Dingle 10: The Blasket Center and Historic Tour

 Wednesday July 17 Kaylee Scott - Fire Alarms, History, and Card Games

Door-to-door bus service

In the early morning hours of Wednesday the seventeenth, the fire alarm went off in the hostel for the first time. Many of us were all brought together in the main hall at around 1:30 am, while others decided to remain in bed and chance the possible fire. As a result of learning how temperamental the fire alarms were, McCabe sent out a possible fire alarm warning while other patrons were cooking, telling us not to be alarmed. It was an early start to our day. After being reassured that it was nothing more than someone smoking in a bathroom, we all headed for bed once more.

Then we all rushed to get ready in the morning as per usual. Most of us at this point have an early morning routine and have figured out the best times to shower, eat, and quickly throw together our things for the day's adventures. Though today we were lucky and were told that we didn’t have to stress over making a packed lunch. We all piled into the bus this morning, with our bags and sweaters. The weather here appears cold, though most times you end up taking layers off.

Lord Ventry's (1736–1824) "humble" abode.
Now Coláiste Íde, an Irish language girls
boarding school.

I forgot sunscreen yesterday and fought off sun poisoning today. So a lot of the day is a blur. The bus makes for good napping opportunities. Which several people take advantage of. I have loved racing down the bumpy roads, on the left side, while stopping and restarting when there is another car on the one car length stretches. We got to explore more sites and got lots of pictures. Everyone has been iNaturalisting, some in serious competition. Which has been another source of entertainment. Our first stop on the trip was the old Lord’s house which was converted into an all girls boarding school. A school that parents all over the country send their daughters to. We stayed outside as our tour guide, Kevin, gave us a history of the building and then ventured along the path outside.

The window through which
one classmate squeezed three
times to ensure good health.

From there we went to a graveyard. We learned that many people have been buried in the hills or in other patches of land. Though in this cemetery there was a church and several stones. I found it interesting that the plots had outlines where the bodies lay. The church that we went to was made of stone and was roofless. As many were sitting and standing, while the guide was delivering a serious past on the building and the blessing that comes from passing through one of the windows three times. Several laughs broke through the silence that had surrounded as we all looked behind the guide to see a failed attempt at one of our own trying to go through the window. It was a lightning break.  Following the cemetery, we hopped back into the van and ventured to the museum for food!

We ate as soon as we hit the parking lot. From which we were given the opportunity to see a mini fifteen minute presentation. A good handful of us took this opportunity. The presentation was centered around the history of the Na Blascaodaí (the Blasket Islands) and why the people chose to leave. We got to explore the museum and view the unique stories and tellings. Many wrote of their time on the island. Along with the writings there were also replicas of different furniture and transportation from the islands to the mainland. After which the majority of us went back to the hostel, while few went to town.

Illustration of the only form of transport
to the Blasket Islands in times past.

As with most nights, we moved into the “guitar room”. The first week we would stay outside late into the nights playing cards and singing. However, most nights now we find ourselves in the empty community room off the big kitchen. With a small handful of people crowded around the bench tables aggressively playing cards. Though it’s hard to say if anyone knows what game we are playing or the true rules. It is never a dull moment. Always filled with lots of laughter and the occasional music breaks. Most famously Angel from Montgomery or the Nationwide theme song, both are quite popular. These two weeks have been quite the adventure, with a wonderful group of people to explore alongside.

 Wednesday July 17 Hunter Daily - Let's Learn About History 

        Today we got up late in the morning around 9:15. Everyone was able to sleep in and enjoy a late morning before we hoped on the bus at 10:00. Almost everyone was on the bus and we had someone joining us today, a tour guide to explain the historical landmarks that we would visit. 

        We went to Lord Ventry’s home, a historical building that highlighted English rule over the Irish. We learned the history of this building and its importance. Today it is an all-girls boarding school. 

        After we left and saw an old church dating back 900 years ago. It had a cross nearby and a stone highlighting the alphabet. We learned about the importance of this church and visited the graveyard nearby. 

        Once finished, we went to a museum dedicated to the inhabitants of the Great Blasket Island. Before we explored though everyone enjoyed a lunch at Blasket Café. Once we all had our meals, we watched a short film about the famous people on the island and how they lived. Their happiest and darkest times that led them to evacuate their homes. Eventually we went around the exhibit, looking at their everyday tools, learning about the explorers and authors that made these people famous. 

        Afterwards we all went back onto the bus after purchasing books made by the famous authors or about the community itself. After making the trip back to the hostel, we were let go to spend the evening how you saw fit. Since we had eaten most of our bought groceries last night, it was decided by some to head to pubs and get a few drinks and dinner while some stayed behind and cooked stir fry.