HALLOWEEN

As I drive through my neighborhood every day, there are constant reminders that I need to buy my candy for the droves of 'Trick-Or-Treaters' arriving this coming Sunday ! Peoples gardens are decorated with pumpkins, giant wall spiders,trees with cob webs,tombstones and cobwebs ! Far from the Halloween I grew up with in Ireland. Costumes are a huge business as are costume parties & pumpkin carvings. An array of action heroes, princesses,fairies & Disney characters will knock for hours and the likleyhood of me seeing someone dressed in nothing more than a black garbage bag is pretty slim ! That was what I wore ! Yes, we had to make our own, so we cut slits in the garbage bag for our arms and made masks in school from empty cereal boxes.....! 'Samhain' was the name given to the ancient Celtic festival on November 1st, the first day of winter. This was a pagan festival as it is believed it began in Ireland around 100AD. 'Samhain' means end of summer and the pagans believed the spirits would return on the eve of 'Samhain', so to stave off these evil spirits they lit bonfires. Back to the pumpkins. There is a myth in Ireland which tells the story of a mean blacksmith by the name of Jack. Jack had drinks with the devil and Jack did not want to pay for the drinks so tricked the devil into transforming himself into a coin ! Jack placed the coin in his pocket next to a cross to protect himself. He bargained with the devil to leave him alone for a year and when he died to not take his soul. When Jack died ,the devil tricked him and not only was Jack refused entry into heaven but the devil also refused him entry into hell ! So, Jack was banished into the dark to forever wander. The devil threw him some burning embers from hell to light his way and Jack carved a turnip and placed the burning embers inside. He was referred to as 'Jack of the Lantern'. The Irish carved potatoes and turnips and placed a light inside to ward off evil spirits. In later years when the Irish immigrated to America they brought with them , this myth and tradition. They soon adapted using the pumpkin instead of turnips !

Centuries ago the poor of Ireland would go door to door collecting money so that when they got home they could celebrate Halloween. Fast forward to today where the kids go door to door 'Trick-or-Treating' getting goodies or loot to have when they get home !
Among the many games and customs was and still is the traditional 'Barm Brack'. In Irish it is called 'Bairin Breac'. Bairin means loaf and Breac means speckled hence the speckled loaf. Among the many games this loaf was used as a fortune telling game ! How? Well, this sweet bread loaf which was made from flour,yeast and raisins was filled with little surprises. When you had a slice there were little trinkets baked inside such as a 'Ring' which meant you would marry and be happy, 'Pea' which meant poverty, 'Bean' which signified wealth, 'Stick' which meant your husband would beat you... Lovely ! Needless to say , we all wanted the ring !
So, this year I made this 'Barm Brack' for my kids. Traditionally this is a bread, requiring yeast but there are many quick and easy recipes which make a delicious treat . Try a slice with slatherings of 'Kerrygold'butter ! .
I soak my fruit in cold tea. Each and every day I still make my pot of 'Barry's Tea',a famous Irish Tea originating from my hometown of Cork. Easy to spot in a red box in most grocery stores over here ! Of course,there was another reason I grew up on 'Barry's Tea', my family...Peter Barry was once upon a time , Minister For Foreign Affairs and my family, The Whelans, were and still huge supporters. Indeed my own mother spent many an evening campaigning for him !
When I travel around the U.S teaching in the cooking schools, I like to scout out 'Barry's Tea' and make a pot for those attending my class. Simply refreshing.
Reserve a cup and a half to soak your dried fruit in overnight.. It serves two purposes. It moistens and plumps the fruit and adds a wonderful flavor. So, later tonight my kids will have a slice of this , but I wonder if the excitement will be the same as it was for me...............?

FOTA HOUSE & GARDENS....CORK

Wednesday, day 3 and my personal tour guides arrived to take me to Fota House & Gardens! Yes, Ted & Gary Murphy were taking me to Fota. It had been years since my last visit so I was completely surprised when they drove to Monkstown, boarded a ferry and were there in no time at all. Progress !
To be absolutely truthful, at first I simply thought we were in a traffic jam as opposed to a queue for the ferry !

Fota Island used to be a regular venue for school trips and family days out for me, but returning with the advantage of age sheds a completely different light on this magnificent place. As soon as we parked our car, I noticed throngs of kids in school buses had descended also. Had it really been that long ago since I too was a school kid. I remember wanting to get off the bus so that I could find somewhere to run wild not cherishing the idea of touring another historical home ! This time was different.

The history of Fota is intertwined with the story of the Smith Barry family whose members developed the house and estate. They first came to the area in the late 12th century as part of the Anglo-Norman invasion. We walked through the back halls and backstairs of this historical house. Meandering through this house we eventually arrived in the old kitchen, again one of my favorite places to be. There was a carousel in the middle for hanging the game brought in from the estate. In large country houses ,as much food as possible was produced at home. It had a home farm with hot houses,orchards and vegetable gardens. Huge lead-lined boxes were used for salting hams, beef and bacon. This was quite rare and is one of the signs of the outstanding quality of Fota House.

An arboretum was developed at Fota in the 1840's. It coincided with the great plant hunting expeditions that went on around the world bringing back specimens from the Orient, North West America and South America. Fota Island is very well sheltered, has a mean annual rainfall of 41 inches and has an ideal temperature range with frost being rare. A walk through these magnificent gardens is a must.

Three hours had flown by and it was time to move on. We were headed for the city. We had worked up quite an appetite and where better to eat than the 'English Market'.................

BALLINACURRA HOUSE

Ted and Garry Murphy suggested we visit 'Ballinacurra House'. "It's just up the road" they said. This is where their son had recently had his wedding reception and they just couldn't wait for me to see this place.

When we arrived at the gates, true to it's word, it was indeed private with a security button hidden amongst the ivy. We decided Ted could do the honors !
Once inside, the drive up the avenue immediately catapulted me back to my childhood. These familiar plants were growing wild everywhere. Ferns and Fuschias in full bloom. Moss covered rocks lined the avenue given it a wooded feel.

As soon as we emerged from this wooded copse, hearing the gravel crunch beneath the tires, this bright and welcoming Irish Country mansion awaits you.

Oscar awaited us too ! Oscar was the Irish Wolfhound, a mere puppy, but to a small child, perhaps he would seem like a horse !

This prestigious 5-star estate sits on 40 acres of woodland and water. It is simply breathtaking. A mere 2 minutes from Kinsale Town, ideally located if you want to play a round of golf at the World Famous Course. 'The Old Head of Kinsale'

We were greeted by the owners Des & Lisa McGahan. They had lived in the far East for a considerable amount of time, returned to Ireland and painstakingly and lovingly restored this estate which was originally built in 1791. They explained that they were preparing for a group arriving from New York in a few days. The week before, the King Of Norway had been their guest.

What struck me most was that despite the luxurious surroundings, it had a homely feel, not the stifled feeling I have often gleaned from similar properties. Meandering through the house is like a treasure hunt. Truely it is. Each room has been individually designed. Needless to say , I ended up in the kitchen ! My favorite place in any home. The magnificent old dresser that took up the whole wall was filled with delf and I knew instantly that this farmhouse kitchen was well used. Through the kitchen windows, I could see strawberries growing along the rock wall and I couldn't help but feel the desire to work in this kitchen.

Next to the Manor House, is the 4 bedroomed stylish Coach house. If you feel the need to land your helicopter, fear not as there is a helipad nestled away for your convenience. Before I knew , it was time to leave. After thanking Des & Lisa MCgahan for their hospitality, all that remained was to seek out Oscar to bid him farewell......There we found him, on the front lawn , sleeping. After all it's a tough life here in Ballinacurra House for an Irish Wolfhound !

Reluctant to leave, somehow I knew,that I would come back..........one day !

CAISLEAN DHEASUMHAN .... DESMOND CASTLE

Punctual as ever, Ted Murphy and his wife Gary arrived at my parents house in Rochestown to take me around Cork for the day. Born and raised in this city, I was about to see it again through a different set of eyes. We drove the picturesque twenty minutes to Kinsale. Just parking the car took me back ! We had to park on a steep hill and it reminded me of my driving test, where you had to complete hill starts and stops and parallel parking ! As soon as we began walking, people honked their horns, rolled their windows down and wanted a word with Ted. This man was well known here in Kinsale,but as the day progressed and indeed the week I learned that he was well known everywhere in Ireland. He was loved. They loved what he had done for us. He had shown people another side to the Irish.

We sauntered down the streets to Desmond Castle, or Caislean Dheasumhan as it is known as Gaeilge (in Irish), this is what you do in Kinsale, you saunter. I think if I saw someone run, then the thought running through my mind would have to be emergency or burglary! The castle is located on 'Cork Street' in Kinsale. It was built by the Earl of Desmond , AD 1500 as a Custom House and had quite a history after that. This little castle was occupied by the Spanish in 1601 and was known locally as 'The French Prison' in 1747 after a tragic fire killed 54 French Prisoners.

Now here is something of great interest that I discovered while there. During the American War of Independence, it was used by the British to house captured American Seamen. The conditions were brutal and cruel. These American Seamen were trying to stop the British from crossing the Atlantic and in doing so were taken captive. Forton Gaol near Portsmouth and Mill Gaol between Plymouth and Plymouth Dock were the Principal Prisons in England and the 'French Prison' in Kinsale served as the princiapl prison in Ireland. A Presbyterian minister from Bandon,Co Cork, Rev John Hazlitt (originally from Kent,UK) and Reuben Harvey , Glass merchant from Kinsale were among the men who offered aid to the prisoners.

John Hazlitt moved to Bandon,from Kent for a short time and from here moved to the United States. There were many prominent Irish supporters to the American's cause. Edmund Burke, Henry Grattan, Robert Stewart and Thomas Connolly to name a few. These were all Upper Class gentry. Reuben Harvey was a middle class man.
Born on September 29th 1734 in Youghal, Co Cork. Reuben was a glass merchant and indeed was noted for selling huge volumes of glass to New York.
Reuben was instrumental in offering aid and comfort to these poor unfortunate souls.

Hanging on the wall of this little castle, in the back streets of Kinsale is one of the most marvelous pieces of history. It is quite simply put.......A THANK YOU LETTER.

From President George Washington, Head Quarters, Newbourgh,NewYork
To Mr Reuben Harvey , Merchant in Cork, Kingdom of Ireland, 10/8/1783

DAY 2 REDISCOVERING MY IRELAND

Tuesday June 15th. This was the day I was spending with Ted Murphy, author of 'A Kingdom Of Wine' and his wife Garry. What a day it was, however I will write about the actual day itself later as I simply cannot launch straight into that without introducing you to this wonderful man.

Rewind back a few months to Dallas, Texas, where I now live. I was having lunch with the 'First Lady' of the American Ireland Fund, Netta Blanchard. I call her that! She is a force to be reckoned with and a networker unlike any I have known. Netta, spoke to me of this famous Cork Man. It wasn't until I was having a conversation with my Uncle that I discovered Ted was one of his oldest and closest friends ! These 2 had played many a rugby match together for Cork Constitution Rugby Club and were on the same team when they won the cup in 1967. So, needless to say when I discovered this about Ted Murphy, it made meeting this author even more exciting.

Ted Murphy is a dying breed in my opinion. Remember though , my opinion and a bus ticket won't get you very far at times, but nonetheless it is still my opinion ! His enthusiasm is contagious. When listening to his stories, they will carry you away and you can't help but want to hear more. He is the Honorary Chairman of The WineGeese Society of The Ireland Funds and founder of the Order of the Winegeese.

www.irlfunds.org/winegeese"

This labor of love was awarded 'Best in The World Wine History Book' by The Gourmand Awards in China in 2006. This book is a treat with a treasure trove of information that will stagger you. This is a must read and is available on www.amazon.com
I traveled with Ted and his wife Garry for 2 days and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. I laughed when he told me of his visit with to Maureen O'Hara;s home, not because of the visit but how his wife tripped on the steps up to her home and he cried "Mind The Wine". After all it was extremely good wine he was bringing to his host ! Garry's broken hand did eventually mend. Ted is a gentleman. Dressed every day in a sport coat and tie. An elegant Irish Gentleman. I am proud that he is an Irishman, A Cork Man and more importantly a friend.

DAY 1 REDISCOVERING MY IRELAND

It had been a while since I had been home so I was to say the least just a little excited. I boarded American Airlines from Chicago to Dublin and the flight was short and enjoyable. Arriving in Dublin Airport , I awaited my flight to Cork to start my adventure. The Ryan Air Flight to Cork was extremely short, 45 minutes to be precise but I have to warn you, be really careful with your baggage. It is not cheap. Would you believe it cost me almost 200 Euro in excess baggage ! Cheaper to send it cargo next time ! I find it hard to fly transatlantic to a country for 10 days with only hand luggage or a small carry on. This was my first negative experience. The staff were unfortunately extremely rude and I began to wonder if this was the new and REAL IRELAND. Thankfully, this was my only bad experience . Taking the train back to Dublin solved that problem really quickly !

Upon arriving in Cork, I was extremely jet lagged and after greeting my parents, having the all important cup of 'Barry's Tea' it was off to bed for a couple hours sleep. It was a beautiful evening. Quite literally the sun was shining and the birds were signing...crows I believe, but still birds !

It seemed only fitting on such a lovely evening to go out to eat and what better than to eat by the Atlantic Ocean. We drove a short 12 miles to my old haunt, Myrtleville. I spent many a day and indeed evening here in my teen years. This is a mere 15 miles from the City and what an oasis it is. It's so true that when you live somewhere you tend to take things for granted. Even the drive to Myrtleville made me realise this. The narrow roads were adorned with ferns, hostas and fuschias. Living in Texas,taking care of hostas can be hard work and to see them in their abundance,so lush and green made me feel so alive.

As we parked our car, I felt the urge to run to the sea like I did as a child. I hated having to get our things out of the car,find a spot on the beach,wait for my suncream to be slathered on (yes, even then my mum insisted on this!)
This time, I simply walked straight to the water. Local teenagers were milling around. The girls were hiding behind the rocks, holding towels around each other for privacy ! I remembered this well, especially clenching the towel between my teeth whilst I wrestled with my togs (swimsuit)! 22 years on and it was still the same.

The smell of the salt water just draws you in. I spotted driftwood which I longed to take back to my home in Dallas but knew customs would not be as easy as years gone by. My brother, as usual, found a dog on the beach and this was his new best friend. The familiar seaweed and rock pools reminded me of our many expeditions on the rocks looking for sea urchins,periwinkles and anything else we could lay our hands on. These were all day excursions and leaving was always sad. This day too was no different. After all we had come to Myrtleville to have dinner in the infamous 'BUNNYCONNELLANS'.Again, I did not want to leave but was hungry and so were my family.

Bunny Connellans was built in 1824. This is a well known establishment among native Corkonians. My mum told us of how she and her friends used to come to Fountainstown for the weekend and go to 'BUNNYCONNELLANS' for the music and dancing. It has stayed in the O'Brien family for quite some time now. Since being there last,I noticed they had renovated it quite extensivley but oh so tastefully.
We sat outside on the patio, perched high up on the rocks over looking the majestic Atlantic Ocean. I sat just gazing out, my family chatting away. Even now, I feel tearful writing this as I miss the simplicity and beauty of this spot. The meal was all that I could ask for and more. Simple,white, clean plates of food adorned our table. For the next 10 days I was going to eat as much seafood as I could, afterall this was the best place in the world to eat fish. BUNNYCONNELLANS did not disappoint.
I ate Pan Roasted Cod with Roasted Rosemary, presented on Spring Onion Mash with Red Onion Marmalade & Chablis Cream. A nice chilled bottle of sparklling water went nicely with this summer fare.

Sitting in this perfect silence (besides the family chatter!)I noticed there was so much going on. It was busy. Isn't this an oxymoron? Peace and serenity, yet life was happening all around. Far away in the distance was the ever watchful 'Roches Point Lighthouse' , teenagers swimming in the sea below, people walking their dogs, men canooeing , cutlery chinking on the plates and all seemed just perfect. This had been a great first day. BunnyConnellans was still the same, just new and improved. I wondered what else would be the same as I traveled through the counties including Belfast over the next 10 days.................

REDISCOVERING MY IRELAND

Yes, its been a while since I've written but I have good reason. I decided to go back to my roots, literally go back to my roots and visit my homeland. This was an easy trip to plan with the help of the internet and an extremely useful site. WWW.DISCOVERIRELAND.COM
This is a very well thought out site with many hidden gems. I urge you to peruse.
You know, I think we assume (on both sides of the pond !) that because we speak the same language that things will somehow be the same. WWW.DISCOVERIRELAND.COM explains everything from customs,smoking bans,pets and climate. These all help to make your vacation a great vacation.
There is a tab on this site 'PLAN YOUR VISIT'. Here is where you can plan your adventure. If you go deeper into the site, you will discover
GOLDEN TREKKER . Now here is one of those hidden gems I mentioned above. If you are over 66, wait for it.......you are entitled to free travel across the Island of Ireland on mainline and commuter trains until December 31st 2010. Yes, you read correctly, FREE TRAVEL. You can also avail of the Northern Ireland Golden Trekker until September 30th 2010. I traveled by train and will chat about that later as I write about my two week adventure.
I flew from Dallas to Chicago and from Chicago to Dublin with American Airlines.
Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland but unfortunately there arent any direct flights from Dallas to Ireland.
And so began my journey. Sunday June 13th I set out to quite literally rediscover Ireland and what an adventure I had...........So come join me on my visit to Ireland and hopefully it will inspire you to visit, reconnect or simply learn some things you never even knew about my REAL IRELAND.