I’m still scrambling to get caught up, this happened the last trip and I never finished documenting the last week back in 2018. I don’t want that to happen this time.
We drove north along the Sheepshead and crossed over The Beara and crossed over to Dingle. I have very little to report because I fell asleep for 90 minutes and missed the journey. We’ve been going to bed late, getting up late and drinking appreciation pints. Customers and establishments show their pleasure with the music by giving shots of whiskey or pints of beer. I’ve been doing my best not to over do but it’s not always easy.
When we arrived at Foleys a large tour bus was parked out front. We entered the bar side, it was shoulder to shoulder. Peeking in to the restaurant showed there wasn’t a table available. John and Fidelis were nowhere to be seen, drinks were being ordered, they were obviously doing well. Everything looked familiar but the level of activity was more than I remember. The Foley’s are a wonderful family. They’re generous, kind and took us in like old friends the first time we met them. We’ve stayed connected since 2014. Their oldest Katie, whom we played tunes with is now a mom of a lively 4 year old daughter and lives across the road in the old cottage that goes back 6 generations. The twins Brid and Aine are now 19, one studying psychology and the other becoming a special needs teacher. Everybody’s growing into their lives while John and FIdelis manage a very successful business that’s been in the family the 6 generations. They own two cottages next to the pub and another home a short walk up the road. It pleases us greatly to see that they’re all doing so well. They’ve worked hard for everything they have.
We were hoping to play some tunes with Katie but Grace was requiring some attention and Katie being a good Mom stayed with her. We set up in the bar and launched into some tunes. There were a raucous group of Australians and New Zealanders who were celebrating the wedding of a friend. A fellow leaned over to me and said that he’d just received news that his Dad in New Zealand had died. He was hurting and wanted to know if we could play something in his memory. Morgan launched into Neil Gow’s Lament and James sang Wild Mountain Thyme. Two sad pieces. Tears and sighs all around. Scotty, for that is the man’s name, thanked us. As Bridget said he was in a good place to grieve. It’s a culture that knows how to grieve. We had some interesting discussions about many things, I love the people we meet here, kindred spirits. We closed the pub, John and Fidelis kindly stayed up for all of us. Fidelis sang two songs, one that her mother used to sing when she wanted friends to end the visit and go home. We went to bed late, of course, and I crashed hard and woke around 9:30am. Katie is running her own little coffee stand next to the pub. I welcomed her skills. She had lived in Cork and got used to having good coffee. When she returned to DIngle she couldn’t find anything she wanted to drink or spend her money on. She invested in some good equipment and now has a brisk business. We left the Foleys, after hugs and promises to return and headed to Clare.