Last day in Ireland!
So now we had the sunshine and beautiful sky after the storm for our last day. We took a walking tour of Kinsale with a great historian as our guide in the morning. The history is all told in previous entries...in 1200 the Normans invaded and "became more Irish than the Irish"...and in 1601 the "Irish Clans", in alliance with the Spainish, were defeated by the Brits, marking the end any real self-rule for the Irish. The Irish Kings and leaders left in what is called the "flight of the Geese" through about 1610 as they took up residence mostly in France, and some in Spain, and the Brits began "planting" Scottish and English throughout the country, with privilege, to diminish the opportunity for the "Irish". And, it was with the Scottish being "planted" that the Wallace's (previously Scottish) came to Glin about 1610, and they are still there....and, today, consider themselves very IRISH...I guess 400 years is long enough to make that claim! And we toured the Wine Museum and were reminded of the Irish who were key in bring good wines to many parts of the globe, including Napa Valley! As we prepared to leave, we had one last group of guests....maybe the best for last! We were delighted that Moira and Dan, "tricked" Peg Wallace into riding down from Adare, and actually coming aboard. It was a wonderful evening to end our time in Ireland, with some of Sean Wallace's family joining us for a pint and dinner....since it was, after all, Sean who brought alive the "U.S. to Ireland Wallace Family connection" when he first visited the States in about 1980....THANKS SEAN!! Mike |