Today was the final day of our trip, and it was a wonderful culmination in many ways. I snuck out early and went to church in center city Galway at the 800-year old St. Nicholas Church, now Church of Ireland (Anglican). We had toured this amazing place as part of our walking tour earlier in the week, and I have visited it several times on earlier trips. The early Communion service was held in one of the small chapels, and attended by about 20. It was straight out of the Book of Common Prayer, and very nourishing for me. Afterwards, I chatted briefly with the Priest, Linda, who was headed to an 11:00 o'clock service at a parish in Connemara nearby. I confessed that I am an ordained minister and she smiled and said "I knew it". I had breakfast at a small local coffee shop, definitely not a tourist place. All the better. A bowl of porridge and the Irish Times, and I was good to go for the rest of the day.
Our first team function was a final meeting at 3:00. We looked back at the week, and Brian and Tom, our wonderful leaders, sought feedback from the players. This is Tom Johnson's 30th trip, and he is still seeking ways to do it better. Brian has been going on trips since 2005, and has been a great source of knowledge and inspiration for the boys. I kept a low profile all week, and was happy with my role as a go-fer. The boys will be tired of me soon enough.
We met Eric and his bus at 4:00 and drove to the nearby town of Salthill, a thriving resort community with one of the prettiest seashores in all of Ireland. Along more than a mile of sandy beach, there is a wide Promenade, with all sorts of restaurants, souvenir stores, arcades and big hotels. It's sort of like Hampton Beach with an Irish accent. At one end is the famous Diving Tower, an old but still very functional way to plunge into the frigid water from various heights. Around here, many locals do it year-round. We had a wonderful team dinner at McCabe's a local restaurant owned by a friend of Tom Johnson's. Everyone here is a friend of Tom Johnson's. He had arranged for tables in front of the huge television, and we arrived in time to watch the Premiership match between Manchester United and Chelsea. The Man. U. fans delighted in the 4-0 victory by the Red Devils. After the meal, we strolled on the Promenade and got gelato at The Creamery. We all love Morano Gelato, but the Creamery is pretty amazing. Then the boys walked to the end of a pier jutting out into Galway bay as the setting sun illuminated the amazing views of the highlands of The Burren across the way. Then it was time to file into the large auditorium of a huge amusement complex to watch Trad on The Prom, which is well-known as the #1 show in all of Ireland, according to Trip Advisor's ratings. The music and dancing lived up to the breathless advance billings. Performer after performer was introduced as world champion this and that. The pipes player, for instance, Martin Fahey, has done most of the composing for Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance". Many have been principals in Riverdance. I saw the show five years ago, and was thrilled to see how fresh and innovating this version was. Some of the younger performers are 18 and 19, and are absolutely fabulous. The show was fast-paced, energetic, and most of the audience spent most of the evening clapping, cheering and hooting. Earlier in the week we had immersed ourselves in Irish sports. This time, it was full immersion in Irish music. This also meant, of course, that we were listening to the precursor to bluegrass, which was started in Appalachia by Irish immigrants fleeing the famine 150 years ago. It was a wonderful way to strengthen our appreciation for this amazing place, so full of hospitality, talent and warmth.
Tomorrow we'll get up early, pack, and take the bus to Dublin to start our long journey home. We will take one night off from the blog, and then it's all business as we gear up for the coming Hanover High season. Mark your calendars for the week ahead: conditioning boot camp resumes on Tuesday and Thursday, and there is a Touchline 4 practice on Wednesday to prepare for the final summer soccer event, a four-team tournament at St. Johnsbury on Saturday. Whoops, I've already switched from Ireland to New Hampshire. Time to call it quits for now. Goodnight!
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