Our first week in Ireland has displayed several Irish customs and Irish humor connected to the literature we have read thus far.  First, when the Frenchman visited Cork, he remarked on the man who "spends his income on favourite animals, or pets" as somewhat of a strange concept (49).  Throughout our stay here in Dungarvan, we have seen so many people with pets.  Although it's not a foreign concept for us to have pets, it seems much more acceptable here to take pets anywhere around town.  Next, the Frenchman also witnessed public hangings in Dublin.  While on our brief walking tour of Dungarvan, Tom Keith made sure to highlight that the end of the street where our school building resides, used to be a designated place for public executions.  Keith explained it was somewhat of a ceremony to witness these events, similar to what the Frenchman observed.  Further, today when we discussed Maria Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent, we talked about Thady stating he had "always been known by no other than 'honest Thady'," but then he states he has been referred to as 'old Thady' and 'poor Thady' (7). Thus, he made a statement of fact, but his next few sentences contradicted his previous statement.  Although this is somewhat of a stretch, this made me think of a joke Tom Keith told us this past weekend.  Keith explained that him and his wife have been married for 40 years.  Early on they came to the agreement that he would make all the major decisions, and she would make all the minor decisions.  Well, it turns out they have never encountered a major decision over those years.  Similar to Thady, it made it seem like Keith's joke was stating "oh well yes, I make all the major decisions, except for every decision we have ever made."

Kilkenny Castle (Side/Front)

Kilkenny Castle (Courtyard View)

   Along with an abundance of pets, historical public execution sites, and Irish humor, we have seen numerous historical landmarks, including Kilkenny Castle (pictures to the right, unfortunately we were prohibited from taking pictures inside).  Kilkenny Castle was medieval-looking and an interesting addendum to the small amount of Irish history I have studied.  The castle was heavily influenced and lived in by the Butler family for many years.  During that time, it was left for years in ruins so it has been restored numerous times.  However, during the 1960's, it was given to the people.  One of the most interesting parts of the tour, was the a very large, marble table.  Apparently the table was used to place dead bodies, and if you touch it then you are said to have been cursed unless you perform a ritual.  The ritual consisted of hopping on one foot around the fountain.  A few people in our group had to perform the ritual to rid themselves of the curse.  
    Next week, I will give more explanation of our life in Dungarvan as we begin to acclimate to Irish life.  Additionally, I can share about our weekend trip to Dublin!

Kilkenny Castle (Front)