Kinnegad

This past weekend, I went to visit another Kansas native in Kinnegad, which is about an hour west of here. Dorine is from New Almelo and her husband, Bernie, is Irish, but lived in America for 25 years before they got married. They're a really nice couple and I had a fabulous time with them! I left here at 10am Saturday morning and Dorine picked me up at the bus stop around 11. That afternoon we took a trip to Trim to see an early medieval castle - talk about dashing the romantic notion of the castle every American has! It is very dark and damp and would not have been a pleasant place to live in at all! We went to mass that night as well - very different from an American mass. They kneel throughout the whole opening, there is minimal music, and communion is definitely a free-for-all! They also still use the communion rail so it's not the 2 by 2 that I'm used to. On Sunday we made a whirlwind tour around the Midlands. We went to see a castle in the countryside that is still lived in (part of it has been turned into apartments - I want to live in a castle!), Belvedere House where a crazy earl kept his wife held prisoner for 31 years, the ruins of the Fore monastery and St. Finniachin's (sp?) church, and the cathedral at Mullinger. Definitely just getting a taste of everything, but it was very enjoyable. I left for Dublin Monday morning in order to get back in time to attend a seminar at 4 - a little rushed, but I would rather get into Dublin while it's light out than trying to find my way in the dark at this point!