Well, the second day in Ireland is ending as I write this blog at 12:30am (Ireland time). Today was a bit more relaxed than yesterday, but it probably seems that way because today we weren’t detained and we didn’t just arrive after a 6-hour flight. I woke up this morning having gotten about 9 hours of much needed sleep. We left for the National Countrysports Fair which was in Moira Demese, Northern Ireland around 10am. It took about an hour to get to the fair and we met Tim and his wife on the way there. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in Northern Ireland, so I was quite pleased to spend the day outdoors.
(Owl and hawk at the fair)The National Countrysports Fair is, as their website puts it, “widely recognized by Ireland’s country sports community as the showcase event for Irish country sports and rural living.” I truly got to experience some of the Irish culture that you don’t always hear about at this fair. Upon arrival, we met up with the Ulster-Scots Agency, which is an agency devoted to “Discover[ing] your history.” This history is about the people who migrated from Scotland to Ulster. The Ulster-Scots had a tent at the fair and were very accommodating. We were able to sample soda bread (which is delicious!) and then we were given a short tour of the fair. Additionally, we got to meet Maynard, which I have heard a bit about from Kyle O’Brien (last year’s La Crosse chapter Young Ambassador) and Tim. While at the fair, we also got to do a little exploring on our own. We saw the sporting dog show where the dogs did tricks. It reminded me a bit of home because my neighbors back home in Waukesha are quite into sporting dogs and have a Gordon Setter and English Setter. We also got to see a bunch of hawks and owls and then saw falconry (definition: training birds of prey to hunt and return). The highlight of the falconry was when one of the falcons came and landed on Tim’s head and he had to assist with part of the show, along with Ryan, one of the other Young Ambassadors. The reason this was so funny is because Tim is afraid of birds, so you can imagine how interesting of a show it was! Afterwards we did a bit more exploring, ate some lunch, and tried some seaweed, which is apparently quite popular in Ireland. You’ll be surprised to know that I did not like it. It was too salty and a strange texture. I’ll still eat it in my sushi, but it’s not something I plan to eat alone.
(View of a cathedal near the Hillsborough castle)
On the way back from the fair we stopped in Hillsborough and saw the Hillsborough castle. We also got to see the lake there, which was absolutely gorgeous. I’m so glad that it was sunny outside because the blue skies, green trees, blue water, and white swans were beautiful and I couldn’t have imagined it on a cloudy day. Getting to see the castle was awesome too! We took quite a few pictures because it was so beautiful. Following all the pictures, we headed back to Dundrum.
(Lake in Hillsborough)After we arrived in Dundrum, we hung around our cottages for a little while. Most of us connected to the U.S. world via-internet. Then a bunch of us decided to go to the grocery store and buy a few things and make dinner together. We had salad and spaghetti. Following dinner, we basically all sat around and talked while telling stories. It was a great night filled with lots of laughs and getting to know each other more. I think that’s it for now, it’s time for bed. Goodnight everyone!
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