Songs at The Abbey Bar

Rosscarbery is home to three pubs, as mentioned previously. The Abbey Bar is nearest to our apartment, less than 20 yards from the front gate of our small residential complex. The Abbey has brought us good cheer in abundant portion during our first 60 hours or so in Ireland.

Sean and Betty O’Donovan own The Abbey Bar. In a way it feels like an old living room, as do many pubs in Ireland. Open the door, and there is a bar to the right and an open fire place to the left. Straight ahead there is a dart board, where Heather schooled John and Tom in a game of cricket. (Since Tom is writing this, he is deliberately obfuscating details to protect the wounded. He will mention that when the Americans returned to the bar, the darts were gone, perhaps to protect The Abbey’s regulars from the errant pitches of yours truly.)

The pub is friendly and welcoming. The air of hospitality is comforting. The beer is poured perfectly. On Saturday evening, after a tough night at the mouse races, we returned to find a band playing at The Abbey. After the band stop playing, we met Ger Deasy, a musician who stays quite busy around West Cork. We coaxed him over to our table, where he was kind enough to serenade Heather (yeah, OK, John and I were there, too) with a beautiful a capella version of “Fields of Atherny.”

Ger has his own CD, which after hearing him we purchased for 15 euro. The album is called “Ger Deasy’s Shenanigans.” Sean has told us that Rosscarbery was known for years as “The City of Saints and Scholars.” One of the songs on Ger’s album is “Viagra.” We wondered why the song was on the album, and Ger informed us that Viagra is made in Ireland. Somewhere, those saints and scholars might be looking on all this with doubt or amusement.

Noel Redding jammed here

Noel Redding was the bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. And we were at his home today. We met a great chap, John Miles , and he now owns Noel’s home. He was gracious enough to invite us to a tour of the home. Although it looked very modern and is in the process of being updated – 20 miles of wires and cables run through the manse – it dates back to the 1700s.

As a house that was home to one of the giants of music, the place comes with lore. John pointed out the spot where Noel fell out of a window and where he died. Of course, there is also the room where he jammed with Paul McCartney. While not necessarily a mystery tour, there was plenty of magic.

Scones on the stairs

Our hostess for the week is Nora Hubbert. An engaging woman, she is not only proprietor of a delightfully well-stocked Irish craft and gift shop in Rosscarbery, she is also in effect our innkeeper for the week.

It was Nora with whom we corresponded, by email, to arrange our stay. Our accommodations, as you can see by clicking on an earlier link, are splendid. We are in the center of it all here. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a comfy-cozy sitting room.

What sets our Croi an Bhaile apart from the ordinary is the affability of our hostess. Nora had fresh scones and other provisions waiting for us Friday. Then on Saturday we returned from a hard day of sightseeing along the Irish coast to find a bowl of fresh scones sitting on the stairs leading to our flat, a sweet and pleasant surprise for weary pilgrims indeed.

Communion in Ireland

(This is Heather writing, so forgive us, Tom does a much better job!)…Despite visiting many pubs on Saturday night, the four of us were at Mass Sunday morning at 11:30. And we were not the last ones in the Cathedral. (Aunt Pat, you should really be proud of your nephew – he even had the good-feeling rosary beads with him). It was a beautiful service (and was over in less than 30 minutes).

It might be added here that the God of the Irish was quite understanding on this Sunday morning. John and Heather had in tow what would be described politely as non-regular church-goers in Tom and Carol. Had God been in a pissy mood, he could have rained fire and brimstone down upon them. But, in a way, He blessed the entire congregation. Just before Holy Communion, he chased away the sulking gray clouds that greeted parishioners as they arrived and sent out a burst of sunshine to warm the old stone walls. The Cathedral sits on a site where Christians have come to worship for about 1,400 years, according to local tour guides.

Gossip gives patrons something to talk about

Saturday evening dinner was extraordinary. We ate at Gossip, a restaurant on the square in Rosscarbery. The food was absolutely wonderful. To start: A cold seafood platter, with locally smoked salmon and trout. The entrees, all delightful: Grilled sea bass, monkfish with a tomato and pancetta sauce, roast pork belly, and Heroldshire steak topped with blue cheese. The service was flawless. We could try to go on in great detail about how spectacular this place is, but it might still be a case of us not doing it justice.

Coming soon

Pictures and video from the mouse racing are coming soon!

A night at the races

It is a little known fact in the United States that Ireland has secret sports society. Few Americans have ever seen the sport in person. But on Saturday night, through a series of random events, the four of us not only witnessed, but we also wagered and won at the Night of Mouse Racing.

The Shark, aka Big Fish, would find us and kill us back in Iowa if divulged the location of Saturday’s mouse racing event. But because of John’s long families ties to County Cork he was allowed the document some of the evening proceedings for the readers of this blog.