Two Gonyers and a Grego

Hello, you!

Welcome back to the story of my glorious study abroad adventures. I left you all with a bit of a cliff hanger... Well, not so much actually because there is no questioning how a visit from my best friend Tess Gonyer and her mom would turn out... It was EPICALLY AWESOME. Annie and I met up with Tess and her mother, affectionately known as Renata, shortly after their bus arrived from Dublin. They were staying at a beautiful hotel located just off of Galway Bay and right near city centre. Knowing they would be ready for a meal after their day of traveling, we ate at a nice place on the main street in town. It was wonderful to have Annie, Tess, and Renata all in the same place enjoying a meal with me. The conversations flowed nicely as though we had never been apart. It became obvious that everyone was pretty excited for our trip the next day to the Cliffs of Moher. We met at the New Coach Bus Station Saturday the 16th of March to join Galway Tour Company on a trek across County Clare and the Burren towards the Cliffs. Along the way to the Cliffs we stopped at some interesting places such as: Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara, Corcomroe Abbey, Poulnabrone Dolmen, Ballyalban Fairy Fort, the High Crosses at Kilfenora, Doolin, Lisdoonvarna, and many other photo stops. Here's a look at our journey:

Annie, Tess, and I at Dunguaire Castle (Photo credit: Tess Gonyer)

 Renata, Tess and I at the fairy fort (Photo credit: Annie Hipple)

Tess, Annie, and I at the fairy fort (Photo credit: Tess Gonyer)

Annie, Tess, and I at the Cliffs (Photo credit: Tess Gonyer)

Got a little too close to the edge (Photo credit: Annie Hipple)

The fun continued the next day, Saint Patrick's Day. We rose in the morning to a breakfast made by Meghan, her boyfriend Connor, Elisabeth, and Deirdre. We readied ourselves for the parade and then made our way down to Shop Street in order to see it. After the parade we went straight to the pub (Taaffes) and grabbed a spot. The music was already playing as the people flooded in off the street, some in better shape than others. Quickly the pubs walls were filled with tourists, locals, and staff. The mission was to celebrate the holiday properly and that we did. Have a look:

Annie and I reppin the Irish flag 

Even the army men were wearing green

Elisabeth and I amongst the crowd

Glimpse at the parade

So excited to be in Ireland for St. Pat's Day!

Tess and I doing the Tommy Timberlakes dance 

After a bit, Tess and I walked Annie to the bus station. She continued on her way back home, and the next day Tess, Renata, and I went on a tour of Connemara. This tour was especially important to me because it is the area that both my mother's parents were from. The Connemara region of Galway is known for its strong Gaelic influence. In the village my grandmother Della Sullivan (nee McDonagh) was born, Carna, Gaelic is widely used by the inhabitants. My grandmother, whose real birth name was Brigid McDonagh (she changed her first name upon arrival in the States), left Ireland when she was about 15 years old. She was one of 11 children. My grandfather, Martin Sullivan, was born and raised in Recess. His village is also located in the Connemara region of County Galway. He left Ireland to go to America when he was about 15 years old as well. He was one of 13 children. Believe it or not, the towns that my grandparents were from on this island country were 14 miles apart. For those of you reading this that are not related to me and have not already heard this amazingly beautiful love story, the two of them did not meet in their native country, despite their close proximity. Instead, they met over 3,000 miles away from home in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago would become their new home and thus my existence becomes possible. Their entire story is really one for the books. In fact, more on that later. 

Another reason I was particularly excited about this tour was that we would get to see Cong, County Mayo. Again, if you are reading this AND are related to me via my mother's side, you have most likely watched a little movie called The Quiet Man... several times. This Oscar winning movie directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, and the hysterical Barry Fitzgerald, was filmed in this quaint, small Irish town. I had told Tess prior to her trip that if she was interested in seeing a movie that really showcased Ireland's landscape, she should watch The Quiet Man. That made stopping off in Cong even better. We could both visualize Michaleen Oge Flynn chasing the runaway couple, Sean Thorton and Mary Kate Danaher, and suddenly being stopped by his horse in front of the local pub, Cohan's. Michaleen's response is one that remains funny no matter how many times you see the film: "I... I Think you have more sense then I have me-self." Although Ford does a great job of capturing what Ireland has to offer, nothing is better than experiencing it yourself. We weaved in and out of Galway and Mayo seeing the gorgeous sights Connemara has to offer. Mountains encasing our view, water falling over rocks, and sheep lined our way on this tour. Here's a look at some of our stops:

Tess and I in front of Cohan's Bar

Tess, Renata, and I in front of Kylemore Abbey

The next days Tess, Renata, and I did some touring and shopping around Galway. I had the best time catching up with them and introducing them to my family's heritage. It was so great to see familiar faces and to be able to discover new things with old friends. I absolutely adored having them visit and was truly sad to see them go. As they continued their vacation in Dublin, I readied myself for more visitors and more trips to mainland Europe. 

I will leave you all with these words from Michaleen in The Quiet Man (1952):

"Well it's a nice, soft night, so I think I'll go and join me comrades, and talk a little treason."