Thank You, Maire

    Our first day in Donegal started with a long bus ride out of Belfast. Leaving Belfast for the countryside was comparable to my drives from Kansas City to Kirksville. There was so much greenery, but a little more Irish. Donegal is in a Gaeltacht, meaning the first language for most people there is Irish. This was astonishing to me because I didn't realize that there were that many people who still spoke Irish as a first language. We were introduced to Maire and the community center, which quickly proved to be a central spot for anyone in the area. We discussed our aspirations for our time there, then we loaded back on a bus. We got a quick tour of the area and learned about the size and the change in population with the Ukranian immigrants. We quickly learned that Maire had a lot of strings she could quickly pull to round out our experience there. My personal favorite stop we made was at the Poison Glen where we stopped at a beautiful old church and walked around. It was truly the Ireland I pictured before leaving. There was a massive body of water, sheep, old structures, and hills surrounding us. Everything was green. The air felt crisp. 

    Following the tour, we ate at Leo's Tavern. The tavern is owned by the family of famed artist Enya. It was very cool to look around and see the pictures of Enya and the other musicians in the family. I ordered the fish and chips, and they were exactly what I anticipated. After we finished, we went back to our bed and breakfast and fully settled ourselves in. I got the top bunk again, which was amazing, and a piping hot shower with a door that wasn't see through. I was over the moon. A small group decided to go down to the beach, so I went as well. It was a short walk riddled with slugs and snails before we arrived. The sun was setting, and the view was astonishing. The water had receded enough that we were able to walk up to the abandoned ship that was sunk into the sand. I would disclose how they plan to keep the ship intact for tourists, but that would betray Maire, which I will never do. I finished the day watching the sun turn the sky pink and getting bit by tiny mosquitos. Those things leave some severe bites for their size.