This is part 39 of our Ireland blog and covers the end of our time in Limerick and the beginning of our stay in Killarney! You'll read about hundreds of clay men as a tribute to an Irish Rugby Player, our arrival in Killarney and an Eejit.
TRIBUTE OF HUNDREDS OF CLAY MEN -
In St. Mary's Cathedral, Limerick there were hundreds of little clay
men in one corner of the church. We didn't know what they were until we
looked more closely. They were an artistic exhibition in the memory of murdered rugby star Shane Geoghegan. The clay men were made by the citizens of Ireland and abroad as a tribute. This massive art project was started by Shane's aunt. It was amazing to see. WHAT HAPPENED TO SHANE? - Shane Geoghegan (7 March 1980 – 9 November 2008) was a rugby player for Garryowen who was shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity as part of a gang feud in Dooradoyle, a suburb in the city of Limerick, Ireland. The murder took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, 9 November 2008
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| Hundreds of clay men |
WATCH THE VIDEO FROM IRISH TV ABOUT THE CLAY MEN TRIBUTE (in 2011): http://www.rte.ie/news/player/2011/1109/3104769-artistic-tribute-to-the-late-shane-geoghegan/
MORE RAIN! - It was a 2 hour drive to Killarney from LImerick, and it was a drive in very heavy rain! However, as we arrived in Killarney and checked in at the Ross Hotel (where we encountered a ghost- but will get to that in a future blog), the rain ended.
WHAT IS KILLARNEY? - Killarney (Irish: Cill Airne, meaning "church of sloes" is a medium-sized town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, which is part of Killarney National Park. Killarney is a popular tourist destination, and we'll explore it with you later.
After checking into the hotel we got to enjoy a quick dinner at a local pub (they only take cash because credit card companies charge too much). We then went in some of the gift shops where we stumbled upon what turns out is a popular sign and an "Eejit" (or idiot).
WE MET AN EEJIT- While in the shop we heard a woman mouthing off to an Irish clerk about her home "taxing rain." I asked her if she's from Maryland and she said yes and asked why. I explained we are from there and that the "rain tax" isn't a tax on rain, it's a tax on impervious surfaces that cause runoff of pollutants into the Chesapeake Bay. The tax helps clean the Bay. She turned to me and said "who the F are you?" I told her I am a scientist, and she said "What the hell do you know?" Her husband grabbed her arm and took out outside.
I looked at the clerk and apologized. The clerk simply said, "You tried. Some people just can't be educated."
SO, Tom held up a sign for the woman that yelled at me. It said "Feckin' Eejit."
NEXT: THE DINGLE PENINSULA TOUR!