MORE ABOUT IRELAND

                                       Irish Tid Bits
         From 1939 to 1945 air travel from America was by flying boats that landed at Foynes, County. Limerick after a long 18 hour flight. The passengers, chilled by the boat trip from the seaplane to the terminal, sometimes in cold, damp weather conditions, appreciated a hot cup of coffee or tea on arrival. The youthful manager of the Foynes catering service believed that passengers would welcome something stronger. The head Chef at Foynes rose to the occasion, developing, after some research, what is now known as Irish Coffee.

         In 1929 Guinness advertising proclaimed, “Guinness is good for you.” 

         In 1971 Gilbeys of Ireland set out to create a uniquely Irish drink that would embrace two of the country's finest products: fresh dairy cream and Irish whisky, and celebrate one of Ireland's finest traditions - just passing time and chilling out with friends. No one had managed to blend cream and whisky before, and it took years of patient work, plus a little chocolate and vanilla, to create the truly amazing taste.

         Finally, on November 26th 1974 a new type of drink was born: Baileys® Irish Crème, a cream liqueur.  Now it is the best selling liqueur brand in the world.  Baileys® uses the finest fresh cream from local dairies and whisky from Ireland’s most renowned distillery. The alcohol in Baileys® preserves the cream in a wholly natural way and guarantees its freshness over long periods.

   Gallagher’s in Temple Bar (an entertainment area of Dublin) is known for its traditional Irish food, but we passed it up. First we’d had plenty of Irish food and secondly we had no desire to return to Temple Bar. Music in the pubs does not start until about 9:30ish, and everyone was emphatic about the ish. It ends at 11:30. If one wants a drink after that he must go to a bar which is open until 2:00AM. The pubs have been smoke free for a decade but were always very crowded and noisy in the evenings. We concluded that such a scene is for the young, not us old folks.

  

          At City Hall there was is an interesting multimedia display of city history. In 1867 there was a proposal to move a marble statue of O’Connell inside the building as it was not considered to be weather proof. It still stands in the refurbished rotunda. In the center of the marble rotunda floor is a 1898 mosaic of the coat of arms. The ceiling is beautiful. In 1915-19 frescos were added at the ceiling. Repairs due to dry rot were made to the building in 1926 and a wonderful restoration was done in 1998. Outside, the front façade still shows some bullet davits from the civil war.

        Dublin was the first place we ran into having to use your room card to start the elevator. It’s a common occurrence now.

       St. Stephen’s Green, occupying 27 acres, is an oasis in Dublin’s city center. It was once an open common for punishment. It is the oldest park in the city (1664). After a long period of decline, it became a private park in 1814 and mid century residents had keys to enter the park. In 1880 Lord Ardilaun, chairman of Guinness, bought all the keys and landscaped the area before giving it to the city. Among the meandering paths are a Victorian bandstand, flower gardens, formal lawns and ornamental lake with waterfowl, bridges and islands. Buildings surround the green.  We were in and out of the green several times. The park seems always to be pretty crowded, especially near the entrances.

       Oscar Wilde’s house is directly across the street from Merrion Park. Wilde’s father was a well known eye and ear physician who was knighted. His mother was a poet and he probably got most of his literary

urge from her. At the corner of the park is a lounging Oscar Wilde on a huge rock. Fourteen different rocks are used in the statue. His face is a bit unusual as it portrays different moods when viewed from different angles. From the left he appears rather sad, face on he appears contemplative and from the right he appears happy. He is high enough to peer over the fence onto the busy street.  The Georgian homes were primarily built by Protestants as Catholics were excluded from representation and were not allowed to vote 1690-1840. In 1794 the Free Men were 3000 strong in a city with a population was 130,000.

  The round metal covers in the sidewalks in the Georgian area of Dublin are old coal shoots where coal was once delivered for heating.

A BIT ABOUT IRELAND

                                       Irish Trivia
        The Republic of Ireland became independent in 1921. The island country is 175 miles wide and 300 miles long. Ireland is divided into four provinces: Ulster, Munster, Leinster, and Connaugh. Within the four provinces are 32 counties, 26 of which are in the Republic of Ireland with the remaining six in Northern Ireland. It is a country of horses, sheep, poets, writers and thousands of storytellers in a place where story telling is an art, and where elegance of speech is prized more than affluence. Ireland’s population is about 5.7 million with over 4 million living in the Republic. Over half of the country’s population is under 30 years old. There is a rich diversity of ethnic groups and cultures.

     The Shannon River is Ireland’s longest. The countryside is dotted with 900 castles in a country of breath-taking scenery, quaint villages, picturesque harbors, jagged coastline, historic castles, religious houses, museums, Celtic culture, a long history as well as shamrocks, Guinness, and little people. Known for its friendly and hospitable citizens, it also is a country of infinite charm where a relaxed air and tranquility great the visitor.

     During the occupation of Ireland when the English banned bagpipes from being played the Irish adopted the harp as the country’s symbol. It appears on bank notes, banners and the famous stout drink, Guinness. Ireland’s currency now is the Euro.

     The Irish flag has three even vertical rectangles. The green, closest to the flagpole represents the Irish people, most of whom are catholic. The orange on the far right represents the British supporters of William of Orange who settled Northern Ireland in the 17^th century, and the white in the center represents peace between the two groups of people. The flag was first used in 1848.

     Nomad travelers, called Tinkers, have a rich and different culture including their own language. Once 20,000 tinkers traveled in unique vehicles called barrel top wagons. We saw none and were told that today they travel in caravans of SUVs. They are adamant that they are not gypsies, but nomads

      A thin drum called a Bodhran, pronounced Bough-rawn, is used in traditional dances. The Irish Bodhran drum is constructed from a laminated, shallow, round, wooden frame. In most cases the frame is reinforced with a center wooden crossbar. Ireland is one of six Celtic regions that utilize the Bodhran drum in varying styles and techniques. Skin of goat, calf or even greyhound covers one side of the drum, and that side is struck with the hand or a stick called a tipper. The stick comes in many shapes and sizes, and varies based on the individual style of the player, and the region from which the player comes. Since the Bodhran drum is open-ended, various shifts of timbre and pitch can be achieved by manipulating the hand, fingers, or arm on the inside of the skin.  Music is central to Irish life and society.

      I found the many dry-set stone walls marking ancient boundaries across the country picturesque. Roads throughout the country are very narrow and have no shoulders. The soil is often soft on the roadsides because of the abundance of peat bog/soil.

ABORIGINAL DREAMTIME

                                   Dreamtime  (Tjukurpa)

      Dreamtime is not a dream when sleeping, it has nothing to do with sleep, but is the concepts and laws by which  aborigines live their lives. All aborigines share the view of Dreamtime, an English term for the system of aboriginal law and beliefs. Rich in mythology and religious ideology, it is a basic belief of life.

       Believing they have two souls, one is mortal, the other is immortal linked with ancestral spirits and totem.  Tjukurpa is existence itself, in the past, present, and future. It provides answers to important questions such as the creation of the world and how people and all living things fit into the picture of life. It is the Law relating to appropriate behavior of people to each other and of people to the land.

Aborigine art depicting a walkabout

       Dreamtime is the mystic age when the earth was formed by ancestral beings who roamed the planet creating life in their image and imbuing the animals, plants, and landscape with their spirits. The spirit and Dreamtime live on, a dimension that can be entered through dreams, art, and creative acts. The Dreamtime encompasses all aspects of life. The earth was flat and creatureless. Spirits dropped out of the sky and traveled around to create the land. One inherits the dreaming from his father’s side.  The place of conception is very important. Aborigines believe women and children make men civilized. 

Aborigine playing didgeridoo

Although there is much more to tell about Down Under I will be returning
to roaming the globe next time. Meanwhile you may want to visit the following posts: Kangaroos 1/25/10 & 1/30/10, Koalas 1/12/11, Tasmania 3/12/14 & 4/7/10, Sydney Opera House 11/18/10. Port Arthur 6/29/11, Fairy Penguins 9/13/12, Tasmania Devil 12/2/11, Down Under 11/1/14, 3/12/14 & 6/25/14, Ayers Rock (Uluru)12/22/10

ABORIGINAL CULTURE

                 A Fascinating Culture

       Aborigines, one of oldest civilizations on earth, are the indigenous people of Australia and have inhabited the continent for over 30,000 years. The word aborigine, in Latin, means from the beginning.         On both trips Down Under I had the good fortune to meet and talk to some of the indigenous people.                   One was more interested in telling about his experiences of which he was justifiably proud, but we wanted to learn about the culture. The second time the couple was most accommodating and freely explained their culture and answered questions.

     There were a wide variety of lifestyles among the aborigines. Hundreds of tribes had their own territory, language, and customs, developing their culture free from outside influences. Many were hunters and nomadic, living in temporary mud dwellings.

    The boomerang originally was meant as a throwing stick for hunting, fighting, making fire, or stoking coals when cooking.

    These people mastered the challenges of living in a harsh environment. They passed on their spiritual practices, planted crops, diverted streams, dug native wells, and maintained grasslands by deliberate burning to attract game for food. The population continually increased over the last 3000 years and across the continent the different tribes traded with each other. Among the exchanged items were shells, ochre, and wood.

     During colonization, aboriginal life changed dramatically. Unfamiliar diseases killed thousands. Arbitrarily displaced from the most fertile areas, many were confined to reserves in the misguided effort to overcome widespread poverty. They presently make up 2% of the country’s population, with about 90% living in the cities.  Many of the cultural groups, similar to tribes or clans, are still present today, with over 50 languages surviving. Walpiri is the largest spoken language.

    The Outback was home to many of the native peoples. The area is dry and can go years without rain. It is an area of red rock, ochre plains, purple mountains, and brilliant blue skies. Still today, towns with only basic facilities are few and far apart.

   In the aboriginal culture there is men’s business and women’s business and neither touches the business belonging to the opposite gender. This was made very clear.

   Men’s business includes playing the didgeridoo which is a long small hollow log-type instrument making a very deep sound when blown into. Men’s work also included walking, hunting, spearing game, and making spears.

   Women’s business includes concerns about human rights, providing food (the more wives, the better a man ate), digging for yams, digging for honey, grinding flour, and digging for grubs under the witchery tree.

   Common law does not recognize aboriginal law. Each tribe has a law person. Respect for the elders is very important. Traditionally teaching was verbal in the form of storytelling. Aborigines are returning to this today. Songs tell the story of Dreamtime. Tribal boundaries are crossed only by invitation.  Breaches of aboriginal law bring severe penalties.

   One is born into a skin name group. Names beginning with the same letter, such as N are for women, and those with another letter are for men. This is done for identity purposes and to avoid incest. Extended families are large, and sex between family members is forbidden.

   Men are polygamous with many wives, but the women can only have one husband. A male is not a man until he takes a wife. In the old days marriages were arranged, and it was common for a girl to be promised when about 13. Aborigine women had children at a young age. Because aborigines had little in worldly goods, the number of wives a man had proved his wealth, the more the wealthier.

       Boys used to be taken on a walk-about for two years, but only go for six weeks now, to learn lessons and culture. Then he was promised a wife; In-laws do not fight, particularly a son and his mother-in-law. Avoidance is a show of respect.

      Aborigines were not allowed to vote until 1962, and were not allowed to own land until 1976, when a land council was established to negotiate with the government. Now where rights have been established, the land cannot be altered in any way. In 1979 aborigines were granted title to 144 former reserves.

       In the 1970s the art world started to take aboriginal art seriously. Their art depicts religious and daily life. The carpet in the Sydney airport is in an aboriginal print as is the carpet in the Ayers Rock Hotel. Each has a different design.  Dances communicate with their ancestors.

       Men wear headbands made of hair. After eating kangaroo, the remains are covered with dirt and a burial is held. Yet, aboriginal children learn to endure pain at an early age. When death occurs, men show their grief by cutting themselves. Widows hit themselves on the head or are beaten by another woman because it is believed she caused the death. The mourning continues for three days to a week. All such mourning is done in the respective men’s or women’s camp.

      It was an interesting evening and we all enjoyed learning about this unique culture.

ALICE SPRINGS, AUSTRALIA

                                    The Isolated Outback

      Alice Springs in the far-off outback is a small community but held several wonderful interesting visits. We rode the overnight Ghan Train for the long trip. Afghani camel-trains, carrying supplies, made the long 970-mile trek between Adelaide and Alice Springs for many years, thus the name Ghan Train.

     A paved road between the two cities did not exist until 1980. The train traveled over level ground in the center of the country. After the wheat fields of the Flinders Range, it was flat expanses of salt bush. Flat, flat, flat!  

    After the really nice hotels we’d been accustomed to, the very basic hotel here was a bit of a surprise, but was about the best the city offered. It was clean and adequate. We then wandered around the city---all five blocks of it--before visiting the small mall. Not being very big, it held our interest for only a short while. We studied some aboriginal art which is an interesting art form before lunch.

     When I asked for a cup of tea and a glass of ice the waitress said, “We have iced tea.” That made this Texan’s day!

    The city was originally named Stuart after an explorer but renamed Alice Springs after Alice Todd, the wife of the telegraph station building project foreman. In 1939 the population was 700, today the population is 26,000, and the city is the center for Aboriginal artworks, and the base camp for Outback travelers.

     Alice Springs started as a cattle town, and as late as the 1970s the city still had a wild west image. It now survives on the tourist trade. In the Northern Territory, twice the size of Texas, the 178,000 people are outnumbered by sheep and rivaled by kangaroos, dingoes and Afghan camels. There are 1600 Americans living in Alice Springs, most are involved in the NASA tracking station at Pine Gap.  Aborigines account for 20% of the city’s population.

     At the 1792 overland telegraph station a guide took us around the grounds and buildings. The telegraph station was set up in Alice Springs as headquarters for a communication system.  The system consisted of 12 relay stations, one located every 250 miles from the station to Darwin. The site, three miles from the present city, was set up at what was thought to be a watering hole, but which turned out to be runoff from the river. Supplies came once a year via camel. Talk about isolation.

     The station had several well-preserved buildings. In one of the homes was a piano that arrived by camel. For the trip it was balanced with water and had to be unloaded each night and reloaded each morning.

     We ended our stay in Alice Springs with an early morning balloon ride over the outback. In the clear dawn we saw mobs of kangaroos hopping around as well as cattle and wild horses moving about.

     We were too distant for my camera to capture the mounds of tan that was spinifex, a mounded beach grass that covers a lot of the bush country. The 30 varieties survive on little water by developing rolled, sharp blades with cactus tip barbs.

     We did all the traditional things of helping to get the balloon ready for flight and having a champagne breakfast afterward. A delightful memory of this small outback city.

You may want to visit A Unique School 10-5-11  and Flying Docs 5-15-15