Ireland Day 1 and 2
Saturday, September 02, 2006
I finally made it to Ireland Friday morning and was gratefull to be met my Mike's parents, and aunt and uncle who proceeded to whisk me off directly to their favorite fish and chips place on the coast north of Dublin. After having my fill and more, we landed at 7 Corbawn Grove, Shankill, County Dublin, Ireland - their home. I slept like a baby.
The next day I was picked up my Mike's brother and sister in law, Matt and Hailey, and their two wonderful kids for my first Irish Fete. A fete is basically a giant yard sale that the entire town comes out to for the purpose of swapping junk around, plus all the small rides and food booths of a carnival, plus a gymnasium full of baked goods and happy ladies in the biggest bake sale I've ever seen (including the best banana-walnut bread I've ever purchased for 1 euro.), all sponsored by a local church, for the purpose of raising money for a school. It all sounds rather confusing, but when visited in person it is simply delightful. It was almost a dream come true for me - two of my favorite things in the world: cheap junk and baked goods!
There was one thing at the fete that really threw me off. They had a local band playing music for the fete which could be heard far beyond the limits of the church grounds. I got out of the car a couple blocks away and was startled and confused to hear not traditional Irish music beckoning me, but downright Dixieland Jazz blaring out from a quintet on the stage! And they were downright good, too! I guess it was a tribute to the globalism and multiculturalism that has overtaken much of this small nation by storm over the past decade. All in all, it was very disorienting on my first day of exploring Irish culture to have my foot tapping to a soaring trombone improvosation over a Duke Ellington-esque jam.
It was at this most unusual, and most enjoyable church/circus/garage sale that I made my first lasting friend in Ireland, and I'd like to introduce him to you, because he will probably be showing up in a lot of pictures after this. 
His name is Asal. (Donkey in Irish.) I found him while rummaging through the bottom of a bin in the 'Toys' tent at the fete. He's one of those genius German made wooden toys. As you press up on a spring-loaded disk on the bottom of the base, the strings running through his body can be controlled, almost like a puppet. Basically, this donkey can dance!
That's all for now, I've got to run to a 21st birthday party for a girl at "The Goat" pub in Goatstown. Check back later!
Posted by Benjamin Washam 7:58 PM
Labels: Ireland
http://cgi.ebay.com/LITTLE-BROWN-DONKEY-PUSH-PUPPET-2-CUTE-LOOK_W0QQitemZ5977194350QQihZ009QQcategoryZ11741QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Donkey-Push-Up-Puppet-Dancing-Toy_W0QQitemZ150028703038QQihZ005QQcategoryZ13646QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Hope he gets one for his wedding!
i'll be needing that cell phone number, too.