Killarney - What a GREAT Town!!!
This past weekend Ali and I went to Killarney. Our weekend in Killarney was my most fun and exciting weekend that I have had thus far in Ireland. We got to Killarney Friday evening around 6:30. We found our B&B, dropped off our stuff and went to dinner. We found this really cute place called the Danny Mann Pub & Restaurant. It had traditional Irish music and a very irish feel to it. We ate fish and chips there and stayed for a few pints.
Pictures of the Danny Mann Pub and the live entertainment!
On Saturday we boarded the bus for our Ring of Kerry Tour at 10:30am. The bus was packed, but it was still nice. Again, we could not have asked for better weather. On Friday the weather was rainy and dreary, on Saturday the sun was out, a few clouds in the sky and a few quick showers throughout the day but for the most part we can not complain about the weather. Every time that Ali and I have gone sightseeing or touring we have had great weather! The one good thing about having a few rain showers is that most of the time there is a rainbow to follow.
These pictures of the rainbows do not give them justice, but they were so beautiful and brilliant. I have not seen that bright of a rainbow in my entire life! They were gorgeous
Along our tour we stopped at a few look out points and saw some amazing views. We stopped at a beautiful River.
PICTURE OF RIVER WITH ALI AND I
We saw some very beautiful mountains and lakes.
Beautiful scenery on the tour
On Saturday after our tour Ali and I did some shopping and then we headed back to our B&B. We hung out in our room and relaxed for a few hours before going out to see what Killarney had to offer. We ventured out around 8pm and we went to the Danny Mann again. We had liked the atmosphere the night before so we figured we would try there again. While sitting there we discovered a very interesting type of Scottish Whiskey.
PICTURE OF TEACHERS WHISKEY
After the Danny Mann we went to a pub that was also a hotel. This pub too had a traditional Irish band, but here people were dancing and singing around. It was very amusing and fun! We met a lot of people at this pub. There were people from Australia and also some girls who were studying in Scotland who went to UW Eau Claire. I was surprised to meet some people from Wisconsin in this small Irish pub. We talked to them for a while and they told us about a dance club that was right next door. Ali and I decided to check out the dance club. Here again we met many interesting people.
Ali doing the robot!!!
After the dance club we went to a bar called Mustang Sally's. This bar too was packed, but again very fun. Here we met some people from the US who were on an international basketball team. They were obviously very well suited for playing basketball.
Picture of the guys who played basketball. Yes, I am that short...or were they that tall?!?!?!?!
We stayed at Mustang Sally's for a while until we decided it was time to go back to the B&B.
The B&B that we stayed in while in Killarney.
On Sunday we were going to go shopping but did not feel up to it. It was raining and cold and we were carrying all of our bags, so we decided to head back to Listowel. I really enjoyed our time in Killarney and would go back there again if the opportunity ever arose. We had a blast!!!!
The Girls and Presentation Secondary School
This week at school has been very interesting and very hectic. On Tuesday and Wednesday I was observed by Neville. He is affiliated with St. Norbert College and he observes all of the students that come to student teach in Ireland, Scotland and England. He is a very nice man and I was very relaxed when he was in the classroom. When he was done observing me he said that I did very well. The one thing that he told me I could improve on is my use of the word 'ok'. He said that I use it a bit too often, so I should just watch myself. Other than that though he said that I did a great job controlling the three classes that he observed. He said I had great lessons and that I was very clear in my presentation of the lessons. I was very pleased with how my observations turned out. I was nervous in the beginning but everything turned out fine.
PICTURE OF ME AND NEVILLE
On Tuesday it was Presentation Day. This is a day to remember Nano Nagle, the lady who founded the presentation school. There are presentation schools all over the world, and the first one was founded right here in Ireland by Nano Nagle. She is a very well known woman and is celebrated every year on November 21. Because of it being Presentation Day on Tuesday we had a prayer service that the girls put on.
PICTURE OF GIRLS IN CHURCH
The girls were singing and dancing at the ceremony. They were also praying for all of the presentation nuns around the world who are helping people in many countries. There were even presentation nuns who went to New Orleans to help with the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In the final hour of class of the day another group of girls put on a play for the students and teachers. The teachers also got involved and were playing a game of Weakest Link in front of the girls. It was a very fun and entertaining afternoon.
I have never heard of Nano Nagle before but now having experienced my first Presentation Day I am somewhat educated on her life and her ambitions. The girls really got into the day and it was nice to see all of the artwork around the school
PICTURES OF NANO NAGLE INFORMATION
Thursday was Thanksgiving, but it did not really feel like Thanksgiving to me. Usually there are thanksgiving ads on TV and everyone is talking about their plans for Thanksgiving, but in Ireland Thanksgiving is not celebrated, so it felt odd when I walked into school and everyone was saying "Happy Thanksgiving Miss" Many of the girls were asking about our traditions and what thanksgiving is and in most of my classes we had a good discussion about traditions and thanksgiving. During short break in the morning Sister Nuala (the principal of the school) came up to me and handed me a present and a card. I was shocked, I was not expecting anything and here they gave me a present so I would remember my first thanksgiving away from home and my first Thanksgiving in Ireland. When I opened the gift I got a beautiful necklace with a Celtic knot on it. It was very beautiful and I was very greatful for the teachers kindness.
My first year class also drew me a thanksgiving card, wishing me a happy thanksgiving! I do not have the girls on Thursdays and they still thought of me I was really touched.
PICTURE OF MY THANKSGIVING CARD
Thanksgiving night I went to Jim and Toni Lynn Flemmings house. They are friends of JP and Fidelma's and they moved from Indiana to Ireland 5 years ago. They still celebrate Thanksgiving every year. Since they knew that JP and Fidelma had an American student living with them they asked us to celebrate thanksgiving with them. It was very nice, we had a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and of course pumpkin pie. It was very nice and I really appreciated the offer. The meal really made Thanksgiving real for me, I was very greatful.
This week I finally got around to taking pictures of my school and of my classes:
FRONT DOORS TO THE SCHOOL
Main Building of the school
My 1st Year Girls
My 2nd Year Girls and me
The 4th Year Girls
5th Year Girls (Mrs. O'Conner's Class)
Relaxing Weekend in Listowel
This weekend we decided to stay in Listowel. We have been leaving to travel every weekend since we have been here so we decided to take a weekend off and relax. On Friday night Ali and I went to the pub for a few pints. We sat and talked and had a great time. When we were walking to the pub around 8pm the weather outside was average, a little chilly and it was slightly misting. This is nothing unusual for Ireland, so we thought nothing of it and ventured out. Well, when we decided to leave the pub around 11 and we walked outside we realized that we may have made a mistake going out. The weather was horrible. The winds were gusting, it was freezing outside and it was hailing and raining. It looked like a winter wonderland with all of the hail all over, we were under the impression that Ireland hardly ever got to the point where the ground was white, but luckily, or should I say unluckily, we got to experience it.
Because of the conditions we were nearly running home, it was pretty horrible, I felt like it was the middle of January in Wisconsin. Once we were inside and warmed up we had a laugh over it. We had a great night, weather aside.
On Saturday Fidelma took Ali and I to Dingle Penninsula. We drove through the town of Dingle and through the mountains, and over Connor pass. We had a beautiful day and as luck would have it the weather was very cooperative. The hail and rain that began on Friday night did not quit until about 20 minutes before we left for Dingle, when we were going through Dingle the sky was clear blue with only a few white puffy clouds. The weather was perfect. As soon as we drove in the driveway after traveling all day it began to rain. It was amazing right before we left the weather was terrible and as soon as we got back the weather got bad again, but while we were traveling and sightseeing the weather was gorgeous. We could not have been luckier!
The snow covered mountains in Dingle Penninsula, Fidelma, my host mom, is in the picture as well.
The one lane road of Conor Pass...it is tricky to manuever through at times.
While driving through a small town in Dingle Penninsula we saw an 'Irish Traffic Jam'!!! It was hilarious!
Overall my weekend was great, we got to see a lot of sights and we also got to take a break from the traveling. The weather was wonderful, I just hope it keeps up for the rest of the time that we are here.
Irelands Schools Vs. American Schools
I knew when I signed up to come to Ireland that there were going to be differences between the Irish schools and the American schools that I have worked at. But I never even fathomed that they would be as different as they are. I have written about how the math is different, but the differences go well beyond
mathematical terminology and methodology.
The students are broken up into three categories, higher, ordinary and foundation. The students that excel in subjects are placed in the higher category, the students that are average in their studies are placed in the ordinary category and the students that are weak at certain subjects are placed in the foundation category. Each course has a different outline depending on the category of students that it is for. Students in the higher level courses are expected to memorize more concepts and ideas and they are also expected to do more difficult level problems. The students in ordinary level courses are sometimes given equations and formulas instead of having to memorize them, and same with foundational level students. They are not expected to have to memorized as many of the formulas, equations and concepts as the ordinary level students.
In Ireland there are two certifications that a student needs before they are completed with their Secondary School. The secondary school is like our 7
th and 8
th grade combined with our high school. There are 6 years of secondary school, with the 4
th year being an optional or transitional year between the two certifications. This means that some students will graduate from secondary school after only 5 years and others will graduate after 6 years depending on if they choose to take the transition year. The first certification that a student needs to take is their Junior Certification and the second certification that the students need is the Leaving Certification.
The students take the junior certification exam after their 3rd year, which is like our freshman year in high school. The students take the exams based on the courses that they have taken and the level that they are in (higher, ordinary or foundational). The exams that are offered for the junior certification are :
Irish: Higher, Ordinary and Foundation
English: Higher, Ordinary and Foundation
Mathematics: Higher, Ordinary and Foundation
History: Higher and Ordinary
Geography: Higher and Ordinary
French: Higher and Ordinary
German: Higher and Ordinary
Italian: Higher and Ordinary
Art, Craft & Design: Higher and Ordinary
Music: Higher and Ordinary
Science: Higher and Ordinary
Science (with Local Studies): Higher and Ordinary
Home Economics: Higher and Ordinary
Materials Technology (Wood): Higher and Ordinary
Metalwork: Higher and Ordinary
Technical Graphics: Higher and Ordinary
Business Studies: Higher and Ordinary
Typewriting: Higher and Ordinary
Environmental and Social Studies (ESS): Higher and Ordinary
Technology: Higher and Ordinary
Spanish: Higher and Ordinary
Latin: Higher and Ordinary
Ancient Greek: Higher and Ordinary
Classical Studies: Higher and Ordinary
Hebrew Studies: Higher and Ordinary
Religious Education: Higher and Ordinary
Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE): Common
The students are given grades based on their written performance on the exam and are given grades accordingly:
Percentage Range Grade
85 or over A
70 but less than 85 B
55 but less than 70 C
40 but less than 55 D
25 but less than 40 E
10 but less than 25 F
Less than 10 No Grade
Based on the students performance as well as their dreams for the future the students have three choices of what higher level certification they go into. The three certifications that students have to choose from are The Leaving Certification Established Program, The Leaving Certification Vocational Program and the Leaving Certification Applied Program.
The Leaving Certification Established Program is for those students who would like to go on to Third Level education, namely college. The Leaving Certification Vocational Program is for those students who may want to go on to college but are not sure, so they are also taking some courses for those who choose to work right after secondary school. The Leaving Certification Applied Program is for those students who are certain that they want to begin working right after secondary school. Part of the application process for the leaving cert is based on the results of their junior cert exams, thus if a student performs poorly on their junior certification it would be much more difficult for them to get into the established program. Whereas if a student does very well on their junior cert exams they would be able to pick any of the three leaving certs programs.
The students would take their leaving certification exam after the 6th year of secondary school, the exam that the students take is based on the leaving cert program that they choose to be in as well as the courses that they took while in those programs. The students performance on the leaving cert exams reflects their eligibility for colleges and universities. If a student does very well on the leaving cert exams they would be able to go to almost any college, whereas if a student does poorly on the exams then they would have to appeal to the college or university of their choice or they would have to retake their leaving certification exams.
To me it seems like the leaving certificate exams would be equivalent to the high school graduation test that was proposed by the government a few years ago.
One thing that is completely different between the Irish schools and American schools is the fact that the girls at my school do not get grades on their homework or their quizzes or tests. They get a score and they are aware of their performance, but each year their entire grade is based on a test that they take half way through the year (usually around Christmas time) and then a test that they take at the end of the year in June. These two tests alone are what the girls are graded on. The homework, tests and quizzes that the girls are given throughout the year do not count toward anything. If one of the girls is absent she is not required to make up a quiz or test, she just needs to make sure that she understands the material by the time the midterm and final tests come up in December and June.
My Weekend in Dublin
This past weekend Ali and I went to Dublin. We took the 5 hour bus ride from
Listowel to Dublin, it was a long trip but it was well worth it. We had a blast!!! Ali and I met Angela at the bus station and from there we began our journey. We stayed at a bed and breakfast about 10 minutes outside of the city centre. The first night that we were in Dublin we took the bus to O'Connell Street and we walked around for a while, we weren't quite sure where we were going or what we were going to do and before we knew it we were in the Temple Bar area. The Temple Bar area is known for it nightlife, good food and pubs. We were not planning on finding this area until tomorrow but when we stumbled upon it on Friday night we figured why not check it out. We found this amazing bar called
ThunderRoad. It was packed but we went in anyway. We walked in and heard great music, people were dancing, singing and clapping along to the songs.
The Temple Bar
The
ThunderRoad pub/restaurant was playing great music, a combination of Irish music, oldies from the U.S., and some newer dance songs. What made the pub so interesting is that there was not a dance floor. People were just sitting at their tables eating their meal and they would stand up and dance right at the table. People were also singing and clapping along to the music. I have never seen anything like this in my life. It was really fun, we had a blast. It was a great introduction to the amazing Dublin City. After we ate we left
ThunderRoad and we found a smaller, more traditional Irish pub. It was called the
Auld Dubliner.
The
Auld Dubliner had a man singing and playing traditional Irish music with his guitar, but he was also singing American songs such as Brown Eyed Girl and other oldies. It was nice at this bar because it was not as loud and we could talk
amongst ourselves and to the other people in the bar. We met three Irish people at the bar and they were hilarious. It was nice to meet some Irish people and chat with them. I think it adds to the experience of being in Ireland. One thing that is strange though is that every person that I have talked to while I have been in Ireland has asked me about the election that took place
earlier this month and also about my opinion of George Bush. The people that ask these questions do not beat around the bush either. They ask straight out, 'So what do you think of the president?' or 'Do you like George Bush?' When asked this I never really say either way how I feel I just say that he has one of the toughest jobs out there and that he is doing what he thinks is best. I don't say that I fully agree with him and the republicans or that I completely disagree, I take a neutral stance and just go along with it. I find this to be interesting though because the Irish seem to be extremely interested in the politics and the elections of the U.S. It is good that they know a lot about our government but I feel bad that I do not know much about their government at all. After chatting with the people we met at the pub we went back to the B&B.
The Almanii B&B that we stayed at in Dublin
When we got back to the B&B we had a bit of a set back. Our key would not work in the front door. We tried everything, lifting the handle, turning the handle, wiggling the key and nothing would work. It was 12am and all of the lights at the B&B were closed, we were trying to be quiet but after about 20 minutes of the key not working we were getting a bit antsy. So we started banging on the door and asking for help through the mail slot. Finally someone came and opened the door, and it was not the owner of the house. We felt terrible for waking the person up but there was nothing that we could. We were locked out and it was freezing outside. When we got up in the morning the woman that owned the B&B showed us how to use the key. We again tried to get the door open and after a few practices we got it down so that we would know how to open the door when we got back Saturday night.
After getting our lesson on how to open the door we set off for Dublin city. We bought a bus ticket that was valid for 24 hours. With this ticket we could get on and off the bus tour anytime that we wanted and we were able to see most of the attractions of Dublin city. The tour took us to Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Dublin Zoo, The Guinness Storehouse/Brewery Tour, St. Stephen's Green and many more.
GUINNESS SIGN
The most exciting part of our tour was the fact that we had V.I.P tickets to get into the Guinness Brewery Tour. We were not aware of this status that we had at first but when we got to the Brewery we saw that there was a line that extended the entire edge of the building, it would have taken over an hour to get through the line. When we got to the front doors we showed the Security Guard our passes and we got to bypass this long line.
The Line that we did not have to wait through because of our 'celebrity status'
When we got inside the building the next guard saw our passes and without us even asking he escorted us to another man who gave us our map of the brewery and then a token so that we could get a free pint of Guinness at the end of the tour. The way the guards looked at our passes made us feel like we were celebrities. It seemed like they knew we were coming and that they were waiting for us because we never had to say a world to anyone they just knew. With these passes we got into the tour in about 5 minutes, if we would not have had these passes it would have taken at least an hour to get in the building and then another 45 minutes to get into the tour. We will be forever indebted to Ang's house mom's friend for giving us the passes. We had an amazing time! At the end of the tour Ang and Ali got to try Guinness for the first time, it was not pretty.
Ang and Ali trying Guinness for the first time - Notice Ali's face
They were only able to take a few sips out of their pints, I tried to finish mine but could not do it. It was an experience to try the Guinness but I will not be ordering it at the pub anytime soon.
Our Pints of
Guinness - I tried but couldn't do it - They have told me that it is an acquired taste, one that we obviously haven't acquired yet.
After our long day of touring and shopping we went back to the B&B and relaxed for a while. Around 9pm we went out to visit a few more pubs. We started at The Quays, pronounced Keys, Pub. It looked like it would have been a fun pub to be in but it was extremely packed. There was not enough room for the 3 of us to stand next to each other. So we went in one door and out the other. We then tried the Auld Dubliner again, it was a nice atmosphere the first night so we went back. Again the pub was very welcoming. We met some more people there and talked to them for a few hours. After a while though we decided to move on to another bar. We went to a few more pubs and talked to some more people. We had an amazing time in Dublin and decided that we are coming back to Dublin in a few weeks to meet Ang again.
Teaching Maths
My student teaching experience in Ireland has been wonderful so far. As I said before there are many differences in how math, or should I say maths, is taught in Ireland compared to how it is taught in the U.S. This week I have been informed of the material that I will be teaching the students during my time here in Ireland.
First Year:In my 1st year class (which are students ages 12 and 13) I will be introducing algebra. As I go through the chapter with the students it will be their first time seeing variables and working with symbols rather than numbers. I will be teaching the students how to add, subtract, multiply and divide equations and terms with variables in them. I will also be teaching the students about powers and indices as well as the distributive property.
I did my first activity with the students on Monday to introduce variables and I think it went very well. The students really seemed to understand why we need variables and how they are used in equations. During the rest of the week I am planning on doing activities that will continue to expand their knowledge of variables as well as the properties of variables and how to work with them in equations.
The students in this class are pretty rowdy and like to talk. I think that this class will be my most challenging class as far as classroom management goes. I have 21 girls in the class and the rooms are rather small so it is hard to separate the students if they are being exceptionally chatty during class. I do not foresee a huge problem with the girls, but I think they will be my biggest challenge.
Second Year:My second year students are like our 8th graders at home, they are 13 and 14 years old. In this class the students are learning how to combine fractions such as
(2x-1) -
(x+1) = 4. The
3 9
students need to combine the fractions using common denominators and then they have to solve for x. In the chapter that I will be teaching the students they will also be learning how to solve simultaneous equations and how to solve quadratic equations.
The regular classroom teacher for this group of girls did not want to give up the entire class so he decided that we would split the class. I would get half of the girls for the first three weeks and teach them one chapter. Then we will be switching girls and I will be teaching the second half of the girls the same chapter I taught the first group. The first group of girls that I got all seem to be very bright and really have a grasp of the concepts. I do not foresee myself having any problems with this group of girls.
Fourth Year:The 4th year of secondary school is optional for the students, it is called the transition year or TY. The girls in TY are about 15 and 16 years old. Those students who do not feel that they will be ready to take the leaving certification exam in two years have the option of taking an extra year of secondary school. These students will have 4th year, 5th year and 6th year to prepare for the leaving certification exam. Because of this the students in this class are all at different levels. Some of the girls were in the higher level courses in previous years and have learned a lot more compared to those students who were in the ordinary level courses. This makes it difficult because if I take my time to make sure that the ordinary level students understand the material, the higher level students have already seen the material and are bored because they do not need the extra help. My greatest difficulty with this class will be keeping all of the students busy without boring them.
The fourth year students will be learning coordinate geometry with me. We will be doing a lot of graphing activities and will hopefully be going out side to learn some real life geometry.
Fifth Year:The 5th year girls are a good bunch of girls. They are good at asking for help when they need it. If they do not understand something they are not afraid to ask for it. These girls, like the 4th years are all varied in their level of maths. Some of the girls previously took higher level maths whereas others were in ordinary level. Some of the girls took the transition year, whereas some of the other girls came from 3rd year. This again makes it interesting to create lesson plans. Some of the girls know what is going on and some of the other girls need a lot extra help. I think that this class will be easier to keep them busy because they are older and work on their own very well. If I have problems up on the board the students are great at doing them and not talking to the person next to them. This allows me time to walk around the room and help those students who are not as strong in maths as some of the other girls are.
I will be doing complex numbers with the 5th year girls. This is the first time they have ever heard of imaginary numbers. I am really excited about this chapter because I love teaching mathematical concepts that are completely new to students. I love watching the students go from completely confused and lost to 'oh yeah I get it!'. For me that is the most rewarding part of teaching, watching students do something that they previously could not do.
The courses and levels of the maths varies with the grade level that I am teaching. I know that there will be a lot of challenges with the courses that I am teaching, but it will be fun and exciting to grow and learn with the students.
Midterm Break
The week of October 28-November 4 the students at the Presentation Secondary School had their Midterm break. All of the students in Ireland have the week off between first and second quarter. Since I did not have to be in school for the entire week, my family came to visit me in Ireland. They arrived Saturday morning at Shannon Airport. I took a bus from Listowel to Shannon. With a few complications at the Airport, we were finally off...driving on the left hand side of the road. My step-dad drove and with a little practice he got use to the roundabouts and left hand driving. Luckily we got an automatic vehicle, that made things much easier.
Mike Driving on the left handside of the road. The roads were barely wide enough to fit two vehicles on them!!!
After leaving Shannon Airport we went to Bunratty Castle, it was a castle from the 1100's. The castle was beautifully renovated to look exactly like it had when it was first built. At the grounds of the castle was also a village that was built to look like it would have when the original castle was built. Inside the houses they were burning a substance that was used to keep the place warm. The substance was turf, it seemed to do a great job heating the houses but it created a lot of smoke and a horrible smell. But if that is the only source of heat available I am sure that I would have used turf as well.
Houses in the Bunratty Village
The castle was really cool because it had stairs going throughout the walls of the castle. These stairs were extremely narrow and circular. The lady that was dressed up in medieval attire said that this was a defense tactic. Irelands biggest opposition at this time was the Vikings, they were said to be a larger population and with these small staircases the Vikings had a hard time getting in and out of the castle. So the Irish could defend their castle and rooms much better.
Bunratty Castle
After visiting the castle, my family was very tired from their long travels so we found a bed and breakfast and some dinner and we went to bed. In the morning we went up to Ennis, a small town North of Shannon, this is where the beautiful Cliffs of Moher are. They are amazing, how straight down the cliffs are and how close one could get to the edge. But don't worry, my mom put a stop to any daredevil antics. 
Adam and I at the Cliffs of Moher
After the Cliffs of Moher we drove around the country side and saw a lot of cool scenery, it is amazing how the terrain of one country can change so quickly. We drove along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, it would have been beautiful, but it was kind of a cloudy and dreary day. Not too much to see, but still very beautiful. After driving on the coast for a while we toured a cave that had been recently discovered. It has the second largest stalactite in the world. The Irish seem to be a bit bitter about the largest stalactite in the world, which was found after their stalactite in Brazil and is only a foot or two larger than the one in Ireland. Either way the cave was breathtaking. It was discovered in 1952 by two college students who stumbled upon the cave by accident. They had to crawl through a space that was barely big enough for one person to fit through, they were not able to turn around even if they had wanted to. The cave was amazing, it just opened up to tourists in June of 2006, so we were one of the first people to see this spectacular cave.
The boys walking through the cave
The great stalactite: it is about 21 feet long and still growing
Ennis and its scenery were beautiful but then we started heading south to more woodland and moutainous regions. During our travels we also visited Cork, Cobh (pronounced Cove, the h in Ireland produces a 'v' sound), the Jameson Distillary in Midleton, The Ring of Kerry, Killarney and Dingle Penninsula. We also tried to golf while my parents were here but that did not work out because as of November 1 most of the tourist offices and tourist attractions shut down for the season. Many places in Ireland are not open year round because the number of tourists is so low by the end of October.
Steve sampling the different types of Irish whiskey's
Mom and Mike at the Torc Waterfall in County Kerry
Golfing in Ireland is huge, but for those people who enjoy golfing but do not feel like golfing for 4 hours, Ireland has what are called Pitch and Putt's. These are miniature golf courses, not miniature golf like we have in the U.S., but golf courses that are about half the size of regular golf courses and take about half the time to complete. Since we were only here in Ireland for a week we decided to try a Pitch and Putt, but like I said they were all closed for the season so we were not able to. Hopefully some day I will be able to come back to Ireland and try golfing here during the summer season.
Here are some pictures of the beautiful scenery that we got to see during our travels.
A completey calm lake, on a beautiful Irish Day.
