruts where the water has worn it away and/or the glaciers have scraped against it.

Then came the Cliffs of Moher. Those were amazing. Basically they are what they sound to be... they are cliffs overlooking the ocean.. However they have an archway of piled stones that must have occured naturally as I can't see a safe way to travel down to the area that they lie. It looks as if it could be the gateway to another world. The bus driver told us "there are twenty four on the bus now, I want twenty four to return. It is about 350 yrds down to the ocean from the top of the cliffs.. and if you fall off.. we're leaving without you'... we all kind of laughed it off.

We found out later that a 26 year old mother and her four year old son fell off the cliffs a few days after we were there. They have both been pronounced dead. I don't think that anyone really knows quite what happened as of yet.

Another tragedy occured that same day back in Tully Cross. One of the regulars, I believe his name was Michael, suffered a massive heart attack in the pub. He died almost instantly.

We returned home and then I left the next morning for Galway. I saw The Scottish Play performed there (could have been better.. but wasn't bad... necessarily) And we went to the cinema to see The Last King of Scotland.. that still doesn't allow me to sleep well at night. We stayed in a teeny tiny hostle that was all bohemian and cute with beatles playing and murals on the walls and windows.

Last friday I took a walk out to the Pirate Grace O'Malley's castle. It was a beautiful walk and a neat little castle. It was worth the walk even if we didn't time ourselves well. The castle is about 4 miles away... but since we got ourselves lost in the middle of a golfcourse, we figure it was more of five miles there... maybe four back... and we took four hours to walk there and back (what with stopping for pictures of tai bo on the green fields in the sunset.. and... getting lost). We made it back just as the sun finally went down and it was dark. It was a good walk.

Crappy picture of Grace O'Malley's castle.
http://members.aol.com/finlough/granuailetower.jpg

Last night in the pub there was a row... a drunk man (not one of ours) started screaming and throwing pool sticks around. Eventually he was thrown out. He got pissed and punched the door three times breaking the glass. Apparently all of the Aquinas kids stood up (fight or flight response) but all of the locals were quite unshaken by it. They just said "sit down yanks it's ok".

This upcoming thursday I will be flying to Paris France for my extended weekend. I am excited and a bit nervous.. just because Tully cross is such a safe town, and I hear some horror stories about Paris.

well.. Now that I've spent loads of time writing this... I think I'll run away and see what the craic is. Much love to all. I'll be writing again after France. If you get a chance to look up pictures to these places, I would advise it.. they were quite cool.

Slantia
Meaghan

Well friends.

We finally have internet access at the cottages here in Tully Cross. Therefore I am able to write you a decent letter this time.

Ireland is cold. Literally when we were sitting in the pub huddled around the fire one of the students out here said "If I had known how cold it was going to be here inside the cottages... I would have not come." The problem is that we can only have the heat on for two hours a day to stay within the budget, and the fireplace doesn't really heat the cottages too well, and retroactivly they create a draft. so... cold.

Hot water bottles have become my best friend.

We had our first culture class on irish set dancing and learned the connemara set. The dance I realized almost immediately would be perfect for ren faire and if I'm able to be involved next year I will teach the troupe.

I haven't heard from any of the graduate schools yet.. but it's quite early.

We've had two other classes, History and Literature. Right now we seem to be centering on the 1916 rising and the anger between the Irish and the English.

Everything is expensive here. However I found out that the minimum wage is about 8.50 euro, which if you convert it, is over 10 dollars an hour. So of course everything is going to be more expensive here.

We've also taken a trip to the Letterfrack woodworking college which was quite cool. I found the restoration section, where they restore and preserve antique furniture, especially intriguing.

I don't really know what else to say. It's green .. It rains alot. I've seen cows.. and mountains and the ocean. I've talked to locals. As soon as it clears up I'll be walking to the Pirate Grace O'malley's castle. That should be really cool..

I'll write again soon
I hope everyone is doing well.
Much love
Meaghan

Hello all

Internet isexpensive and I only have a few minutes. So Iwontbe longwinded. Ireland isbeautiful. itis green everywhere and there is justruins everywhere. it's gorgeous. I went to the ocean and saved a sheep from a rosebush. Thesheep look like they have gotten in paintball fightswhen no one is looking. I met some of the locals. mostof them are related. Brian is the shop owner who is hardly ever in his shop, and then there is Jarod who is is a mouthy know it all but in a good way pubowner. They are friendly and fun oldish irish men.

my time is out. I'll talk more later. Have a beatiful day everyone. Talk to you soon.

Love to everyone.