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The UK Tour, Part One On Friday evening, July 21st, 46 members of the Ayr-Paris Band along with 52 members of the community flew out of Toronto to Shannon, Ireland on their ninth International “Celtic Caravan” tour. Over the next 14 nights, they would be traveling to Ireland and Scotland. The first stop was the majestic Cliffs of Moher, on the way to Limerick. Sunny skies greeted the jet-lagged crew with impressive views of the Atlantic ocean and the Aran Islands. There are no railings, barriers, attendants to prevent anyone from viewing these cliffs which rise hundreds of feet above the shoreline as close as they dare. It was onto to Limerick for a one-night stay. Sunday morning, we departed for a our first band engagement at the majestic St. Mary’s Cathedral in the Town of Killarney. Over 1,200 worshippers were on hand for the high noon mass. The Band performed the prelude and hymns. Patrick Schmidt was featured on trumpet during the offertory, soloing “Man with the Horn”. A short concert followed to the very receptive crowd. This was the first time an international Band had performed in the cathedral during a mass. After the service, we proceeded to the International Hotel for a two-night stay. This was truly our first taste of Ireland and it was an inspiring day of performance and music being performed in many locations throughout the Town. The next morning many of the group enjoyed a scenic trip around the Ring of Kerry, narrated by our capable tour guides, Mary Higgins and Kate of Into Ireland. Others enjoyed bike rides and brisk walks to Ross Castle and Abbey, around Killarney Bay and shopping in the Town. The afternoon’s performance was at Muckross house, significant as a visiting spot for Queen Victoria and a former home of the Earls of Desmond. It is now a national park and waterfall. Tuesday morning many of the group had the opportunity to “Kiss the Blarney Stone” at Blarney Castle. On our way to the Castle, many of the Band members were inspired by Limerick County to entertain “Bus B” with limericks created especially for the tour. It may be possible at a later date to print some of the offerings; however, most are best to remain in Ireland. The Band was curious as to why kissing the Blarney Stone, which required a 20 minute uphill climb to the top of the Castle. Mary Higgins explained that the legend was established during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. The ruler of the castle, was required to surrender his fortress to the Queen as proof of his loyalty. He said he would be delighted to do so, but something always happened at the last moment to prevent his surrender. His excuses became so frequent and indeed so plausible that the Queen, she said "Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!" The term Blarney has come to mean 'the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without giving offense'. The afternoon stop was at Cobh (pronounced “Cove”) and a performance at the Cobh Heritage Centre. This was the final port of call for the doomed Titanic and also a departing point for many Irish immigrants who traveled to Canada during the famine. We spent the following two nights in Waterford, a beautiful city on the south coast. Waterford is actually the oldest habitation in Ireland, discovered by Vikings in 852AD. In the morning we visited Waterford Crystal where the factory was abuzz with the production of the Ryder Cup. There are actually over 100 copies of the Cup produced for the winning team and sponsors as well as extras in case of breaking! There are always “extras” produced in case of mishaps, In the afternoon, many of the group enjoyed a lively walking tour to view an intact Viking tower and an explanation of town walls and ruins which still remain from the Viking times. Our week came to a close with the trip into Dublin for a three-night stay. On the way, we stopped at the Avoca Handweavers mill and outlet, the oldest in Ireland (1723) and a family-run business. We then stretched our legs at Glendalough, a sixth century monastic settlement. We were given a tour of the settlement which has been the location of many film shoots including Braveheart and Rob Roy. It remained a monastery for ten centuries, founded in the sixth century by St. Kevin. Beautiful scenery surrounds the area, including native oak, which at one time blanketed Ireland. Friday included a panoramic bus tour of Dublin and lunch hour concert at St. Stephen’s Green. Even our first taste of “Irish Mist” couldn’t daunt the crowd who remained for the concert even when it was necessary to take shelter under a very large tree. We had a few unexpected guests for the concert; including Keith Kelly. Keith is a member of the Irish Army Band who made our acquaintance in Killarney and performed “Three Blind Mice”, our clarinet feature. As well, a very uniformed “heckler”, mistaking us for Americans in Iraq; was corrected by the crowd and apologized before hastily departing the scene. There was something for everyone in Dublin’s fair city – from the Grafton street shops, to Temple Bar and its pubs. The City museums were fascinating and free to the public (something Canada should take note of). A busload of beer enthusiasts made a trip to the Guiness brewery, whose glass room on the 7th floor offered a complimentary glass of the famous brew and panoramic views of the city. An unexpected thrill was the arrival of the Guiness brewmaster. Fergal Murray spoke with many members of the Band. He mentioned that Canada is the No. 1 consumer of Guiness draft in the youth market! Mayor Kim Denouden, Mike and Merry Schmidt, Heather McQuillin and Irene Cain and had the honour of a private reception with the Mayor of Dublin, Vincent Jackson on Saturday morning. We noticed many changes in the past 12 years, since of 1994 tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was good to see prosperity sweep the country with Ireland’s entry into the European Community. However, the entry seems to have come at the expense of their identity. We were hard-pressed to find Irish working in the stores, restaurants, pubs. They seemed to be brought in as tokens for the tourists. Where are the natives living? Are they becoming as elusive as the leprechauns? We were told on many occasions that the population of Ireland is back to pre-famine days, heading toward 8 million. If you didn’t know the difference between a Polish accent and an Irish one, you would think there were lots of native Irish; but, this isn’t the case. I would estimate that 1/2 the population could be immigrants. However, it was pointed out that without the Catholic Poles and Czechs, the Catholic Church would be all but gone from Southern Ireland. Sunday morning came too soon and it was time to depart the Fair City for Part Two of our Celtic Caravan – Bonnie Scotland! Click here for part 2 of our 2006 UK tour. And enjoy these slideshows! One is Ireland, the other Scotland.
This page was last updated April 15, 2008 |
