NYE in Co. Clare

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Geo: 53.1203, -9.16682

Ballyvaughan is lovely little place with some of the best scenery in the world, esp. in stormy weather. We rented 2 'cottages' with a thatch roof & a half door and all mod-cons! Lovely houses actually but the cottage badge is a bit twee. There were 13 of us from Dublin & 2 people we knew from there so the craic was great and the local pubs very nice.

C and I headed off to 'Dysert O'Dea' near Corofin on new years eve afternoon in the blustery wind which was fun, it's a castle reonvated in the 1980's by John O'Day (who I am guessing is American) and is now home to Clare Archaelogy Centre but was originally built by the O'Dea clan in 1480 and also at the property is the Saint Tola's High Cross, which dates from the 12th century & was once restored by Irish chieftain Conor O'Dea, beside this is a beautiful ruined monastery with a fabulous Romanesque Doorway, remains of a round tower and grave yard. And for the history buffs The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place at Dysert O'Dea on May 10, 1318 during the Irish Bruce Wars 1315-1318. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Irish chieftain Conor O'Dea, but his forces were ultimately defeated. De Clare himself was killed and the Kingdom of Thomond remained beyond foreign control for over two hundred years, until 1570.
And after the usual partying on NYE with our friends on New Years Day we took a drive to 'Blackhead' where the colours of the sea and sky were amazing.

The whole Christmas trip was really good actually, C's family came to my Mum's and then he went home with them for a couple of days while I had quality time with my now retired Mum. The sunsets in both Carrick-on-Shannon and Galway were amazing on the 27th Dec. Then I had 2 nights in Galway where we caught up with loads of people which was great but not before I made a total eegit of myself - in fact one of the most embarrasssing incidents of my life so far ...... we were out in pub with some friends and towards the end of the evening (so drink had be taken by then you understand) we spot our best man (home from London) and another good friend (home from New York) and we discover they have been to their 20 year school reunion and are in our pub for a last drink. We know loads of the people they are with and we are chatting away, then I am talking to someone who was in my class in UCG and he turns to the guy beside him, who I didn't really recognise, and says to him 'do you know who this is' and we look at each other & realise he was my 1st boyfriend from Galway, so we both go 'Oh' and nod & I continue my conversation with the 1st guy. --- Now I must point out I use the term boyfriend loosely, I was a lodger in his Mum's house for the 1st 3 months of college & I think he was the one who told C (who at that point I didn't know) a 'blonde bombshell' had moved into his house. Now this story could have got legs over the years, but (rumour has it) he messed around his lovely petite naturally blonde girlfriend, who was a college classmate of mine, so he could persue me and I seem to remember this mainly consisted of ignoring me in nightclubs & 'shifting' me twice. I also remember trying to fathom him in a club with another female class mate who was trying to fathom one Mr. C.O'Dea, so does that mean C & I were double dating? ---- So anyway it's kicking out time from the pub and we are all standing outside in groups waiting for our friends to come out & everyone is chatting in huddles and I find myself alone standing beside the ex (as we'll call him), now he was always a bit 'cool' & then weird but all I could recall was the being ignored feeling, so I took the bull by the horns and said "Hiya doing these days, you based in Ireland?" knowing full well the answer would be no but I didn't expect him to say "No I live in Wilson's Peak", so I thought to myself you f*cking obscure bastard and instead of saying "That's nice, I live in Copenhagen" (oh no no no of course not) I said "Where's that?" He sez "Wilson's Peak" I sez "Where's that, America?", He sez "No, Wilson's Peak", I thought Oh for God's sake what a tosser and went "Yeah but where's that, A-m-e-r-i-c-a?" and he looks at me really funny and goes "No, AFRICA", so I goes "Oh right" & then after another embarrassed silence I wander off as I see my going home party, and I said to the 2 guys from London & New York "did see your man at the reunion, what a weirdo" and they said "yeah no weirder that usual" and I said "I asked where he lived & he kept saying Wilson's Peak, the obscure wanker, wherever that is", Then C hears he is there and as he hadn't seen him ran back to say hi. Meanwhile the other 2 say to me
"where did he say Wilson's Peak was" and I said "Africa" and then they said "Are you sure he didn't say Mozambique, cause that's what he's been saying all night". Oh my GOD, he must think I am thickest plank in the world, mortified, but luckily he was gone by then so C didn't have to be pitied for being married to the thickest idiot going.....(After all that I see Wilson's Peak is in Australia!)

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