Forts and Football and Ceilis

Today was our service project in Cahersiveen.  We had a full Irish breakfast at our guesthouse.  I did not try the Black Pudding. I had it last time I was in Ireland, and that was enough.  It's kind of like haggis....I'm glad I tried it but I don't need it again.  

We were in 5 separate guest houses last night. Our bus picked us up and took us to the football field, where we had a lesson on how to play Gaelic football.  It's kind of a cross between soccer and hockey and basketball. It's pretty violent, but the kids seemed to have a good time.  Three local boys came to watch the Americans play football.

We then went to the community center to work with the local youth group, the Kerry Diocesan Youth Services.  We are the 60th and last P2P delegation that they are working with this summer.  They are in partnership with a group home for mentally disabled adults.  Ambassadors have painted murals, weeded flowerbeds, sorted donated clothing, and laid sidewalks this summer with KDYS.  For this final day we delivered some clothing to the charity shop, and then we had a party.  The adults at the group home baked muffins and bars for us and there was a man playing the guitar that we all danced to.  Dina even played the drums!  It was very cool.  We then returned to the community center to have a sack lunch.

After lunch Fiona, the P2P person in Cahersiveen, met us and we drove out to the bog to cut peat.  The bog is 90% water and 10% rotting vegetation and dead animals.  Once in a while they find a skeleton of an ancient that somehow died in the bog....sometimes by accidental drowning (they were still grasping the tree branch when they were found) and sometimes human sacrifices.  In County Clare some farmers were cutting peat when they found rocks, which turned out to be the oldest complete farmhouse in the world.  

We cut peat by hand, but because they are afraid that the government is going to shut down the bogs, they only let us cut one brick each. It's like cutting through butter. 

After the bog we returned to town and went on a short walking tour of Cahersiveen.  Daniel O'Connell was born here, and the local church is named after him....one of only three Catholic churches in the world not named after a saint.  There is also a ruined abbey in town which we visited.

When we were finished with the walking tour, we loaded once again onto the coach and went to the Lock-ma-beile (which is not even CLOSE to how you spell that, but that's how you pronounce it) Ring Fort.  The fort was built in ancient times and is remarkably well-preserved.  We took some pictures and had a group picture taken.  We then went back to Cahersiveen where the delegates had an interactive quiz to complete while we the leaders had a little bit of free time.  

For supper we went back to the school were once again we were served the lunch the students usually get....which was fresh cooked vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy, and an herbed chicken breast and some sort of desert.  It was delicious.  We then had some high school girls sing and dance for us, and teach us some Irish dancing.  It was very good, but by this point I was so tired I almost couldn't keep my eyes open.  

We were dropped off at our guest houses after that.  Dina, Tracie, and I walked to the store before bedtime.  

Gap of Dunloe tomorrow!  Love you all....see you soon.