A Spectacular Sunday in Northern Ireland

 Today offered a bit of a different twist from the average tourist adventure.  This morning, we headed to Strabane to mass at Sacred Heart Church.  

And what a glorious event that was.  As a bit of a background story, let me back up two years, when the pandemic was in full force and churches were on complete lockdown.  One Sunday morning, I stumbled upon Mass being livestreamed via the Leckpatrick webcam.  Marty and I watched it in its entirety on our television at home.  I recall how taken we both were with Father Sweeney's homily.  We decided to get up the next Sunday to watch, again, at 6:30 am.  Once again, we felt blessed to have found this man, as his homilies offered an insight which neither one of us had experienced in all of our years of attending weekly mass.  One thing led to another, and I was marking my calendar for any possible special programs that he offered in addition to weekly mass.

Time passed, and we began to attend locally again, but we still continued to rise in time to watch Fr. Sweeney at 6:30 am.  

So, when I planned this trip, I felt that it was the perfect opportunity to meet this man whom we both had found so insightful.  And, this morning was that day. It felt surreal to sit in the pew in person rather than looking down from above.  The first thing I noticed was the array of flowers in the church. In all the time I watched, I never saw such a display.  It seems there was a wedding yesterday, and the mother of the bride is a florist.

As an added bonus, the old church had a full choir in attendance, which is something the parish has been lacking since Covid hit.  Apparently a choir group asked Fr. Sweeney just yesterday,  if they could sing at today's mass, and how fortunate for us that they did!  The sound of their melodic voices echoing through the confines of the church only enhanced the experience that much more.

And, you can only imagine our surprise, when the priest had a woman present us with a special gift, and thank us for following the church on the webcam all of these years. We were there to thank THEM, and here they were, offering us thanks for being devoted watchers.

We were sure to get a photo with Fr Sweeney.

And here is the lovely gift that we received: 

It is a Belleek Porcelain St. Brigid Cross, made in a nearby village.

I am completely unfamiliar with this beautiful creation, and I would certainly appreciate any insight that any of my readers might offer regarding the story behind this unique gift. But honestly, how could I NOT feel blessed at receiving such special attention?  Obviously, the Irish can certainly make us feel welcome.

After mass, we were invited to chat with Fr over a cup of tea for a little while, then we headed out back on the highway, this time to a National Trust site called The Argory.

This is simply a country home whose name translates "hill of the garden".  It was built by Walter McGeough, who added Bond to his surname, to remember his grandmother, the wealthy heiress Elizabeth Bond. The house was built incurring no debts, passing down through several generations prior to being donated to the National Trust. 

The house stands on a piece of land that runs along the River Blackwater, which offers a spectacular view from the front interior.

Upon entry through the front door, one can't help but be awed by this free standing staircase, which, quite honestly, was the highlight of the home.

The interior rooms held quite a collection of eclectic items that the family had collected over the years, and, unfortunately, it gave quite a cluttered look to the place, in my opinion.  

Some of the unique items inside were a pipe organ, that was set up like a player piano.  There was a giant roll that nested into the back of the instrument that plays various tunes on its own.  The volunteer told us that the only downfall is that it is very loud.

She also pointed out this very rare and unusual piece that is Dutch.  I can't recall the details, but she said that it was, by far, the most valuable item on the premises, but that the National Trust cannot determine just when it had been acquired.  It remains to be a mystery.

Note the photographer in the corner of the dining room.  He was really enjoying some of the odd items that we spotted while walking through the house.

Outside, we walked through some gardens

and decided to walk a bit along the river.  Here you see a metal bridge, known as the Bond Bridge, which was built in the early 1900s.  We had driven across it in order to access the property, although I did find it a bit disconcerting to read a warning stating that it was a "weak" bridge.

But, obviously, it's still holding up for vehicle traffic.

We ventured from the river, along the edge of the property, on a path that turned into what looked like a wooden boardwalk leading us through the woods.

I found it a bit bazaar that so much effort was put into building such a long stretch of a path, but when I spotted someone pushing a pram along, it all made sense. 

We found ourself at the walled garden, and I eagerly peeked through the gate.

But it was obvious that the garden has been unattended for quite some time, although I did spot some fruit trees that were filled with maturing fruit.

Heading back to the car park, we were scrutinized by a group of cows that insisted on keeping their eyes on us as we walked past.  They all seemed quite curious.  Perhaps they don't see many American tourists ambling by.

By this time,  we knew we had well over an hour's drive back to the hotel, so we headed back in that direction and decided to stop at a nearby restaurant for dinner.  The sun was shining brilliantly, so we decided to head out on a little venture and explore the area, as we leave to travel south tomorrow.

We are near the Sperrin mountains, and we soon found ourselves traveling along a very narrow road, and enjoying the stunning views of the mountains around us.

We came across Harry Avery Castle, which stands in a middle of a farmers field.

Would you believe that it was nearly 9:00 PM when those were photographed?  It certainly stays light very LONG here!

Traveling along, we ended up stopping in Newtonstewart, where we walked out on a bridge to capture a photo of the river.

and spotted the ruins of the old castle in town.

Crossing over the bridge, we headed towards a small park where there were several fishermen eagerly fly fishing for salmon.

Marty had a grand time chatting with them, and they were all eager to offer friendly advice, as have been all of the Irish people whom we have met so far on this trip.

It's been great fun staying here in County Tyrone, but it's time to move on.  We'll be heading out tomorrow, ending our day in Sligo, where yet another adventure awaits.

Here's hoping that this awesome weather continues! 

An Ulster history lesson

Sleep is powerful.  That being said, after being thoroughly rejuvenated from a good night's sleep, Marty and I set out to enjoy this second day in Ireland.

After an amazing breakfast, we headed by car to the Ulster Folk Museum located just a few miles down the road from where we are staying. 

 I had prebooked tickets, as the site made it sound urgent, so I was pleasantly surprised to see only three other cars in the parking lot when we arrived.  So far, we've managed to quite successfully enjoy the area without crowds of people.  Here's hoping that trend continues, because we do love the personal attention that comes from being the lone visitors in any given space.

The museum is cleverly set up, with a very large, open display that walks the visitor through time, explaining the circumstances that led to mass migration from the Ulster area. For those not familiar, Ulster is an area in Ireland that consists of 9 northern counties, which is primarily the area of Ireland that experience the majority of emigration. 

It also features a very large, open air outside museum, that physically walks one through the life in Ireland, the journey to the United States, and, finally the "New World" experienced by these Irish immigrants. 

We were quite surprised to see a Conestoga Wagon, made in Lancaster, PA, standing at the entrance to the time line experience.

We soon learned that the reason it was there was to represent the mode of transport in the early 1800s, from the Port of Baltimore to the Pittsburgh, PA area.  We found this to be especially interesting since we live not far from where these Conestoga Wagons were constructed back in the day. 

Three families were highlighted in the museum, each emigrating in the early 1800s from the Tyrone area, to various areas of the United States, and each for different personal reasons. 

The first, Thomas Mellon of Mellon Bank fame in Pittsburgh, PA.  He was the son of a farmer, Andrew Mellon,  who decided to move to Turtle Creek at the encouragement of his parents who had emigrated previously.  Thomas Mellon was born in Tyrone, and his family home still stands on the premises of the museum.  It is considered to be the most important feature in the museum, since it was Thomas' son who donated the house and set up the trust for this amazing venue. Thomas and his parents arrived at the port of Baltimore in the early 18002,  and used the Conestoga Wagon as transport to Turtle Creek. 

Thomas decided as a youngster, that he did not want to pursue life as a farmer, so he attended the University of Pittsburgh, achieved a law degree, and set up Mellon Bank later in life.

The second family  featured was that of John Joseph Hughes.  John's family felt persecuted as Catholics, and left Tyrone for Maryland in the early 1800's as well.  John was originally employed as a gardener fo Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  He would eventually become ordained as a priest, which led, over time, to his being appointed as Arch Bishop of New York.  During his time in this role, he worked hard to defend the rights of the many Irish Catholic immigrants.

Finally, Hugh and Robert Campbell left Tyrone during the same time period, settling in St. Louis, MO, where they became successful businessman.  They chose to emigrate since neither were due to inherit from their father, due to being younger sons. 

None of these men left Ireland due to physical hardship in their homeland, and all three went on to become famous Americans.  The museum is certain to note that there were many forced to emigrate due to unfair land taxes, or starvation, who did not fare as well as these three men.  The streets were NOT lined with gold as some would claim to encourage others to follow, and this cartoon gives an humorous example at just how a story can be embellished to make a situation appear far grander than it is.

 There was a wealth of information to learn, and we both came out of there with a real appreciation for what the average emigrant had to endure.  There were numerous dioramas to enhance the experience. 

We even learned about the changes that occurred in transport, from sailing vessels that took 8 weeks to cross the ocean, to steam boats that shortened the trip to 12 days.  

Outside, the museum has original houses that were relocated on the land, in addition to the Mellon family home, which stands in its original location.  Here you see a Single Room Family Cabin featuring a handsome Irishman (kind of) in front.

Weaver's cottage

The Mellon homestead, where Thomas Mellon was born

and the interior kitchen.

A schoolhouse transported from 3 miles down the road

complete with desks

and learning equipment (and a cozy fire as well).

We were told that students were required to bring a block of "Turf" to the classroom in order to be admitted for study.  It is some kind of peat that is dug up from the ground in the area.  If a student did not have the required Turf, they were "turfed out", meaning that they were not permitted in the school.  This brought a lot of chuckles from the Irish visitors in attendance. I had not personally heard that phrase, but obviously it is frequently used here due to the reaction.

The museum also featured the original homes of the Hughes and Campbell families. 

From here, we walked through a recreated "typical" Irish village where the emigrant would have walked.  The Mountjoy post office was moved from a mile down the road, stone by stone, rebuilt as the original structure. 

Around the corner, we walked down this quaint village street that features the original fronts of various establishments that had existed. Even the road was authentic!

We were told by the local chemist (a volunteer re-enactor), that the emigrant would have ventured down this street by "shank pony".  Of course, I had no idea what that was.  He explained that it was a term used for walking.  The "shanks" of their legs were ponied by their feet.  Did you know that? 

From there, we entered a dark alley that led us to a recreated transport ship.

all set up to give one the experience of the emigrant.

I was actually quite surprised by the size of the beds.  I had presumed them to be really tight quarters, but it could very well be that more than one person was expected to sleep in each of those beds. 

Upon debarkation, we found ourselves in a recreated town near the port of Baltimore.

At this point, we continued to walk through fields featuring log cabins from various areas.  

This one a Pennsylvania farmhouse.

One from West Virginia

and, finally, the Tennessee Rogan Plantation house, which was, surprising to me, made of brick.

At this point, we felt that we had traveled far enough in time, so we decided to hit the road and drive east to a different sort of plantation:  Springhill, a 17th Century family manor house.  And, it was here that I learned that the term, Plantation, came from the "planting" of Scots to this area of Ireland in the mid 17th century.   

It featured a lovely Dutch Garden

some stunning interiors

and a round tower at the end of a long row of Beech Trees. 

I couldn't resist setting up a photo using my Apple watch.  How fun is that? 

This is a National Trust Site, so, of course, tea and scones were in order. (Plus all of that walking earned some refreshment.) 

Not far from Springhill stands the tallest Cross in Northern Ireland and the third highest in all of that country, constructed in the 10th century. It is situated near Arbroe Abbey along the shores of Loch Neagh.  

The cross features many biblical scenes, but it's a bit difficult to see the figures that the information claims. The stone is well weathered due to its location in the elements.  But, one certainly gets a feel for the amount of work that would have gone into constructing such a sight.

The loch in the background was stunning.

and there was wildlife to keep one's attention for a little while.

Then, the midges moved in, so we moved out. But not before I captured a photo of this cross among the graves in the cemetery.  I found it to be very unique and quite beautiful. 

We headed back to our hotel where we enjoyed a delicious dinner in the restaurant.

Afterwards, I sipped a delicious Irish Coffee 

while being entertained by an Irish Singer, singing country-western songs,  who was apparently on stage for the evening.

I'd say that was quite the ending to an already full day.