Passports & Parents 7/13/23

We begin today’s post with a story I wouldn’t have shared yet had it not ended as well as it did. If Mimi is reading, she will start to get anxious for us. Have no fear Mimi – it worked out!

In Dingle, we had a day of kayaking planned, and, as you know, it turned out to be a great experience. I was using my backpack as kind of a day bag, and with kayaking planned, I decided to take our passports out and put them in the drawer in the nightstand at our cottage. This was obviously prudent, but it would have been even more prudent to remember them before leaving. As we drove that last couple of miles into Kinsale last evening, I realized my stupidity in forgetting our passports in Dingle! I called Maureen and she walked next door and put hands on them. So, we were now at least certain they were there. As it turned out, Maureen had an appointment in Cork this morning, and Cork is only 30 minutes from Kinsale. We met her there this morning and got our passports back! Phew!!!

This small side trip worked out great, as Stacey had wanted to visit Cobh (pronounced Cove) near Cork. We were there 25 minutes after my blood pressure was reduced by the passport retrieval of 2023. Cobh is famous as the last port call of the Titanic before her tragic loss at sea. We arrived in time to join a walking tour with our guide Catherine and a family of four. It was incredibly enlightening. The seaside town is “unchanged for centuries” in Catherine’s words. While the beautiful harbor and surrounding islands naturally draw your eyes and senses, everything is in the shadow of the massive and stunning St. Colman’s Cathedral. It is simply beautiful and inspiring. It is reported to have taken between 50-75 years to build, depending on who you ask and how you define start and finish. I lit a candle for Mom when we went in for a peaceful prayer in a spectacular setting. We lunched at Seasalt by the harbor and both had a corned beef brisket sandwich on toasted sourdough bread. Stacey says it was the best sandwich she ever had in her life, and I second the motion!

We headed mostly east, with Ballycotton as our destination. I wanted to see the Ballycotton Lighthouse, and we found a small secluded beach that we had to ourselves for 20 minutes of exploring. We walked up a few hundred feet to the tiny harbor and saw a group of young girls jumping into the water from the pier. I had to do the same, so I got my suit from the car and changed in a public bathhouse right there on the pier. I jumped in with a thumbs up to Stacey. It was AWESOME! Yes, the water was cold – but it felt fantastic!

We drove our final leg for the day and arrived here in Tramore for dinner and a nice walk on a huge beach.

While in Cobh, I thought of my Mom’s parents, who both emigrated to New York from Ireland. We know more about her mother, Margaret Greene, and I wondered if maybe she had left from Cobh. She was Grandma to us, and she was a sweet, sweet woman. I pictured her anxiously pacing on the docks of that historic harbor. It was a major emigration port for many of our ancestors seeking a better life after famine and civil strife had decimated Ireland. I reached out via text to my cousins and my Mom’s sister Mary to see what they knew. Mary confirmed that Grandma had indeed emigrated to New York from Cobh in either 1925 or 1926! She was born in 1903, so she would have been 22 or 23 when she left her home to find a new life. Incredible. Tomorrow we are driving up to Athlone for two nights, as it is only about 20 minutes from where Grandma was born and grew up. We will pass through Kilkenny on or way to our home base in County Roscommon until Sunday. Stacey’s family has roots there as well on her Mother Mimi’s side. We are looking forward to learning more about our parents parents, and other family if we can. We’ll let you know what we find as we head into the heart of this scenic island! 🇮🇪