Sunday, January 30, 2011
Pamela Louderback, Day 96-97
These two days did research at QUB Library and also at University of Ulster. One book I was hoping to find at U of Ulster is "Nationalists and the Irish Language: Competing Perspectives". It has one chapter title that peaked my interest, "The very dogs in Belfast will bark in Irish"!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Pamela Louderback, Day 95
The morning was taken up by an early visit to the Elms Village to meet with Marguerite regarding the process of "checking out" of the University faculty apartment. Since I was in the neighborhood of the larger Tesco, I thought I might be lucky enough to find a replacement for my dual wattage converter. However, it was not to be. This quest has become quite difficult one; my iPhone is on it's last 20% and failing fast. Also, it's put a definite challenge on my plans to prepare PowerPoints, etc... for my upcoming guest lecture on my laptop in the comfort of my apartment.
I know...I could write a short novel on my dual wattage converter saga -- it could be quite a thriller -- Will the main character find a replacement dual wattage converter before her iPhone finally loses all of its charge!? Of course, that would require my spending even more time in my office writing the piece.
Previously, I had put together an outline for what I thought would be a short presentation at Swansea but received an email from Angela Jones who informed me that there was to be a reception the evening prior and that the University had slated a two hour timeslot for my lecture. So, back to the presentation -- to extend it a bit beyond the original 30-45 minutes! This has become quite an exciting prospect. Hopefully, I will represent NSU well.
I spent the better part of the late afternoon and early evening at Maddens Pub and Bar with Sean, his buddy Arthur, and Roger -- a chap originally from Leeds. Like me, Roger was not officially a part of the "Club" (although I am now an honorary member) but he's known Sean and Arthur for years as a fellow Maddens customer. After four hours of lively talk and much drink, I still had nothing on the history of Irish Medium and Shaws Road. Sean gave me his contact information and invited me to make a trip to his house sometime before I leave Belfast. I consider it quite an honor to be invited to his house and hope that we will be able to talk a bit about his role in the Irish Medium movement.
I know...I could write a short novel on my dual wattage converter saga -- it could be quite a thriller -- Will the main character find a replacement dual wattage converter before her iPhone finally loses all of its charge!? Of course, that would require my spending even more time in my office writing the piece.
Previously, I had put together an outline for what I thought would be a short presentation at Swansea but received an email from Angela Jones who informed me that there was to be a reception the evening prior and that the University had slated a two hour timeslot for my lecture. So, back to the presentation -- to extend it a bit beyond the original 30-45 minutes! This has become quite an exciting prospect. Hopefully, I will represent NSU well.
I spent the better part of the late afternoon and early evening at Maddens Pub and Bar with Sean, his buddy Arthur, and Roger -- a chap originally from Leeds. Like me, Roger was not officially a part of the "Club" (although I am now an honorary member) but he's known Sean and Arthur for years as a fellow Maddens customer. After four hours of lively talk and much drink, I still had nothing on the history of Irish Medium and Shaws Road. Sean gave me his contact information and invited me to make a trip to his house sometime before I leave Belfast. I consider it quite an honor to be invited to his house and hope that we will be able to talk a bit about his role in the Irish Medium movement.
Pamela Louderback, Day 94
Most of today was spent in my office either on the computer or the telephone. I spent time researching journey travel plans for my upcoming trip to Wales. Additionally, I made journey travel plans to visit Derry for additional personal (as well as professional) research endeavors.
I also attempted to make additional contacts with other Irish Medium school principals but was not successful as one individual has been ill for the last two weeks and, as yet, has not returned to work. I left contact information with the other school.
And I worked on changing my current flight plans to the States. Unbeknownst to me (or my travel agent) Continental had taken it upon themselves to covertly make a schedule change to my returning flight (having canceled the February 5 evening flight from Newark to Tulsa) and had postponed that leg of my journey for the following day. The thought of a seven hour layover in Newark is one thing -- however, a layover of a day and a half is another matter altogether. After a flurry of phone calls and emails, my flight journey was changed with an added leg from Newark to Houston, then on to Tulsa. All in all, although it requires an additional plane change, my arrival to Tulsa is quite close to the original time.
All of this maneuvering required that I pop in to the School of Law graduate office to use scanners, etc... so I decided that while I was "in the neighborhood" I would inquire about Queen's International Study Abroad program. Denise was not sure of the process but gave me the necessary contact information for the Director of the International Office. After returning to my office, I sent off an email to the Director inquiring about accreditation rules, modules counting toward final degree plans, reciprocal versus fee paid agreements, etc...
After a long day of tedious tasks unrelated specifically to my research, I decided to take a much needed break from reality and take in a movie. Given the late hour and the fact that Monday evening are £3 night at the Queen's Film Theatre, I decided on QFT! QFT shows the very best in new and classic world cinema as well as movies from the UK and abroad. A bit of history QFT was the first cinema in Northern Ireland to install a digital projector! Anyway, they were showing the film NEDS (non-educated delinquents). The plot:
I also attempted to make additional contacts with other Irish Medium school principals but was not successful as one individual has been ill for the last two weeks and, as yet, has not returned to work. I left contact information with the other school.
And I worked on changing my current flight plans to the States. Unbeknownst to me (or my travel agent) Continental had taken it upon themselves to covertly make a schedule change to my returning flight (having canceled the February 5 evening flight from Newark to Tulsa) and had postponed that leg of my journey for the following day. The thought of a seven hour layover in Newark is one thing -- however, a layover of a day and a half is another matter altogether. After a flurry of phone calls and emails, my flight journey was changed with an added leg from Newark to Houston, then on to Tulsa. All in all, although it requires an additional plane change, my arrival to Tulsa is quite close to the original time.
All of this maneuvering required that I pop in to the School of Law graduate office to use scanners, etc... so I decided that while I was "in the neighborhood" I would inquire about Queen's International Study Abroad program. Denise was not sure of the process but gave me the necessary contact information for the Director of the International Office. After returning to my office, I sent off an email to the Director inquiring about accreditation rules, modules counting toward final degree plans, reciprocal versus fee paid agreements, etc...
After a long day of tedious tasks unrelated specifically to my research, I decided to take a much needed break from reality and take in a movie. Given the late hour and the fact that Monday evening are £3 night at the Queen's Film Theatre, I decided on QFT! QFT shows the very best in new and classic world cinema as well as movies from the UK and abroad. A bit of history QFT was the first cinema in Northern Ireland to install a digital projector! Anyway, they were showing the film NEDS (non-educated delinquents). The plot:
John McGill is a promising student at a tough Glasgow school who, despite a family background of alcoholism and abuse, looks set to sail into university and a bright future beyond. That is, until things begin to go wrong at school and John, like his older brother before him, slips into the heady and dangerous world of Glasgow's gangland. In the matter of six weeks, this guy goes from a straight A, top of his class student to one of the most brutal gang members on the block. 'Neds' is the 50-year-old Scottish actor Peter Mullan's third feature as a writer and director and returns him to the time and place where he grew up. How much artistic license Mr. Mullan takes on this piece is speculative, but overall, the movie is well worth seeing.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Pamela Louderback, Day 93
Since my time left in Belfast is coming to an end, I thought I would spend today on the Lagan River. I walked down Donegall Pass again in hopes of window shopping at the antique stores. Unfortunately, they were closed and shades were drawn over the windows. Past Donegall Pass, I traveled Ormeau Road for one last visit to St. George's Market and finally gave in -- purchasing the Isle of Man Manx cat figurine. I had a nice visit with the proprieter who regaled about all of his trips to the United States over the last 25 years. He had been to Macon, Georgia, several parts of Alabama, North Carolina and all along the Eastern seaboard. His favorite place was North Carolina.
After leaving St. George's, I walked up Oxford Street past Waterfront Hall making my way to the place of the bloodiest site of Bloody Sunday (Oxford Street Bus Depot) where at 2:48 p.m. a car bomb exploded outside the depot on Oxford Street. This explosion resulted in the greatest loss of life and the greatest number of casualties. The area was being cleared but was still crowded when the bomb exploded. Two British Army soldiers, Stephen Cooper (aged 19) and Philip Price (27), were close to the car bomb and died instantly. Three civilians who worked for Ulsterbus were killed: William Crothers (15), Thomas Killops (39) and John Gibson (45). One member of the Ulster Defence Association was also killed: William Irvine (18).
I walked along Donegall Quay, enjoying the tugboats, ships, and passersby. Laganside Courts, the Customs House, and the Royal Court of Justice were all within blocks of each other. At Thanksgiving Square, I was able to see the sculpture known as The Ring of Thanksgiving. This female figure represents various allegorical themes associated with hope and aspiration, peace and reconciliation and is derived from images from Classical and Celtic mythology. Typical Belfast humour - she is know as many things:- The Thing with the Ring; The Nuala with the Hula (Nuala a common Irish girl's name); or The Doll on the Ball.
However, my favorite sculpture, one I had been wanting to see "up close", was the "Big Fish". This sculpture is a printed ceramic mosaic sculpture created by John Kindness. It's 10 metres long and was constructed in 1999 in Donegall Quay near the Lagan Lookout and Custom House. The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. Material from Tudor times to present day newspaper headlines are included along with contributions from Belfast school children (including a soldier and an Ulster Fry). The work was commissioned to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan and the return of the salmon. The site is a significant landmark -- where the River Farset meets with the River Lagan. Belfast is named after the River Farset -- The name is derived from the Irish Béal Feirsde, which was later spelled Béal Feirste. (Béal means "mouth", feirsde/feirste is the genitive singular of fearsaid and refers to a sandbar or tidal ford across the mouth of a river.
The end of my Titanic Quarter/Laganside walking tour took place near Victoria Square -- a shopping centre that is home to over 50 stores including House of Fraser, Topshop, Cruise, Reiss and H&M. Architecturally, it gives a feel of openness and almost all levels can be viewed depending on where you're standing. Victoria Square bases itself on an open street model more prevalent in mainland European cities: it is termed an "urban grain streetscape", not a mall. The showpiece glass dome space is the heart of the project with floating platforms linking all levels of circulation -- and is quite impressive looking, especially at night.
Photos of my outing will have to wait as I destroyed my converter while Skyping the other day (i.e., burning smell, followed by loud "pop", and much smoke that filled the entire office) and I cannot use my laptop until I purchase a new converter. I'm just glad a fire extinguisher was not necessary... Slan!
After leaving St. George's, I walked up Oxford Street past Waterfront Hall making my way to the place of the bloodiest site of Bloody Sunday (Oxford Street Bus Depot) where at 2:48 p.m. a car bomb exploded outside the depot on Oxford Street. This explosion resulted in the greatest loss of life and the greatest number of casualties. The area was being cleared but was still crowded when the bomb exploded. Two British Army soldiers, Stephen Cooper (aged 19) and Philip Price (27), were close to the car bomb and died instantly. Three civilians who worked for Ulsterbus were killed: William Crothers (15), Thomas Killops (39) and John Gibson (45). One member of the Ulster Defence Association was also killed: William Irvine (18).
However, my favorite sculpture, one I had been wanting to see "up close", was the "Big Fish". This sculpture is a printed ceramic mosaic sculpture created by John Kindness. It's 10 metres long and was constructed in 1999 in Donegall Quay near the Lagan Lookout and Custom House. The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. Material from Tudor times to present day newspaper headlines are included along with contributions from Belfast school children (including a soldier and an Ulster Fry). The work was commissioned to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan and the return of the salmon. The site is a significant landmark -- where the River Farset meets with the River Lagan. Belfast is named after the River Farset -- The name is derived from the Irish Béal Feirsde, which was later spelled Béal Feirste. (Béal means "mouth", feirsde/feirste is the genitive singular of fearsaid and refers to a sandbar or tidal ford across the mouth of a river.
The end of my Titanic Quarter/Laganside walking tour took place near Victoria Square -- a shopping centre that is home to over 50 stores including House of Fraser, Topshop, Cruise, Reiss and H&M. Architecturally, it gives a feel of openness and almost all levels can be viewed depending on where you're standing. Victoria Square bases itself on an open street model more prevalent in mainland European cities: it is termed an "urban grain streetscape", not a mall. The showpiece glass dome space is the heart of the project with floating platforms linking all levels of circulation -- and is quite impressive looking, especially at night.
Photos of my outing will have to wait as I destroyed my converter while Skyping the other day (i.e., burning smell, followed by loud "pop", and much smoke that filled the entire office) and I cannot use my laptop until I purchase a new converter. I'm just glad a fire extinguisher was not necessary... Slan!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Pamela Louderback, Day 92
Today, I packed up some of the clothes I wouldn't need for my last two weeks here and dragged them to the post office on Botanic Avenue. I had noticed earlier in the week that three big boxes of toilet paper had been sitting in the Mail Room at the Institute of Governance. So, I emptied one box of its contents onto the remaining two boxes, and took the empty box home.
Once I posted my clothes, I decided to check out the St. Georges Market. I hadn't been there in awhile and thought this was probably one of my last chances to do so. I took an alternate route down Donegal Road and was glad I had done so. There are several antique stores and a variety of Chines restaurants and businesses in the area. Additionally, I came upon several Ulster Loyalist Murals. I stepped into one of the antique stores to purchase a Commonwealth Plate and inquired about any Irish Wolfhound items. The proprieter wasn't there at the time but a quick call by his assistant assured me there wasn't anything at the moment but that the proprieter had on order a flask top with a Wolfhound on it. It was due to arrive in about a week. I left my name and number with the assistant -- hopefully, it'll come in before my departure to the States. It has been impossible to find anything with Wolfhound motifs, etc...
At St. Georges, after thinking about it every time I visit, I finally decided to get some Young prints of the Belfast area and Antrim coast. I had a nice chat with the artist who was very helpful in picking out a variety of prints for my collage. I'm looking forward to getting the prints home and framing them. Also, I picked up a Tara's broach and two spoon rings for family members. Unfortunately, the gentleman with the Isle of Man Manx cats was not there.
The rest of the day was spent Skyping back home and going through emails. My evening was spent transcribing some of yesterdays interviews and deciding what else I should pack and post to the States. Given the price of posting, I may just drag it home in my suitcases. I had hoped to get rid of enough to only have two suitcases, instead of three. We'll see how my finanaces hold out!
Once I posted my clothes, I decided to check out the St. Georges Market. I hadn't been there in awhile and thought this was probably one of my last chances to do so. I took an alternate route down Donegal Road and was glad I had done so. There are several antique stores and a variety of Chines restaurants and businesses in the area. Additionally, I came upon several Ulster Loyalist Murals. I stepped into one of the antique stores to purchase a Commonwealth Plate and inquired about any Irish Wolfhound items. The proprieter wasn't there at the time but a quick call by his assistant assured me there wasn't anything at the moment but that the proprieter had on order a flask top with a Wolfhound on it. It was due to arrive in about a week. I left my name and number with the assistant -- hopefully, it'll come in before my departure to the States. It has been impossible to find anything with Wolfhound motifs, etc...
At St. Georges, after thinking about it every time I visit, I finally decided to get some Young prints of the Belfast area and Antrim coast. I had a nice chat with the artist who was very helpful in picking out a variety of prints for my collage. I'm looking forward to getting the prints home and framing them. Also, I picked up a Tara's broach and two spoon rings for family members. Unfortunately, the gentleman with the Isle of Man Manx cats was not there.
The rest of the day was spent Skyping back home and going through emails. My evening was spent transcribing some of yesterdays interviews and deciding what else I should pack and post to the States. Given the price of posting, I may just drag it home in my suitcases. I had hoped to get rid of enough to only have two suitcases, instead of three. We'll see how my finanaces hold out!
Pamela Louderback, Day 91
Friday came much too quickly. It seems the days are going at a much faster pace now that my time is short. Today, I visited two Irish Medium primary schools. The first school I visited was Bunscoil Phobal Feirste. This is the school that Colm Mac Aindreasa (of St Mary's and Kelly's Cellars fame) and eight other children attended. As noted in earlier posts, in the late 1960's a group of Irish speaking families set up an urban Gaeltacht on Shaw's Road (near the Falls Road area).
In 1971, parents from that area decided to start a school for their children and Bunscoil Phobal Feirste began with nine children. It was community built and supported for the first thirteen years, not receiving any funding from the state. In 1978, a full immersion nursery program was introduced and the number of students grew every year. This was a momentus step in the history of the school as English speaking families could enroll their children from teh age of three in a immersion program. This program develops the foundation in linguistic skills which allows the child to fully accesss the curriculum in the Primary schools.
Finally, in 1984, Bunscoil Phobal Feirste was awarded official maintained status. Bunscoil Phobal Feirst is the flagship school in the Irish Medium sector and a model from which all subsequent schools was created. In September 2009 the BBC broadcast a program which was made in honor of th first nine pupils in the school. It follows the progress which has been made douring the years from 1971 until today. Colm was gracious enough to give me a copy of the program.
In 2000 Bunscoil Phobal Feirste moved from the original prefab building of the 1970's into the new state of the art building facility. It is quite an impressive site from the original. In 2002, the nursery school, Naíscoil Bhreandain, was opened on the same site. The school is comprised of fourteen classrooms, resource areas, a large sports hall (gymnasium), a medical room, a cnetral library, and attractive welcoming foyers and offices. In the foyer, painted on the wall leading to the classrooms, is a mural that depicts the first nine children in honor and remembrance of what was achieved. There are also two outdoor play areas. Each classroom has its own cloakroom and toilet area with access to the purpose-built resource areas that are grade specific for each Rand.
After interviewing the principal, (Deirdre Nic Suibhne) and receiving a tour -- she drove me to the next Bunscoil on my list for the day -- Bunscoil an tSiebhe Dhuibh. A staff member who usually drives the van to the Whiteside swimming pool had called in sick, so when I arrived, the principal was off-grounds pitching in with that duty. Margaret, the Administrative assistant, offered me some tea and I waited for the principal to return. When the principal, Roisin Ni Ghadhra, returned -- she invited me along for the return trip. I was fortunate to do so given that the original setting for the Bunscoil an tSiehe Dhuibh was actually where the pool now stood. It is a sobering and humbling experience to think of the community struggle, support and sacrifice that continues to take place -- of parents who are so committed to making sure their children can speak the Native language. Young people who went through the Bunscoil and Gaelscoil system are now teachers at the Bunscoils. And administrators are those who went through Bunscoil Phobal Feirste. As some individauls become Principals of new schools, Vice Principals become Principals -- almost a domino affect of positions being filled.
Bunscoil an tSiebhe Dhuibh is a newer school, on a smaller scale than the Bunscoil Phobal Feirste, and was started by one of the original nine. It's situated on Whiterock Road, off the Falls Road. There is a circular courtyard in the middle of the grounds where children play. Around the courtyard sits the classrooms and resource areas and teachers are able to keep an eye on children playing in the courtyard. As well, the architeture is such that the mountains in the background are a part of the building structure and able to be viewed through the courtyard. The school was constructed in 2007 and a nursery school, Naíscoil Bhreandain, is in what was once the original school (a prefab building).
The taxi ride home was enjoyable as I got to talk with a gentleman from the Falls Road area. He opted to go an alternate route through the two hospitals of Belfast to avoid the Shankill Road area. It was a stark contrast to the Value Cab ride I had earlier getting to the Bunscoil Phobal Feirste. The cabbie had never heard of the school, was not familiar with where it was - even though I had the address, and my fare was almost twice as much! Paul, my cabbie from the Falls Road was well aware of how to navigate the city of Belfast and was a much more interesting and witty conversationalist. I almost hated that the ride was so short!
In 1971, parents from that area decided to start a school for their children and Bunscoil Phobal Feirste began with nine children. It was community built and supported for the first thirteen years, not receiving any funding from the state. In 1978, a full immersion nursery program was introduced and the number of students grew every year. This was a momentus step in the history of the school as English speaking families could enroll their children from teh age of three in a immersion program. This program develops the foundation in linguistic skills which allows the child to fully accesss the curriculum in the Primary schools.
Finally, in 1984, Bunscoil Phobal Feirste was awarded official maintained status. Bunscoil Phobal Feirst is the flagship school in the Irish Medium sector and a model from which all subsequent schools was created. In September 2009 the BBC broadcast a program which was made in honor of th first nine pupils in the school. It follows the progress which has been made douring the years from 1971 until today. Colm was gracious enough to give me a copy of the program.
In 2000 Bunscoil Phobal Feirste moved from the original prefab building of the 1970's into the new state of the art building facility. It is quite an impressive site from the original. In 2002, the nursery school, Naíscoil Bhreandain, was opened on the same site. The school is comprised of fourteen classrooms, resource areas, a large sports hall (gymnasium), a medical room, a cnetral library, and attractive welcoming foyers and offices. In the foyer, painted on the wall leading to the classrooms, is a mural that depicts the first nine children in honor and remembrance of what was achieved. There are also two outdoor play areas. Each classroom has its own cloakroom and toilet area with access to the purpose-built resource areas that are grade specific for each Rand.
After interviewing the principal, (Deirdre Nic Suibhne) and receiving a tour -- she drove me to the next Bunscoil on my list for the day -- Bunscoil an tSiebhe Dhuibh. A staff member who usually drives the van to the Whiteside swimming pool had called in sick, so when I arrived, the principal was off-grounds pitching in with that duty. Margaret, the Administrative assistant, offered me some tea and I waited for the principal to return. When the principal, Roisin Ni Ghadhra, returned -- she invited me along for the return trip. I was fortunate to do so given that the original setting for the Bunscoil an tSiehe Dhuibh was actually where the pool now stood. It is a sobering and humbling experience to think of the community struggle, support and sacrifice that continues to take place -- of parents who are so committed to making sure their children can speak the Native language. Young people who went through the Bunscoil and Gaelscoil system are now teachers at the Bunscoils. And administrators are those who went through Bunscoil Phobal Feirste. As some individauls become Principals of new schools, Vice Principals become Principals -- almost a domino affect of positions being filled.
Bunscoil an tSiebhe Dhuibh is a newer school, on a smaller scale than the Bunscoil Phobal Feirste, and was started by one of the original nine. It's situated on Whiterock Road, off the Falls Road. There is a circular courtyard in the middle of the grounds where children play. Around the courtyard sits the classrooms and resource areas and teachers are able to keep an eye on children playing in the courtyard. As well, the architeture is such that the mountains in the background are a part of the building structure and able to be viewed through the courtyard. The school was constructed in 2007 and a nursery school, Naíscoil Bhreandain, is in what was once the original school (a prefab building).
The taxi ride home was enjoyable as I got to talk with a gentleman from the Falls Road area. He opted to go an alternate route through the two hospitals of Belfast to avoid the Shankill Road area. It was a stark contrast to the Value Cab ride I had earlier getting to the Bunscoil Phobal Feirste. The cabbie had never heard of the school, was not familiar with where it was - even though I had the address, and my fare was almost twice as much! Paul, my cabbie from the Falls Road was well aware of how to navigate the city of Belfast and was a much more interesting and witty conversationalist. I almost hated that the ride was so short!
Pamela Louderback, Day 90
Most of the morning was spent at the library and the office researching journal articles. I still need to get to the Linen Hall Library and the Public Library to see what they might have that Queens' doesn't carry. I also had an invite to the Drumbo Park Greyhound Stadium http://www.drumbopark.com/ for dog races. Having never been to a dog race, I wasn't sure what to expect -- but what a treat! Eileen invited me, Don Bogen and his wife Cathryn to join her, her son Charles, and several other guests from Queens (Jim and Colette) Eileen's work (Martina, Jane) Stephanie - niece of Jim's, Dorothy - Eileen's sister, (and another young lady).
Prior to the evening at the races, I did some grocery shopping and stopped in to Don and Cathryn's to invite them to the dog races and was graciously met with conversation, tea and a new treat unfamiliar to me made of a cracker-like substance and fig-like filling. I also finished putting together questions for my upcoming Friday interviews with the Bunscoil principals.
The evening began with a brisk walk to Eileen's accompanied by Don and Cathryn. Once there, we piled into Eileen's car and made a quick stop to pick up Eileen's sister Dorothy. The rest of the trip to to the racetrack took about 10 minutes time. There was quite a bit of excitement in our group as none of us had ever attended a dog race. Our seats were prime real estate -- up high and against the window. There were ten races in all that took place at Drumbo, and there were also t.v.'s that displayed races from Drumbo as well as as Shelbourne Park, Dublin. Bets were £2 minimum at Drumbo, and £3 minimum at Shelbourne. Having never done this prior, and having no idea how it all worked, I played it safe and made only three bets of £2 based on tips I'd received from Jim (who moonlights as a bookie when not engaged in academic endeavors). Two of the three dogs placed, so I ended up with a £4 lead by the end of the night.
Dinner was included in the entry fee - it was a special evening deal to entice people to come to Drumbo in hopes that one would return again (called "Terrific Thursday deal"). The dinner was spectacular with appetizers (I chose lamb, chicken skewers, and a vegetable patty of some sort). For dinner, I chose lamb again (locally grown from Armagh) with assorted vegetables and potatos. The lamb was some of the best I've ever tasted and just melted in the mouth. Although I had no room left for it, I went for dessert - brownie crumble and stuffed down a couple of bites. It was truly a great night out with wonderful friends and spectacular foods. And I saw some really beautiful dogs that I wouldn't mind adopting!
Prior to the evening at the races, I did some grocery shopping and stopped in to Don and Cathryn's to invite them to the dog races and was graciously met with conversation, tea and a new treat unfamiliar to me made of a cracker-like substance and fig-like filling. I also finished putting together questions for my upcoming Friday interviews with the Bunscoil principals.
The evening began with a brisk walk to Eileen's accompanied by Don and Cathryn. Once there, we piled into Eileen's car and made a quick stop to pick up Eileen's sister Dorothy. The rest of the trip to to the racetrack took about 10 minutes time. There was quite a bit of excitement in our group as none of us had ever attended a dog race. Our seats were prime real estate -- up high and against the window. There were ten races in all that took place at Drumbo, and there were also t.v.'s that displayed races from Drumbo as well as as Shelbourne Park, Dublin. Bets were £2 minimum at Drumbo, and £3 minimum at Shelbourne. Having never done this prior, and having no idea how it all worked, I played it safe and made only three bets of £2 based on tips I'd received from Jim (who moonlights as a bookie when not engaged in academic endeavors). Two of the three dogs placed, so I ended up with a £4 lead by the end of the night.
Dinner was included in the entry fee - it was a special evening deal to entice people to come to Drumbo in hopes that one would return again (called "Terrific Thursday deal"). The dinner was spectacular with appetizers (I chose lamb, chicken skewers, and a vegetable patty of some sort). For dinner, I chose lamb again (locally grown from Armagh) with assorted vegetables and potatos. The lamb was some of the best I've ever tasted and just melted in the mouth. Although I had no room left for it, I went for dessert - brownie crumble and stuffed down a couple of bites. It was truly a great night out with wonderful friends and spectacular foods. And I saw some really beautiful dogs that I wouldn't mind adopting!
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