ireland « Tags « AnnieMagz.com

This is what we do while you’re all at the pub
Written on Aug 9 2010

This is what my housemates and I do at home while everyone else is at the pub:

After dinner last night, my housemates and I sat around trying to recall any American or Canadian folk songs (we’re all American or Canadian). This resulted in some renditions of “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain” and a strange Canadian song about beavers. Those in turn resulted in a makeshift Milling Frolic.

At a glance, this seems like some strange Canadian ritual. Once you get to know the practice though, you quickly realize that it’s a nice break from all the moose hunting, syrup collecting, and Canada Slamming.

Comments Life TAGS: canada, ireland, milling frolic

This is what I do in pubs:
Written on Aug 8 2010

After a horrible cheating attempt by myself.(photo credit to Rachel Maynard)

I also often study.

Comments Life, Travel TAGS: ireland, pubs, summer 2010

MOUSTACHE FROG ON YOU!!!
Written on Aug 8 2010

No, that is not an insult. While people sing Sean-Nós songs in the Conamara area, listeners often shout things at the singers to give them the motivation to continue. These words of encouragement include:

Dia leat – God be with you
Up sleamhcán – Up sladdy (sea vegetable)
Up scrathachaí – Up sods of turf
Croch suas é – Lift it up
Up an baile s’againne – Up out village

And my personal favorite:
Muisteais frog ort! – Moustache frog on you!

I asked a couple locals why people shout about frogs and moustaches, and apparently there isn’t really a reason. It’s just what they do. Haha I think the Irish may just have a thing for animals with moustaches, because when I was on the Aran Islands, I found this moustashed horse:

Comments Life, Travel TAGS: aran islands, conamara, ireland, irish language, moustaches, summer 2010

An update on the last two and a half weeks of my life:
Written on Aug 3 2010

I arrived in Galway City on… July 15th, I believe. For those of you who don’t know, I’m in Conamara right now doing an Irish Language immersion course.

I happened to be in the same hostel room as a good chunk of kids who would be in my course. We meandered, bonded, all around become best friends overnight.

I did the beginner level of this course last year, so this year I requested to stay with the same bean a’ tí (host mom) I had last year. When I walked up to the front door she flung it open and said, “Welcome home!” It was so nice after a month of wandering without any familiar faces.

I’ve been studying pretty hard (I even brought my notebook and notecards into the pub and studied there), but I feel like things sunk in more easily last year.

I made a return to several places I journeyed to with this program last year: Ros Muc, Kylemore Abbey, Clifden, and Inis Meáin (where I climbed on and around Dún Chonchúir for the second year in a row…YES!).

I’ll probably write more about my program and what we’re doing.

In the meantime… ENJOY SOME PICTURES!!!