A Chairde (greeting that one of my professors always uses. It means friends.),
I have been busy with classes and planning a couple of upcoming trips. Two of the classes I am currently taking require mandatory field trips. The Archaeology and Irish Identity: Celts, Christians, and Vikings class had a field trip to Clonmacnoise last Saturday. The Irish name for Clonmacnoise is Cluain Mhic Nóis. The meaning of this name is Meadow of the Sons of Nós. Clonmacnoise is located in Co. Offaly and about 1 hour from Galway.
Honestly, I was kind of dreading taking this trip because it had been windy and rainy the whole week. We also had a warning of another storm. So I was not excited about walking in the rain. Did I mention this trip was outside and we had to walk the whole time? Anyways, I got soaked and I was cold the whole time. The wind did not help at all.
On the bright side, Clonmacnoise has an ancient monastic site… this means that they had the high crosses! Since arriving in Ireland, one of the top things to do on my list included visiting locations that had high crosses to take pictures. When I had the chance to do so, I took a bunch of pictures. I also took a lot of pictures of doors and entrances. Although the weather was gloomy, it really made the green pop out. It also gave the whole scene a calm and peaceful feeling.
When our professor was giving us the tour, she mentioned that Pope John Paul II came to Clonmacnoise during his 1979 Irish visit. One of the reasons the Pope chose to come to this site was because Clonmacnoise was the true definition of Ireland and it’s religion. After visiting Clonmacnoise, I can see why the Pope felt that way.
This weekend I will be going to the Aran Islands and then the following weekend, I will go to London with a group of friends. Can’t wait to fill you in with my next adventures!
-Jess