Our romp in Ireland

1. Four Chums on a Romp In the Emerald Isle !

2. Moved by the spirit and led by the heart Contents This presentation has some rhyme, but no reason or logic. It was born of the spirit and it speaks with the accent of the heart.

3. Four Chums on a Romp Characters (Cast of) (not in rational order)

4. Part 1

5. Our Pilot par excellence! He drove. We prayed.

7. He looked hi and lo for a rosary (for his Irish aunt).

8. He learned that they don’t say the rosary any more.Bill Keane, the Pilot

9. Karen Love World class Navigator shows an unerring nose for bargains —except with fish mongers.

10. KL Regal as Victoria, formidable as Thatcher, charming as Sarah Palinx 2. I.e., the best vacation companion

11. She kept us in high gear, and, thank heavens, she kept Bill off the left gutter and on the straight and narrow lane.

12. Mother, Nurse,Cookand Caretaker of Us All !

13. Sanguine, indefatigable, primal mother, Born to nurse the world Ms Right was in heaven when a flirtatious Celt cooed: “You look so Irish.” Her dear ones know her as “Ms Right,” (middle name: “Always”). She cooked and cared for us with person-centered TLC. She advised and admonished us with the infallibility of a Hitler.

14. The Resident Maverick

16. rhyme seedy A Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a keg of brandy Jack got stewed Jill got screwed Now its Jack, Jill and Andy!

18. A Professor,

19. A Promoter of obscure saints and heretical theories ,

21. Editor’s note: Mt-n is conspicuously absent in the following photo gallery, for a good reason. The pics come from her private files—she shot them all. Mt-n May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

22. Swinford, a market town, in County Mayo on Route N5, lies on a tributary of the famed River Moy. Our starting point

23. Courtesy of Tom Fairchild: Swinford our 1st sojourn.

24. from where we set out each morning seeking adventure to where we returned for warmth and love where we sat at the kitchen table for a hearty meal and a boisterous argument on measures of LTC quality. Home is …

25. Home is … …where the neighbor’s pooch greeted us every morning !

26. …where the neighbors got very familiar with our non-designer wardrobe. Home is

27. Irish history: Religious footnotes History is the womb that nourishes Irish daily life

28. When they die, they lie beside their ancestors

29. Founded by St Maolcethair (died in 636)

30. The only thing new in this world is the history you don’t know

31. The Cross of Cong Made and ornamented for King Connact (died in 1156 AD).

32. Christ Church was founded after Irish King SitricSilkenbeard made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1028 Both the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church officially claim it. In practice, the former has held it since the Reformation.

33. Christ Church is built on these ruins of the Augustinian monastery (1163-1537 AD). The monks lived here and prayed for sinners like Henry VIII who confiscated all Catholic property. VT-N advances ecumenism. Chats with Dean of the Cathedral.

34. St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was built between 1191 and 1270. At this site St. Patrick baptized converts. It is the largest church in Ireland.

35. Irish history: Famine footnotes The non-famished wait for the Famine Museum

36. The Brits packed half-naked Irish in sailing ships, poorly built and unseaworthy, that came to be known as the famine coffin ships.

40. 40% from the I Class and 75% from the III Class perished.

42. Irish history: The Irish Diaspora It is a parade of heavy weights, feather weights and dead weights Discern the Irish character from the following sample of the good, the bad and the ugly among the emigres.

43. Stars and lesser lights of the Irish export. Anne Boleyn Bill Maher Bill O'Reilly Bruce Springsteen Catherine Zeta-Jones Diana, Princess of Wales Eugene O'Neill Gene Kelly George Clooney Georgia O'Keefe

44. Stars and lesser lights of the Irish export Henry Ford John F. Kennedy John Wayne Judy Garland Lee Harvey Oswald Lucille Ball Maureen O'Hara Merv Griffin Paul McCartney plus JL, GH

45. Stars and lesser lights of the Irish export Peter O'Toole Pierre Trudeau Princess Grace of Monaco Richard J. Daley Robert De Niro Ronald Reagan Sean Hannity Stephen Colbert Tony Blair

46. Now consider the super-novas in the constellation of the Irish Diaspora. Mary Tellis-Nayak Karen Love Bill Keane V. Tellis-Nayak (Irish by contamination)

47. New sensations Lasting impressions Precious memories

48. We zigzagged Across the Irish map Via highways & byways, Up rocky hills And down prickly fields Dodging cow chips And other surprises with Bill at the wheel Karen reading theroad signs, and some naughty limericks that added laughter to our joy.

49. “There are no strangers here. Only friends who have never met.”

50. The wonder land !

51. God’s Rock Garden

52. 1.7 Rock of the ages Rock Creations

53. Rock Formations

54. Rock of all Ages

55. Ubiquitous stone fences

56. Cliffs of Moher: Vote to select CoM as a Natural wonder of the world

58. Vote for CoM

59. Ireland In summer and in shadow

60. When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay

61. Hear the lilt of Irish laughter

62. 1.6from glen to glen

63. in lush meadows

64. on rolling dales and in hushed valleys

65. and down the mountain side

66. the summer’s come !

67. and all the flowers are smiling !

68. When Irish eyes are smiling Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.

69. The Irish animal kingdom

70. As Paddy does, cows come home …

71. …in no particular hurry

72. Who has the right of way?

73. Don’t ask. You don’t.

74. And you can do nothing about it.

75. St Brendan’s fosterage guarded by a bad-tempered bull

76. The view that nurtured St Brendan’s missionary vision (484-488 AD)

77. The fighting Irish: Alpha Bull picks on VT-N The bullocks are itching to join the fray

78. Bird’s eye view

79. MTN’s eye view

80. This Alpha Swan

81. from this swanee river…

82. furiously chased off Bill (indiscreet & curious)

83. Wool: 3 bags full

84. Wool: No bags full

85. Mary had a foolish lamb, It sat on an electric pylon. Ten thousand volts shot up her ass And turned her wool into nylon.

86. Mary had a little lamb, Butthe price of meat displeased her. Tonight she's having a leg of lamb, The rest is in the freezer.

87. Mary had a little lamb, The doctors were surprised. When old MacDonald had a farm, They could not believe their eyes.`

88. Proceed on to Parts 2 and 3