Travels with Father Carley in Ireland

Alice Drake

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Historical sites are just part of the tour of Ireland led by Father Patrick Carley. Courtesy photo/Alice Drake

By Mary Jane Morris

Parishioner, Saint Joseph the Worker

Father Patrick Carley, pastor of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, was accompanied by 26 fellow travelers for a two-week trip to his beloved homeland, Ireland. We all wanted to connect with our Irish roots by experiencing the Irish culture, history, beauty and people. We went to see the castles, kiss the Blarney Stone, shop for woolens and "have a pint" in local pubs. We came away with so much more than we could have ever imagined. Ireland was not about "what we did" but rather about what we experienced and how that experience changed us.

During our first week, we visited Dublin and walked the grounds of the ancient monastic city of St. Kevin in Glendalough, which was a center for educational and spiritual contemplation. We walked the harsh halls and cells of Kilmainham Gaol, where members of the Irish rebellion were jailed and executed. We journeyed to Belfast and listened as Joe Graham, a member of the Irish Republican Army, explained why the "troubles" continue to this day. There was a starkness about Belfast, a sense of unrest as the causes of rebellion of 1916 still smolder and trouble the country today.

We went to the Irish Folk Park and traveled back to the 1800s as we experienced the re-creation of the homes and village life of the people at that time. We became lords and ladies as we dined in the Bunratty castle. We ate with our fingers as was customary at the time and gnawed the meat off beef bones and washed it down with a gulp of mead.

We boarded our bus and motored to the Dingle fishing village. Some picnicked by the harbor, while others shopped and others stopped in at the local pubs for a pint of Guinness. The coastal beauty was breathtaking; angry waves crashed against the rocks and cliffs. We drove on to Kinsale and enjoyed the hospitality of the town, which dates back to 1601.

During our second week, we traded our bus for cars. Ireland uses "round-abouts" and more than one driver had to round the "round-about" more than once before spinning out onto the correct road.

We arrived in Fr. Carley’s hometown of Thurles, where he is better known as Patty, lover of the sport of hurling. The town was buzzing with excitement as the national hurling championships were being played. There was much celebrating into the wee hours at Father’s local pub, Bowles, when Tipperary won. During the week, we saw Ireland through Father Pat’s eyes as he filled us with Irish folklore, literature, language and history, stories of his boyhood and years at St. Patrick’s Seminary. For a short while we became part of the town folk and were known to locals as "Patty’s people."

We spent our last night together in County Tipperary at the home and pub of "Jim of the Mill." History, folklore and culture were woven together as the local folk crammed together around a huge hearth smelling of smoldering peat, and sang traditional tunes of times long ago and the love of country, honoring the hardships of souls who have long since died but who live on in the hearts of the Irish people. Musicians young and old strummed banjos, guitars, fiddles and played concertinas. Fr. Carley sang of his love of Ireland and her people. Strangers became friends for the evening.

Visiting Ireland was a home-coming of sorts—the rocky beehive homes of monks 2000 years ago, the castles of chieftains 900 years old, the cottages of villagers of the 1800s and the home of Jim of the Mill today. Each offered a glimpse into Irish culture, history and hospitality. The memories of our time with the people of Ireland are the treasured gifts that we brought home.