On the morning after the "special evening" (see Packnote #10), I was up quite early to catch a bus just before 7:00 am to make my way to the Belfast international airport, where I picked up a rental car for a short trip to visit my friend Hannah who is working at the L'Arche community in the town of Callan. In Northern Ireland, the "South" is the name given to the Republic of Ireland.
The drive to the South provided lots of great scenery that benefited from a beautiful day for most of the drive. It was my second experience of driving on the left side of the road and, while it went well, it required concentration at times. The places that required the most attention were the roundabouts and there are lots of them. Now that I'm more used to them, I think roundabouts are a great way to move traffic more efficiently than through the lighted and stop sign intersections we have throughout Canada.
The drive to Callan took me past Dublin and then southwest (mostly south) to Kilkenny, where I navigated about a dozen roundabouts to bypass the city and arrive at my destination 16 km down the road. It was at the first roundabout, however, that I soon discovered I was working with faulty directions. It didn't take long to notice I was headed west rather than southwest, so I stopped for directions. I realize that men generally don't do this, so it must have been one of my weaker moments.
Callan
With a population of some 1500, Callan is one of the largest towns in County Kilkenny. The town's history goes back more than 800 years and it reputedly gets it name from the High King of Ireland (Niall Caille). Like so many towns I saw on the Emerald Isle, Callan has traditional charm, friendly people and a lot more pubs, pharmacies and hair salons than would expect in a town of its size. It didn't take long to walk around most of the town and see the sites. The most striking structure (what remains of it) is the Augustinian Friary, which was built around 1460. It was replaced about 300 years later and has deteriorated since then. The main stone building structure is still there and is quite impressive (see immediately below).
L'Arche
For those who don't know its background, L'Arche was founded by Jean Vanier (son of Canada's former Governor General Georges Vanier) for people with and without intellectual disabilities to share fully in community life in both residential and non-residential settings. L'Arche operates in 40 different countries around the world and for more than 30 years has been operating in Callan. Over this period, it has grown so that it now has four residential houses, a garden workshop, a craft workshop and a cafe on the main street of town. My friend Hannah is one of the international volunteers who are so essential to community life.
I spent a bit more than two days there and slept two nights in the residence. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what this experience would be or how I would respond. It was a wonderful experience and I am so glad I did this. My respect for people who work in L'Arche and similar situations has significantly increased. Despite the challenges and demands, I am so impressed with how this people respond with love and care for residents. It's not easy and they have their difficult days, but it quite amazing. I participated in some aspects of community life such as meals and "quiet hour" one evening. The "quiet hour" was quiet interesting! I was forewarned that one of the residents (Declan) would not hesitate to call out someone's name if they dosed off or fell asleep. I was introduced to him a few minutes before "quiet hour" and told him that I'd do my best to not fall asleep. His responding by telling me that I should have more coffee.
One of the residents (Helen - she has achieved independent living status) led "quiet hour." We started with a few pieces of recorded choral music to set the tone. This was followed by group singing that was a cacophony of sounds, but I'm sure it was a joyful sound to God's ears. To wrap up the hour, Helen then singled out individuals asking them to pray or telling them they must have something to pray about. Even I (Hannah's friend) was singled out. It was a great time!
Kilkenny
Other than spending time with Hannah, the only other thing in my plan for the trip South was to take a tour of the Smithwick's Brewery in Kilkenny. On the second day at Callan, Hannah had to take one of the residents to Kilkenny to see her doctor and take some tests, so I tagged along. I was dropped off near Smithwick's with the hope of a tour, but there was no room left. So, I headed off to explore as much of the town as I could in two hours. I walked along one of the main streets past pubs, butcher shops and more to Kilkenny Castle - a well restored, impressive structure that sort of anchors the city. Completed in 1213, the castle was privately owned until the middle of the 20th century when it was purchased by the local Castle Restoration Committee for 50 British pounds. After a guided tour of the castle, I strolled around the city a bit more and then met Hannah at the appointed place and time to head back to L'Arche.
Later that evening, Hannah and I went back into Kilkenny to meet one of her volunteer colleagues and listen to fantastic live music at Ryan's Bar. And, a Smithwick's of course. Check it out
http://en-gb.facebook.com/ryansbar
After Callan, I headed directly north to drop off the rental car and for my last two nights at Corrymeela. It was good to be back there and be able to spend just a bit more time with these people before heading to Belfast. In Belfast, I stayed with friends for two night before my flight home. The time there was full, but relaxed as I did some exploring and spent time with friends over coffee, food and a few beer.
And, there was one last tourist thing I was able to do - take the Titanic walking tour. The two-hour guided tour goes through the area where the Titanic was designed, built and then launched. The Titanic Quarter, as it is called, is an area of much construction and one major project currently underway is a new structure to celebrate this incredible vessel. The tour provides an understanding of the area, the size and scale of the vessel, the dry dock where it was outfitted and more. One stop on the tour is at the building where the design work was done. The building is is disarray, but there is talk of it being purchased and developed as a hotel. Time will tell on that one. Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of this great vessel. One of the best t-shirts seen during my time in Northern Ireland had an image of the Titanic supported by the phrase "Built by Irishmen, Sunk by an Englishman." I don't think it is official Titanic merchandise, but it works for me.
Adjacent to where the walking tour started was the Odyssey Arena, where the Belfast Giants hockey team plays its home games (yes - ice hockey). The Giants are one of 10 teams in a league with other teams in England, Wales and Scotland. Unfortunately, we were not able to get inside the arena because of the set-up and preparation for a rock group performance that evening.
