In honor of the upcoming Easter weekend, I’m going to post a couple other excerpts from my travel journal, of our time in Ireland as a family. I am 13 years old at this point. We were on Achill Island for a bit, off the west coast of Ireland, and we were there for Easter. Going to church was a huge deal.
But I’ll back into it with a couple of the previous entries.
Please keep in mind: 13 years old.
I am in IRELAND, and here is what I choose to write about.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
These are some of the fashions here: tight jeans and black and gold leather pumps, grey pinstriped blazers, tube tops, jackets that go below the hips, mini-skirts (black velvet), dotted white tights, red velvet crushed boots, Adidas sneakers, tight-tight-tight spray-painted-on jeans are EVERYWHERE. No one has baggies. [Ed: I am assuming that I am talking about baggie jeans here, which were all the rage in the States at this time. Thank God that trend passed.] They also love bobby socks here, especially with mini skirts. No one has top siders or loafers. [That whole preppy thing was OUT OF CONTROL at my school. I never got into it, so I am sure the lack of top siders on the Emerald Isle was quite a relief.] The girls wear maroon, silver, yellow leather pumps. They seem to be very influenced by the English [Ed: Uhm… what, Sheila? You’re 13. What are you talking about??]. All that punk stuff started in England, and it seems to be very big here too. [Oh please, shut up.] Tight jeans are the thing to wear here. White sneakers (yippee) are also popular. Minidresses too, like I’ve seen in Seventeen. All the girls wear kilts, bobby socks, and black leather Mary Janes shined like a mirror.
ACHILL ISLAND, IRELAND
The towns over here are not towns. Just villages on hills, with like one store and a butcher. The people seem really nice, though. Two boys on bikes literally led us to our B&B. This B&B is called Connaught House. CONNAUGHT, MUNSTER, LEINSTER, ULSTER, MEATH.
My room has a wonderful view of fields, little houses, and then the ocean. There are lots of peat bogs here, and we might be able to cut some peat!!!!!!! [Wow. You’re a geek.] Soon we’re going downtown to look around. But I don’t feel like it because I am SO COLD!!!!! IT’S FREEZING!!!!!
Later:
The walk was ok. It certainly warmed me up. We saw a field of sheep and the babies were the cutest things I have ever seen. All white, with black heads. Siobhan “baaahed” at them all. [Siobhan was 4. The image of her, in Ireland, is a favorite family memory.]
We might go to church tonight but I don’t want to because everyone here dresses up SO much for church and all I have is this plaid skirt that looks like it comes from the 50s. And all the girls wear Mary Janes and I only have my saddle shoes. [Saddle shoes? What are you, Lucy Van Pelt?]
I wonder how Mere and Betsy and Beth and Kate are. OH I MISS THEM SO MUCH!!!!!
Just thinking about living on this island makes me sick. No t.v., one school, not knowing about fashions. [Oh my God, that is so embarrassing. NOT KNOWING ABOUT FASHIONS? This from a girl wearing SADDLE SHOES??? I am so sorry, lovely people of Achill Island, for my judgment.] All they have here is Irish knit sweaters and skirts. I mean, clothes aren’t everything but I want to know something about what is in and what isn’t. [Okay, this is getting even more embarrassing. This is awful.]
Our house has the most WONDERFUL living room [I sound schizophrenic. Achill Island BAD, oh wait a minute Achill Island GOOD] with a fire, the softest fur rug in front of it and a HUGE tv. [Hm. I seem to recall you mentioning in the paragraph above this one that the people on the island didn’t HAVE tv. Hmmm.] We watched “David Copperfield” all afternoon, and now we are going for a drive up a mountain. This is a very mountainous island.
The old couple who own the B&B are so nice. The old man is so funny, so nice. He said to my father that he looked like Kojak from behind. He has been to America and he said that the sand in Florida was so hot that you could “fry a rasher on it”. He also asked us if Rhode Island was very close to Houston!!
[For some reason, the first line of this next entry made me laugh OUT LOUD when I was reading it this morning.]
ACHILL ISLAND, THURSDAY
Last night we watched “Father Damien – the Leper Priest” on TV with Ken Howard. He is SO good. I had already seen the movie before though. [That’s the kicker. I had seen FATHER DAMIEN – the effin’ LEPER PRIEST twice???]
Today we are going to visit a man’s peat bog, and then we are going to look up some old crosses, etc.
I washed my hair this morning, and washed my face, and rubbed in face cream and put on mascara. [Extremely important to list my morning skin ritual, apparently.]
I am getting really sick of the same old breakfast every day. But Dad says that there is this coffee shop in Dublin called Bewley’s or something where they sell delicious donuts and jelly pastries, etc. [Sniff, sniff. Bewley’s … one of my favorite pitstops … now no more …] My mouth is watering already!
Tomorrow we’re going to church.
I should have brought my curling iron.
…and then we are going to look up some old crosses, etc.
i love the ‘old crosses, etc.’
hilarious.
hahahaha Yeah, the “etc.” really speaks volumes!!
Oh my God. I am dying. What on earth is “Father Damien – the Leper Priest” and why am I not watching it right this second?? I haven’t laughed that hard at a movie title since “Mulva 2: Kill Teen Ape”. And I laughed pretty hard at that one. And also, your diss of the island. “No t.v., one school, not knowing about fashions.” Hahahahahaha. Also, the ‘etc.’ that follows “look up some old crosses” is killing me. Like, old crosses, etc.
You better have an entry about church on Good Friday!! Did you kiss the cross?
“not knowing about fashions”??? Like I was some fashion plate in my saddle shoes? SO AWFUL.
“No TV” and then in the next paragraph I sing the praises of the HUGE TV on which I can watch FATHER DAMIEN, THE LEPER PREIST” for the second time!!!!
Hysterical!!!
I’ll have to see what I say about mass – I do remember Easter Mass – it was so crowded we had to stand in the foyer of the church.
Kill Teen Ape!!!!! HA!
You know what’s even funnier?? If you go to that film’s imdb page, you can read this:
Debbie Rochon … Mulva
Teen Ape … Himself
WHAAAAAAT?!? I have tears rolling down my cheeks.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
NO!!!!!
/[Saddle shoes? What are you, Lucy Van Pelt?]/
Hahahahaha.
“D’you know something, Schroooeder?
I think that visiting a peeeat bog
Is nice”
HAHAHA!!!
I literally wore those saddle shoes into the ground. Bought another pair, wore those into the ground. I need to get another pair. Old school: black and white. I miss having saddle shoes in my life.
Although I realize by saying that I am honestly admitting that, frankly, I do not care AT ALL “about fashions”. At least not current-day ones.
Sheila — I STOLE the saddle shoes I wore when I played Lucy in high school and people on campus were all, “Didn’t you wear those shoes as Lucy?”
“Uhm, no, no, I didn’t. How can you think that? I mean, what are you saying? WHAT KIND OF PERSON DO YOU THINK I AM???”
I was so disappointed to discover that wasn’t a B-horror movie. There wasn’t a single zombie in that thing.
Johnny – hahahaha
I love how life is now “Before Skyward” and “Post Skyward”. hahaha How ironic with Easter weekend. :)
Finally! Literally YEARS of Googling “Sheila fashions” and I finally got the entry I’m looking for! Thanks, Sheila! I knew you had it in you!
And OMG, Father Damien: the Leper Priest.
I’m dying.
Therese – hahahahahahahahahaha Sheila fashions!!!!
THERE’S the post we’ve all been looking for! Isn’t it ridiculous??
I really thought I was somethin’ else, didn’t I … in my saddle shoes and 50s skirt.
Believe it or not, I remember Father Damien, the Leper Priest very well – I loved Ken Howard, because he was “the white shadow” (a series I really loved) – but the fact that I loved such a grim story enough to see it twice …
Honestly, I was vaguely mentally disturbed.
Jen – hahaha Yes, my whole life is now seen as Before and After!
I, being the good Catholic girl that I am, REMEMBER “Father Damien: Leper Priest”. And your FashionS comment?? Priceless! I, for one, will never tire of your Ireland stories. One day, we will make it there together, Miss O’Malley.
It ain’t no Skyward, but perhaps a midnight screening of Father Damien: the Leper Priest is in order. I’ll bring a six-pack of Harp. And my rosary beads, of course. I doubt we’ll take it to full-blown Rocky Horror level, but you never know.
That sounds like the best night ever.
We can get to work on the musical score if the muse sees fit. Jazz hands! O Jaysus Mary and Joseph me hands are fallin’ off.
hahahaha
We could hire Joe Hurley to do musical accompaniment to the live midnight shows of Father Damien.
Perfect. And I’ve got mad accordion skillz. Say the word.
Is it on Netflix, I wonder? Checking now.
Nope. But you know what? My experience with Skyward – and having it appear from out of the blue, only days after I had bemoaned its lack of existence ANYWHERE, has given me faith in the Internet.
So please, anyone out there who has a copy of Father Damien: The Leper Priest, starring Ken Howard, please contact me.
Thanks.
Beth – Oh God, we have to go together someday!!! How fun would that be??
Therese, you just killed me. I am in bits over here.
Oh God, that just set me off again. I did not intend that pun, I swear!!!
I feel so bad laughing about this. Wikipedia tells me Fr.Damien was a real guy. But still.
IN BITS.
We’re all going to hell.
Yes, Therese, that is a given….but what FUN we’ll have down in the flaming inferno!
Confession time: I have always wanted a pair of saddle shoes. I have also always wanted a trip to Ireland but I am more likely to get one than the other.
We’re planning a Rocky Horror Picture Show experience of FATHER DAMIEN THE LEPER PRIEST. I’m dying!!!!!
Desirae – dream big! Get both!!
The last time I wore saddle shoes, I was out to breakfast with my ex-boyfriend and he proposed marriage to me.
I’m not saying it was because of the shoes, but I am not discounting the possibility.
I said “Yes, I will marry you!” and then he freaked and took the proposal back.
I think I need to get another pair of saddle shoes. Who knows WHAT will happen!!
…maybe I’ll get a pair of saddle shoes and wear them to Ireland!
So did you get to cut some peat (!!!!)?
Cara – hahaha We did!!
“I should have brought my curling iron.”
So random. So final.
LOL
I am so glad to see that I have my Holy Week priorities straight.
Okay, loving this. . .and Ken Howard — Thomas Jefferson from 1776, one of my earliest crushes. . .but, wait a second, Bewley’s is no more?? What????? When did this happen???