Day 53 9 September

Hurling has been the call of the day here with County Clare and County Cork playing off the final and drawing 25 all in the last minute!  So there has to be another match 28 September - we will be home to watch it!  There is amazing community spirit for this sport.  We were in Ennis and managed to join the crowd in the Square as they waved their flags and wore the blue and yellow - shirts, hats, hair bands, scarves, painted faces etc.  All good fun.

This morning, after Mass we drove to Kilmaley to reconnect with the Gibson genealogy.  Ŵe met Paddy Pyne again, visited the cemetery but could not locate the family graves - memory had faded. We are meeting Paddy tomorrow and he will take us back.  Tomorrow we will visit the Ennis Library and the genealogy centre at Corrofin Heritage Centre.  Should be interesting and we hope they are open!  Meanwhile, just driving around is so interesting and we are noticing quite a few developments since our visit in 1995.  We are meeting many of the locals - fascinating accents, wonderful sense of humour, good stories.

There are many golfers in residence here so we are very much in the minority.  

We are beginning to think about our trip to Denmark now.  We will leave here on Tuesday to drive back to Dublin, return the car and stay the night close to the airport.  

The temperatures have been warmer today and the heating is on in the hotel, thank goodness.  Must away to bed now for an early night.  Good to hear news from home.  Love to all.