I thought I would take a special photo for Saint Patrick's Day by combining together these three souvenirs I bought in Ireland on two separate Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble trips that Daddy led. I bought the miniature Blarney Castle portrait first, when we went to the Blarney Woolen Mills after touring Blarney Castle on the 2004 trip. It was my second time to visit Blarney Castle, the first being on a Berea Festival Dancer trip to Ireland, Scotland, and Denmark in 1998. I've been to other castles, such as Windsor Castle and Edinburgh Castle, but Blarney Castle remains my favorite, even though it's in ruins and I have no desires to kiss the Blarney Stone, which is supposed to bring eloquent speech. (I'm satisfied with my own form of writing.) The area around the castle is so beautiful, and I have fun memories of exploring the castle, braving the challenging stairs. On the Festival Dancer trip, I got to take a peek in the cave like dungeon, and on the 2004 trip, we loved wandering around the gardens.
The leprechaun and fairy are more recent souvenirs that I bought on the 2007 Bluegrass Ensemble trip to Ireland. We didn't get to visit Blarney Castle this time, but I got the leprechaun at another Blarney Woolen Mills shop which is at Bunratty Castle. Bunratty Castle is a highly restored and well decorated castle, but there now happens to be a modern day highway full of cars right beside the castle. It was funny to brave another challenging set of stairs and reach the topmost tower, and not only see medieval buildings, but also modern day cars zooming along the highway below. The fairy is from the beginning of the same trip, bought in a shop right after we got to Ireland and drove into the city we were visiting. I love all three of these souvenirs, and I think they match each other pretty well.
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