Swinford

What was left of the handball court
where Martin used to play
near Killasser, Co. Mayo, Ireland

I spent 3 weeks in the Swinford area, visiting the various relatives and the places of my grandparent's youth. Just down the road from Killasser my Uncle pulled off by the side of the road one day and pointed at a crumbled, old wall. It was the place where Martin had practiced his handball game. At one point in time Martin had been the all-Ireland handball champion. His home court was now falling down and choked with weeds. Later in a dingy and crumbling old pub in Swinford Marty Joe introduced me to a couple of old timers who'd known my grandfather before he'd left in 1924. They referred to him by his nickname; the 'Man and a Half', which he'd gotten for being over 6 feet in a country of smaller men.

Footing turf to dry in the sun
prior to burning
near Killasser, Co. Mayo, Ireland

I spent several long afternoons working on the daily tasks of life in Ireland. Footing turf so that it will dry enough to burn. Packing the silage (hay) into tall, compact mounds that are used to feed the cattle through the Winter. My relatives couldn't understand why I wanted to work while I was on holiday, but it was a welcomed experience to do the kind of things I'd be doing if I had grown up there and not in the States.

A great part of my time with my Irish family I spent not doing anything at all. Just to be in the place where Martin and Katie had grown up, to feel fleeting impressions of them when they were my age was enough for me. As the midpoint of my trip approached I realized how precious little time I had and I said goodbye to the old folks around Swinford, walking down the road the way I'd come to go and see what else Ireland had to offer...