Templemore

Having gone to Peterhead to visit the place where Carl’s people were born and lived, it was my turn to do likewise.  So, it was off to Templemore.  Normally, it would be an hour and a bit to get there, but yesterday’s trip took almost twice that.  It seems that one of Irish Rail’s trains broke down on the track.  I did make it eventually, but not before having to hear one too many pre-recorded announcements, hoping that I’ve had a “pleasant and enjoyable trip and thank you for choosing Irish Rail.”  By the time I was into over an hour’s delay, it became a tad annoying. 

Church of Ireland

These days, Templemore has grown to a population of about 19,000 bodies.  The first place I visited was the Church of Ireland, not catholic, but close to in terms of pomp and ceremony.  After wandering the graveyard, I was able to locate a couple of gravesites.  There may have been more, but as in Peterhead, many weren’t readable any longer.  Most of the Fitzgerald family left Ireland over two hundred years ago now.  Even so, it was an experience being in the place where my 4x great grandparents were born and walking the same streets they did.

Downtown Templemore

The town itself, especially the downtown core, is an attractive place.  Most of the shops are well cared for and for the most part, seem to be thriving.  Moving out of the immediate area, though, there are many empty and boarded up places looking to be let or bought.  There are some industries on the edge of town, but a couple of those have shut down as well.  Like everywhere in Ireland and Scotland, the best cared for are the pubs.  Oh, and the bookmakers.  Yes, bookies are legal in both places.

I asked around a bit, to see if there were any surviving Fitzgeralds left in the town, but seems not.  If the cemetery is any indication, the last couple died back in 1957 and 1973, both named John and apparently single.  I would have liked to go to Roscrea as well, as that may have been the Talbot site, but being a Sunday, there was no way to get there other than walking or thumbing a ride.  Neither was high on my top ten list of things to do.  The only things open in the entire town were the groceries and the pubs, so after a few hours of exploring, I headed back to the rail station for a return to Dublin.

Tomorrow, Galway and I did un-cheap and book the story-telling for tonight.  It leaves my time in Galway rather short, as I have to back in Dublin and to the Brazen Head by 6:30.  I had intended doing laundry last night after I got back from Templemore, but was more than a bit too tired.  Nor will I be able to do it tonight, as the show isn’t over until 10:00 p.m. and I really should catch 7:35 back to Belfast tomorrow.  There is a later train, but it cuts it a bit close to the time I have to catch the bus for my ferry back to Glasgow.  I’ll have to buy a top or two or go topless.

Update:  The storytelling evening at the Brazen head was just a blast.  There was no such thing as strangers sitting beside one another at the tables.  Combined with a great meal, a bit of the irish history, song and stories, it was a more than enjoyable evening.  The web-site address is http://www.irishfolktours.com/ if you'd like to check it out.