Spending St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

Since it is close and there are great deals on air travel, a trip to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day seemed like a great idea! Unfortunately Harriet had university work to do and Harrison had school but I flew with Parker on March 16th into Shannon Ireland which is on the south-western part of the country and much more rural than the larger cities of Dublin and Belfast. We went to a little country village called Bunratty. Through the power of the internet I found a super cheap rate at a ritzy 4 star hotel (Bunratty Castle Hotel). On St. Patrick's Day we enjoyed going to Bunratty Castle (an impressive structure) and a 19th century folk-village park. That evening Parker and I returned a second time to Bunratty Castle and sat at a 300 year old table for their nightly medieval supper and Irish entertainment (singing and music). The food was great (including a welcoming drink of honey-mead). and when they sang "Danny Boy" I thought fondly of my grandma Johnston (paternal grandmother) who had that sung at her funeral and who loved St. Patrick's Day as the one day of the year when everyone can be Irish. Of course I indulged in a glass of Guinness while in Ireland and also returned with an Irish Waterford Crystal candle holder for our home.