Sunday Sundries

It's Sunday Sundries... on a Monday. Like Freedom Friday on a Taco Tuesday but less tasty.

My Internet has been dropping the last few days causing my Sunday night post plans to be thwarted.

1. I went to Wonder Woman after work on Friday. I need to do a full proper review but with my Internet still playing hide-n-go-seek, all you get is "I loved it. It was everything I wanted and more. My only complaint was that I couldn't just sit in the theatre and watch the next showing being apparently pets need to be feed or something. I don't know. I just know they ruin everything. But the movie was fantastic. It has flaws - I've yet to see a movie that doesn't - but they are so minimal and inconsequential when compared to what it got so very right."

Look at her kick butt!

2. I spent the weekend with Noah and Rachel. There was a failure with Noah's kidney transplant and they have had to start the search for another donor roughly 10 years sooner than anticipated. This is my reminder that there is a need for kidney donors. For more information about being a living donor in Canada, visit The Kidney Foundation of Canada. In the States, visit The National Kidney Foundation.

By The Awkward Yet

3. Ireland have officially entered their bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. If they win the bid, I'm making plans to go the RWC visit my family. Who wants to come with me? 😉

They're even going to open up Croke Park to non-GAA games. LOVE IT!

4. National Aboriginal Day is coming up - many indigenous people celebrate the whole month - which means the Victoria Aboriginal Cultural Festival is just weeks away. I will be going because I believe it is important to support the First Nations in celebrating their heritage. There will be Māori dancers from New Zealand this year. That's something different!

If you are planning on attending, I highly recommend that you try and catch Andy's Totem Tour, the Le-La-La Dancers, and Alex Wells. Food, as always, is available from the Songhees Seafood and Steam Food Truck. My personal favourite is the Indian Taco (bison version).

It's a few years old, but a few good words from Wab Kinew.

Here's to a great week, everyone! Only four more days until the weekend.

Sports Ball

This video appeared in my Facebook feed today.

The other countries making bids for 2023 are South Africa and France. They've both previously hosted the World Cup - South Africa in 1995* and France in 2007 - so I'm hoping that works in Ireland's favour. Ireland's hosting the Women's Rugby World Cup later this year in August, so fingers crossed that goes well and also works to their advantage. 

Any excuse to visit the family. 😉

Keeping with the sports talk, I decided I was going to give baseball a chance this season to see if I could become a fan. I've always sort of poo-pooed American football and baseball - wimpy rugby and too slow, respectively - but I have some very good friends who are fans. Having never really watched either sport, I decided that I should give them a chance. Well, I'll give baseball a chance. American football will remain wimpy rugby until the day I die. 

The best way to become invested in a sport is to follow a team, so I sat down in March and made a list of what I wanted in a team so I could narrow it down. I didn't want Toronto Blue Jays or Seattle Mariners because they have large fan-bases in Victoria and I wanted to find a team that I wouldn't be quizzed on by people judging how committed I am as a fan. I wanted a team that had a chance at a post season, I wanted a team that didn't have a racist name or mascot, that had a history to learn, etc, etc. 

I ended up going with the Baltimore Orioles and, so far, they've been a good choice. Dare I say it? I actually look forward to getting the game updates on my phone app.

Might actually make a baseball fan out of me yet.

*This was the Rugby World Cup portrayed in 'Invictus'. If you enjoyed the movie, I highly recommend the book it was based on, 'Playing the Enemy'.

Northern Ireland Movies

Today was the anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombs of 1974, and I debated writing about it. At the very least, it would be another reason to explain why I hate 'Irish Car Bombs'. (Old blog for those who are new around these parts.)

But the topic is just so depressing and there's enough of that in the world right now. Why not add some laughter? The two movies below are comedies set during the Troubles.

An Everlasting Piece
Two barbers meet while cutting hair for patients at a psychiatric hospital. They become friends and because of reasons, decide to start selling toupees.

It has a cameo by Billy Connolly and one of the greatest scenes ever written about herpes.

Good Vibrations
Based on the true story of DJ Terri Hooley who opened a record shop and started a record label in Northern Ireland to support the local punk scene.

I strongly encourage you to check out either of these movies if you can. They're a reminder that even in the darkest times, we can find laughter.

(There are, of course, a myriad of depressing movies about the Troubles. Of them all, I strongly recommend Hunger about Bobby Sands and the hunger strikers in the Maze Prison.)

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

I have so many things to talk about and catch you up on. Random nonsensical post?

On my Endgame in Ireland post, Carolyn pointed out there was another Irish documentary on Netflix called “The Irish Pub” which is a look at the (mostly) rural pubs in Ireland. Carolyn will be happy to know that I watched the documentary and I’ve been in two of the pubs they featured. It does suffer a wee bit from rose-coloured glasses, but it was still enjoyable. Sadly, pub culture is dying out in rural Ireland thanks in part to a zero-tolerance drinking and driving policy. Still, if you find yourself in Ireland, make sure you plan a night in a smaller community (preferably off the tourist trail) and park yourself in the local pub. You will not regret it.

Nine-year-old me in front of a pub in Kilkenny.
I've blanked it out but that's our family name above the door!

Learning that the Star Trek cast love Dubsmash was one of the highlights of my past week.

Star Trek was my gateway nerd so this brings me so much joy on multiple levels.


Any weight-loss progress I was making has well and truly stalled. You could even say it’s backed up a bit, although, thankfully, not all the way back to the starting line. There are no excuses to give and now claims of “I don’t know why.” I know exactly why and it’s my fault. I haven’t been paying attention when it comes to what I’ve been eating since about mid-June. Funny how two months of eat-all-the-things can muck up weight loss. Shocking!

My gym attendance has been consistent and I have noticed that my cardio endurance has continued to increase so that’s a tick in the win column. As for the eating, I’ve been paying closer attention the past week and plan to continue with it until I leave, but it’s a low priority at the moment so if I find myself getting home at 7:30 pm with no leftovers or food prepared in the fridge, I’m not going to beat myself up about ordering takeout.


The Independent has somehow able to cobble together “Top Great Reasons to Visit Monaghan”. I was surprised there were 10 reasons to visit Monaghan!

Nine-year-old me took this picture! Just kidding. Monaghan Town in 2011.
My uncle was all proud that they finally had a stop light. A STOP LIGHT! Just one.
I love you, Monaghan. Never change. Well, maybe one more stop light.

The Royal Family is coming to BC and the Yukon for the last week of September which has a lot of people excited. I’m best described as apathetic about the monarchy. If I was to wake up tomorrow to the news that they had been removed from Canada’s Head of State status, I wouldn’t shed a tear. On the other hand, getting rid of them doesn’t save us money as we’d then have to invest in the creation of a political entity to replace our current system of Governor General and Lieutenant Governors.

A lot of their time will be spent in Victoria because we have Government House. Government House is more commonly known as the home of BC’s Lieutenant Governor, but it is also the residence of the Royal Family when they’re in BC.

To help Cely you imagine their visit, they will sit at this table to eat their meals.
To be honest, I love visiting Government House... I'm just indifferent to the Royals.
Hopefully, that won't hurt my chances to land the Lieutenant Governor gig. ;)

It’s also 5 blocks from my house.

Not going to lie, I’m happy I won’t be here for all the added people milling about when I try to go for an evening walk.

Friday night, I am going to a Rodriguez concert. If you haven't seen "Searching for Sugar Man" then that name probably means nothing to you, but if you have seen "Searching for Sugar Man"... I'M GOING TO A RODRIGUEZ CONCERT!!

Finally, the one month countdown to Tanzania has begun! To celebrate, my two favourite Tanzanian musicians. The first video is X Plastaz, a hip-hop group from Arusha. The second is Z.Anto, who was big in the BongaFlava scene when I was there.

Tusker beer, here I come!

Endgame in Ireland

I was clicking around on YouTube tonight when I stumbled upon "Endgame in Ireland", a four-part documentary about the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. The documentary had been on PBS years ago. My dad had taped it and passed it on to me to watch. Taped it. As in, VHS tapes. Remember those, kids?

I haven't seen it 15 years but I remember it for being a fantastic documentary and for providing a very balanced view on the issue. My dad credits that to the fact that it was produced by both BBC and RTE. You probably know the BBC, but RTE (Raidió Teilifís Éireann) is the national broadcaster of Ireland. (Psst, want to listen to spoken Irish? And I mean more than the few words I might yell at you when we're out together. Follow this link and click the 'RnaG Beo' in the top menu bar. Yes, it does kind of sound like you're listening to a record in reverse. But I digress... like always.)

At any rate, I couldn't watch "Endgame in Ireland" tonight because it was too late and I still have to work tomorrow but I think that's my weekend plans sorted. If you are interested in watching the series yourself - which I highly recommend if you have an interest in contemporary Irish history - then you can find them by following the links below:

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Three

Episode Four

Once you've watched these, you might understand better why I was so flabbergasted when in the wake of the Brexit vote, Ian Paisley, Jr encouraged his constituents to apply for an Irish passport if they were eligible for it. His father must be absolutely writhing in the afterlife.

While I'm on the topic of documentaries on Irish history, Netflix (well, the Canada one, at least) recently added "Tales of Irish Castles".

It deals with history a little further back than the recent Troubles, but also worth checking out. If you watch it and find yourself with an urge to buy and refurbish an Irish castle of your own, it is not my fault.

And can I stay in your guest chambers next time I'm back?

Weekend Summary in Gifs

Northern Ireland lost to Wales and are out of the Euro.

Ireland lost to France and are out of the Euro.

Attended friend's birthday tea party. There were lots of finger sandwiches and desserts.

The season six finale for Game of Thrones aired.

England lost to Iceland and are out of the Euros.

The weekend pretty much broke even. I'd write more but it's late, and I have to go to bed because I'm my boss this week.

Brexit Won

In case you've been living under a rock - in which case, who is your internet provider because I didn't know "under a rock" could get a signal - Thursday was the UK Referendum on whether to stay or leave the EU.

The Leave vote won.

I'm not happy about this for two reasons:

1. I really hate the word "Brexit".
2. I believe with every fibre of my being that this is the wrong choice.

Ignoring all the economical reasons why I disagree with the vote, the Leave campaign was run on a platform of racism and it won. I'm not naive enough to think that we ever lived in a world without racism, but it is terrifying to see it so openly displayed. And not just in the UK referendum or the US election going on south of the border, but everywhere.

Also, as someone who's family comes from a border county in Ireland, there is the concern about what this could mean for peace on the island. Town and villages on both sides of the border that have flourished since the border crossings have all spoken out about the economical repercussions of monitoring that border again. While both the Remain and Leave campaigns have said that the border would remain open even in the case of a Leave vote, it's an added uncertainty to an already fragile peace.

Add to that, there is a real (and valid) concern that this Leave vote could see a return of sectarian violence. Both in Ireland and Northern Ireland, this has been pointed out. The EU and the removal of borders between EU countries was a big part of what made the Good Friday Agreement work. Where does that leave Northern Ireland, which voted in favour of staying in the EU, when the dust has cleared on this referendum?

Ugh.

I don't want to go to bed feeling this *meh* about everything, so here's a video from SportsJoe.ie of my favourite Gaelic footballer and some other guys driving around singing. (P.S. The Sunday game they talk about was a huge win for Monaghan. Monaghan Abu!)

Yup. Watching this video puts a smile on my face.

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Ireland and Northern Ireland have made it through the Group Stage and are into the Round of 16 at the Euros.

I repeat, BOTH MY TEAMS HAVE MADE IT THROUGH!!

WHO FUCKING CARES IF WE WIN OUR NEXT GAMES?????!!!!?!?!? WE MADE IT TO THE ROUND OF 16!!!!!!!!!! BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I follow a couple of Irish people (not just Irish family) on the old social medias and the Snapchats, Instagrams, Tweets, Facebook statuses of the Ireland-Italy game were incredible. (That's how Ireland made it through, by the way, beating Italy 1-0. We were third in our group, but we... you know what? You probably don't care.)

To be honest, I didn't have a whole lot of hope that even one of them would make it out of the Group Stage, never mind both of them. I immediately went to the desk of my English coworker and started singing (quietly). There are not a lot of people in my office who would understand my excitement, but he did.

While it might seem like an overreaction to be this excited about teams that still haven't actually won anything, it isn't if you're Irish. Either one of these teams could go on and win Euro 2016 and we probably wouldn't be as excited as we are about this. "Oh great, yeah, won the Euro, BUT WE WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE ROUND OF 16!!!!!!" Dare I say it, it is almost as exciting as another unexpected Ireland result 26 years ago...

As my dad said on the phone tonight, "I've never seen so many grown men cry."

Northern Ireland faces Wales on Saturday and then Ireland faces France on Sunday. This will either be the best weekend of my entire life (and that includes any potential future wedding I may have) or it's the weekend that I will spend the rest of my life pretending never happened. (Or they split the difference and I'm both elated and depressed at the same time.)

Regardless of this weekend's outcomes, it is going to su-uck to work with me on Monday.

Sorry, not sorry.

No One We Cared About in Game of Thrones Died This Week So That's A Plus

I make a comment that 2016 has been a shitty year for celebrities and 2016 was all like "you know what, I think I can out-do myself."

*sigh*

Fuck you, 2016. Keep your hands off Barry McGuigan. I just wouldn't be able to handle that this year. 

While I'm talking about Irish Monaghan sports heroes, I came across an article today on Conor McManus and how he's the best Gaelic Footballer currently playing. I am not the least bit biased (hells yeah, I am) and have no vested interest in seeing a Monaghan player singled out (totally do), but this article is easily the best piece of sports writing ever written. (That may be a slight exaggeration.)

The man himself! (Picture from article linked above.)

Also, Monaghan's new jersey has finally been released and it has a nice big FKM on the back. ;;checks credit card balance;;

My sessions with my trainer have been fantastic. Being a large girl, there are moves that I have to do to the best of my ability and just accept that that's the best I can do. These past two weeks? I have nailed squats. They have been perfect textbook squats. It wasn't just as-low-as-I-can-go-with-good-form, it was as-low-as-you're-supposed-to-go-with-good-form. I was pretty damn proud of myself the first time I did it (and so sore for two days afterwards), but then I did it the next three sessions...

I'm actually - dare I say it?! - looking forward to the gym these days. I think I might be coming down with something.

I haven't stepped on the scale since the last time I mentioned it on here. I'll try to remember to do it some time this week. I feel like it's still moving in the right direction, but there's always that nervous hesitation that maybe my mind's just playing tricks on me.

In reference to the subject of this post, can you believe he's still alive?!? The best part? So many people die in Game of Thrones that I can write that and it's not a spoiler because which 'he' am I talking about?!? You don't know unless you watch!! So happy he's back, but I will say no more or else I will get spoiler-y about it.

Also, these two were back and that makes me happy.

This picture is from Arrested Westeros which blends GoT screen shots with Arrested Development captions.
If you're a fan of both shows, you really should be following this blog. Go. Follow!

Oh, what the heck. One more from Arrested Westeros just because I love it. From a few weeks ago:

Excuse me while I go snort-laugh in the corner. Good night!

Éirí Amach na Cásca (Easter Rising)

The last few weeks of March ended up being very Ireland-centric for me. And it wasn't just because of St. Patrick's Day. In fact, my St. Patrick's Day celebration this year consisted of making boozy cupcakes for my coworkers, and then hunkering down at home to watch "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" which I drank a solitary pint of Guinness. 

So, just a typical Thursday night, then? ;)

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Cream Cheese Icing.
It took a lot of will-power not to eat them all myself.

I'll never get a job as a barmaid with head like that!

What really made it an Ireland-centric month was that this past Easter weekend was the 100th Easter since the Easter Rising in Dublin (and a few isolated events in other parts of the island but mostly Dublin) so I spent a lot of my free time streaming the live stream of RTE of the centenary celebrations.

The date of Easter 100 years ago was at the end of April so some might argue that is isn't actually the 100th anniversary yet (that would be April 24, 2016) but as it's known as the Easter Rising, I'd give the centenary celebration committee a pass on actually planning everything for the Easter weekend.

Having said that, I've been working on a series of posts covering Irish history leading up to the Easter Rising and the subsequent War for Independence and Civil War which I was aiming to coincide with the April date because that's actually 100 years since the event.

Semantics.

In the mean time, if you're wondering what the Easter Rising was about and you can't wait for my much more detailed but probably considerably more boring account of it, here are two drunk Irish guys to explain it to you.

Any Questions?

(You can hear the Proclamation of the Irish Republic being read in front of the GPO as part of the centenary celebrations by clicking here.)

Getting Political

Friday, May 22nd, Ireland is holding a referendum on marriage equality. If they vote yes, it is the first time ever that a country will legalize gay marriage by popular vote.

The majority of my family on Facebook have been very vocal 'yes' people. The rest haven't said anything which I'm hoping it just a 'not getting political on FB', but my dad's one out of 11 so there are bound to be a few who disagree with the yes-ers.

I will have RTE up on my computer tomorrow to keep an eye on the results. I am hoping for a YES because I believe in marriage equality. Allowing same-sex couples to marry does not affect my (hypothetical-at-this-point) straight or traditional marriage.

Also, I want a Yes vote because the No campaign is pissing me off.

On behalf of my father who lost his dad at the age of 8, fuck you No campaign.

Ireland 2014: Family Lore

When my aunt Mary was born there was serious concern that she would not make it and it was decided that she needed to be baptised as soon as possible so she wouldn't die with original sin on her. Priorities!

Someone was sent to collect my granddad from the pub - this was 1933 rural Ireland after all, men didn't stick around for the birth - and told him to collect the priest and a godfather. He asked his drinking buddy at the pub if he'd be willing to be the godfather, his drinking buddy said 'sure', and that is how Patrick Kavanagh became my aunt's godfather.

At least, that's how my dad tells the story.

I'm sure this is a shock to none of you, but the Irish do have a habit of improving stories. In fact, some might accuse them of making up half the stories they tell. Which is why I don't know exactly what is and isn't true about this story. Patrick Kavanagh being Mary's godfather, however, is true. (Mary being on death's door is also true. Her ability to cheat death is renowned in the family.)

Still, it has always left my dad with a soft spot for Patrick Kavanagh. Not only is Patrick Kavanagh a well-known (in Ireland) poet, but he's from Co. Monaghan! Patrick Kavanagh later settled permanently in Dublin to help his writing career where, as the story goes, he met a young up-and-coming folk group called the Dubliners and they discussed putting his poem Dark Haired Mariam Ran Away to music. One of the members of the band, a fabulous balladeer called Luke Kelly, suggest instead that it be set to an old Irish tune, Fáinne Geal an Lae (Dawning of the Day in English).

What does all this have to do with  my trip to Ireland?

Well, On Raglan Road is one of those songs that I always find myself humming. If we ever drink together, there is a good chance I will sing it for you. It's not my only party piece, but it's my most consistent party piece.

I knew that Conor's place was close to Raglan Road, but I didn't realise how close it was until we were walking home from town after Croke Park. We turned south too soon and had to cut across to get on the correct road when I saw the sign for Raglan Road. I squealed and did my happy dance as I pointed at the sign to Katie. And then I made her take a picture.

I know I've already shared this picture but I was just that excited about this. This moment was almost better than the rainbow at Slieve League.

Ireland 2014: Croke Park

We originally planned to return to Dublin on the Monday but I did such a great job of talking up Croke Park that Katie decided she had to see it and who am I to deny someone the joy of experiencing the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association?

Hello Gorgeous!

It started to rain just as we arrived. A kindly guard took pity on us and escorted us under his oversized umbrella to the entrance. Thank goodness we were going to be mostly indoors for the next few hours.

The museum at Croke Park is very well done, going through the known history of the sports of hurling - camogie for the ladies - and Gaelic football before progressing into the history of the GAA itself. If you ever find yourself in Dublin and you're a sports and/or history fan, I highly recommend making some time for a visit to Croke Park.

The original Sam Maguire Cup (Gaelic Football)

The original Liam McCarthy Cup (hurling)

We finished up the museum just in time for the tour. Unfortunately, they were breaking down the One Direction concert set up from the night before so we had a modified tour. There was no walking up the passage to the pitch to the sounds of a cheering crowd. Having done that before, I was sad for the other tour takers. I get chills just thinking about it. Still, I did get to see the most beautiful jersey ever created hanging in the locker room so it wasn't a total loss.

Hopp Monaghan!

I noticed I didn't take nearly as many photos this time round. This was in part because I've done the tour before but mostly because the stupid One Direction concert breakdown spoiled pretty much every view of the pitch. Not going to lie, I'm a tad bitter about that.

Look at this beauty!
Croker! Croker! Croker!

We entered the press area on the top floor and found a tribute wall to Michael O'Hehir (English name).

Mr. O'Hehir was the voice of the Gaelic games. He announced 99 All Ireland finals (to say nothing of the non-All Ireland finals and other sporting events he announced). About 2 weeks before his 100th commentary, he suffered a stroke which seriously affected his speech and left him unable to complete his 100th broadcast. He passed away 11 years later in 1996. The wall was covered in some of his more popular phrases.

I am determined to work 'schemozzle' into one of my work documents.

We made our way out to the broadcasting area. The pictures don't really do it justice but it is not a place you want to be if you're scared of heights. It's high and the incline is very steep.

It always makes me happy to be here even if I'm not here to watch a game.

After we wrapped up the tour, we headed off for a (very) late lunch and a bit of shopping before calling it a night. The only downside with this shopping trip was that I had almost no one left to shop for while Katie had about a dozen people still on her list. I don't like shopping at the best of times... I got a little bored...

Thanks to the Irish diaspora, GAA sports are played all over the world these days. If you're interested in catching a match live to see what all the fuss is about (and you don't have Setanta Sports/RTE International), check out the GAA International page (here) to see what's available in your area. (Or google your town + GAA.)

Ireland 2014: Galway

Galway was once a walled city run by 12 tribes. Today, it's an artsy city which serves as a great base for seeing the west. The Connemara region lies a short drive to the north-west, the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are a hop, skip and a jump south in Co. Claire, and regular buses connect to Roundstone and ferries to the Aran Islands.

We saw none of these things on this trip.

A storm front had moved in off the Atlantic and combined with almost two weeks of go-go-go, the rain was a good excuse to stick close to town. With some well planned lunch and dinner breaks, we managed to miss most of the downpours but when they did come, they were something fierce!

We arrived late in the afternoon and I took Katie on a quick tour of 'my' Galway which amounted to me point out my old apartment as we walked past Eyre Square. We did a quick wander down the main pedestrian street which changes names more times than I change underwear before hunkering down in a pub out of the way of the tourist crowds. It was there I had made my first Hooker.

Beer, you dirty minded sods. If you can't tell from the pint glass, a Galway Hooker is a type of boat, a fishing boat to be specific. Two cousins started a brewery in 2006 named after the boat. The result is the Galway Hooker Irish Pale Ale and annoying tourists like me have been making hooker jokes ever since.

After dinner, we headed back to the hostel for a quiet night of postcard writing and journal catch-up.

The main pedestrian street. Full of bars, shops and tourists.

We woke up early the next morning with the intention of going to Inishmore (one of the Aran islands) to find it absolutely bucketing down. Seeing as the only thing to do on the Aran islands when it's raining like that is to sit in a pub and drink and we could do that just as easily in Galway, we skipped the rough ferry ride in favour of a bit more sleep.

By the time we had finished breakfast and were ready to brave the downpours, the rain had all but disappeared so we decided to join a free walking tour. On the way to the meeting point for the tour, I took Katie to the old wall of the city which is now inside a mall. Well, it's not really the old wall. It's a recreation of the old wall on the spot where the old wall stood and it was made with some of the original rocks. Close enough.

Ridiculous pics or it didn't happen seems to be my motto!

We took a tour with a company called MacCoole who run all manner of tours around the city. We had a great time on the walking tour. Our guide was really knowledgeable and entertaining, and you see a great deal of the city. Unfortunately, I apparently forgot I had a camera for most of the tour.

Looking across the River Corrib at the Galway Cathedral.

Our tour guide also played a game with us based on the YouTube video of animals talking (this one in case you've never seen it). If he noticed that any of us started to look a miserable (usually weather related), he'd say "night time" and we'd say back "day time". It worked wonders because it's almost impossible to play 'night time day time' without smiling. Six months later and Katie and I still play it with each other. (I send her this video when I want to be really annoying.)

The way the free tour works is that at the end of it, you tip the guide what you think the tour was worth. This isn't sprung on you at the last minute, you are told this right off the bat of the tour. It's the first thing the tour guide talks about after he tells you his name. I would just like to take a minute and say that I was disgusted with the number of people who just scattered at the end of the tour. I'm sure the guides expect a certain amount of the people to do that, but I really felt like screaming after them "you can't even find one fucking Euro in your pocket?"

After a late lunch, Katie and I spent the afternoon shopping where I found a wooden Ireland puzzle. I hummed and hawed about getting it until Katie yelled at me that if I didn't buy it, I would regret it and she would slap me. Those both sound like very good reasons to buy the puzzle.

We headed to O'Connell's Bar on Eyre Square. If you're ever in Galway, stop in there for pint. Just do it. Trust me. O'Connell's is touted as having the best Guinness in Galway (they do do a really good pour) which is why Katie and I both decided to have a pint of the Galway Hooker Irish Stout. Meh, same colour.

Late lunch meant a late dinner and by the time we were ready to eat, everywhere was closing. We managed a find about the only restaurant that still had an open kitchen at 9pm. When you finish dinner at about 10pm, sleep seems like the only viable option.

A lot of this trip had been Katie following me where I wanted to go, so when she said on the Sunday morning that she'd rather go to the brew pub in Salthill instead of tour the Connemara, I was happy to oblige. Salthill is a small community that sits on the other side of the Corrib from Galway, just past the old fishing village area known as Claddagh. Yes, that Claddagh.

Crossing the River Corrib

They've done a great job of fixing up the waterfront walk along the Claddagh. There had been vast improvements in 2011 since I had lived in Galway, but since 2011 they had made even further improvements to the walking path. It was absolutely lovely, even on the grey Sunday.

Tide's a wee bit low

Looking back at Galway

The area is prone to flooding which saves it from being developed

You can walk out to the lighthouse but we had beer on our minds and that was an
unnecessary detour for two girls who live next door to this lighthouse

Looking across Galway Bay to County Clare

We hit up the Oslo bar, the original bar of the Galway Bay Brewery for some beer and lunch. The beers we tried were fantastic, the food was melt-in-our-mouths groan-worthy, and the decor was fun to look at.

The whole place was covered with pro-beer slogans and
their motto was 'no crap on tap'. I want to move in.

A few beers later and we stumbled back to Galway, grabbed out bags and were off to catch a bus back to Dublin.