Irish Holiday

Saturday, 22 July 2006

Location: Home at Spencer Street

Thanks be to God we have arrived back safe and well and to a beautiful day so able to get plenty of sun so as to prevent the jet lag they tell me. We arrived in half and hour early 10:30am and had a lovely group to meet us and we were out and in the terminal before they got in the door so we were smart! I will fill you in on the last part later but for now just want to say that we are home. God bless and thank you Photos later!!!!

Thursday, 20 July 2006

Location: London sunshine, UK

Well guess what we had for dinner - Fr Paddy in his element with special sausages new potatoes, beans and carrots. We have tried again for Nathan but only get a bank so sorry Noreen. and we are sorry that we haven't been able to chat with him.We have just rung Ireland to say goodbye to Nora - qite sad to chat across the miles again. She is off to Kerry this weekend but with that cell phone I am sure we will be able to contact her anywhere anytime!!! Thanks again Denise Michael and all the family.
Mercy if you are reading this before you come could you please bring out my black shoes to the airport as I am only wearing my sandals home Thank you. Dont worry if you cant find them but guess they will be in the wardrobe the heavier looking ones. We have two bags of clothes ready to put on and taking Sheryles advice of carrying any of the little bits and pieces after hers go pinched!!! As you go into the busy underground I was fascinated to read 'watch for pick pocketers@ certainly pretty close. God bless you all and thank you for your interest over the past weeks and of course your prayer and love from afar. Take care XX

Thursday, 20 July 2006

Location: London, UK

Here we are in London and in the high 30's and I have a bag of clothes to get into at the airport as we prepare to return to the cold. Great getting up and only having 4 pieces of clothing at the most!!!!! Phillipa and Pat youoften talked about London and so it has been great experiencing just a millioneth of it but that has been grand. We have had a real treat this am when Dr Jay and Jaba took us by taxi to the Westmisnister Catholic cathedral. They hadn't been there before and enjoyed the experience also. As we entered a priest in Roman vestments was celebrating mass at the high altar so that brought back many memories I am sure for Fr Paddy as he thought back 48 years! Only thing not so cold!! Oh the building is magnificent and of course th photos dont do it justice. Yes used up all the loose coins on the candles so you have a good number burning for you all. It was great so now I will turn to packing and Jaba is preparing a meal for us, Fr Paddy is watching the golf and the taxi is ordered for 5:45pm and we arrive in Chirstchurch please God safe and healthy and I know happy at 10:45am Singapore 297 Please no fog and hold up as I think the 24 hours will be quite long enough. Dr Jay tells us that if you put your moind to something all things are possible. Good advice!!! God bless I will just look in again befor I leave here and then at the airport You should all be asleep now God bless XX

Thursday, 20 July 2006

Location: London, UK

Up showered and washed the hair to give the idea of coolness!! Meant to be only 31 today so a little less than the 36.8 Hard to believe and oh the gardens and lawns are suffering as water restrictions have been on fo some time now and very strict!!! Even all the hanging baskets are looking a little sad. We hope to make our way by two undergrounds to Westminister Cathedral today to celebrate Fr Paddy's anniversary of priesthood - I can remember him telling me that Bishop Kavanagh had to ordain him because of the dreadful weather and Bihop Joyce had to go somewhere else and of the cokdnessof the day for his first mass - what a contrast today. Thank God we brought the sandals and cotton shirt Mary!!! Fr will celebrate Mass here in Jay & Jaba's lovely home - they are just so gracious. Perhaps I will look in before leaving if not please pray for happy safe and good health travels God bless XX

Wednesday, 19 July 2006

Location: London, UK

Here it is, nearly 11pm so a quick catch up before retiring though still very very hot but I still seem able to sleep! We set off on the the underground today about 11am for Waterloo and managed that pretty well and there were not too many people so not too hot. We bought the paperand I settled fr Paddy in a cook place to read and watch the world go by while I explored the station! Brian came about 12:30pm and we negotiated the train to Farnham. Oh what a luxury with air condition, beautiful seats, carpet and signs to say no cell phone so as not to annoy the others. Great!!! We travelled for 45 minutes and were met by Debbie and we took a ticki tour around Farnham - very countrylike with narrow road and plenty of trees. \the kids all came home from school and it was a delight to see how happily they had settled and become part of life here They are all just as lovely as ever so we took the photos and caught up with all their news. We shared a lovely meal with them and then caught the 6:39pm train back and then the underground again so we are confident enough to tackle two changes on the underground tomorrow so as to get into the town for our last look and see. Yes you wouldn't believe how hot it is - Pat you never told me this and they have had it for weeks. I wish that I had your brother's phone number but when I was in Hyde park I thought of your dear mum as she travelled somewhere different each day to enjoy it all. We have tried to ring Nathan but I am only getting a voice mail - I have left messages but haven'y won there yet. Well off to bed I will go and will most likely look in again ytomorrow here or at the airport. We had the english version of Adrian and Mohua's wedding tonight so that was a treat. God bless and as you may imagine we are being looked after royally. Last day tomorrow - where have the days gone - only woke at 8am this morning!!!!

Tuesday, 18 July 2006

Location: Mohua's parents home London, UK

Greetings and it is now 11pm but still VERY warm or rather hot so please God we will sleepp and not be too hot for travelling down to Surrey in the morning to see the Bargents We have hopefully worked out the underground connections and will meet Brian please God at Waterloo and travel the rest of the way by train - I think!!! about 45 minutes from Waterloo so as you know everything takes time.
We have just finished watching two DVD's of Mohua and Adrian' wedding in India - my Adrian you looked the part and Mohua you looked beautiful. Johanna we thought you were eating quite a bit!!!!!It was great seeing you all there for the special couple and we enjoyed the viewing. After tea we went for a walk around the block here and up to the little shopping area where everyone was sitting enjoyin the evening and the food - certainly an atmosphere of out door living in this heat. I never knew that London could be so hot though I thinkd that they have broken all records.

I meant to mention that in Ireland there are no more plasric bagds in any of the shops unless you want to pay 25cents for each one. People bring their special bags and it certainly cuts down on rubbish Another wonderful aspect of Ireland was the lack of graffti - how wonderful not to see everything covered and I still cant get over how the flowere boxes are vadalised. Well I had better try to get some sleep as we will have a big enough day tomorrow and hopefully it will all work out with no hold ups like today. God bless XX

Tuesday, 18 July 2006

Location: Mohua parents in London, UK

Well here we are agin as happy as can be!!! and as hot as can be!!! Yes we are in London - we left Galway with Denis Nora and little Michael at about 9am - yes it was hard leaving their lovely home and all the wonderful memories. We travelled on a hot morning to Shannon and as we had to be there 2 and a half hours before we had time for lunch together and chat though that was hard as the good byes had to come but nice to think that they are talking about Fr Paddy's 50th jubilee so please God that will be a reality!. And another lovely surprise was Anna Horton who was at Reignier in the Bay is now happily married to Tom Quinn and leaving in Galway and she so kindly came and spent time with me at the airport and brought the photo albums etc. Very kind of her and she is able to send a message to Julie on your birthday. Prayers and love for you.

Well it was pretty hot waiting for the plane as no air conditioning in the airport and the temperature was soaring but off we flew - it was hard to believe that we had been there for over three weeks. We landed in London and this time we were more familiar with things and clamly and slowly as very hot we collected our luggage and under Jays instruction got a London black taxi to take us the half hour or more trip here to Hamstead. No conditioning again and the temperature was continuing to rise as about 3pm We arrived safely though he beat us for some money - I thought to take his number but didn't so getting morea street wise as I go!!! We had a wonderful welcome and the cold drinks were an added welcome. We sat and chatted and had a delicious meal about 7pm then went for a little walk up around the block. They live in a large apartment block in Bellsize Park - five story I think and we are on the second - the fan was very welcomed and I can tell you that there are minimum clothes needed!!! After a good night's sleep we arose about 7:30am for Mass in the home here at 8am breakfast then they so kindly took us by taxi to outside Madame Tussard to catch the tour bus around the city where we can stop and start. Well what should have taken us 5 min dring took us 40 minutes and it was roasting - no one kne what was up but we have since heard that someone has tied themselves to the telcom eye - is that right name? - and also road works but thankfully we passed Regent street and off we went seeing all the very familiar place names in the flesh as it were and what a magnigicent day for viewing - no we didn't stop and start too much as the queuing in the sun was not an option and we had lost so much time at the begiinin g so we waited until we got to Hyde Park at the speakers end had the icecream and fruit and drink Jaba had kindly provided and on the bus to come back to Baker Street. Thank you for the maps Trish and Barbara a great help, We thought that we would walk to Euston to get the underground but alas the way to it was under constuction so we had to get another bus to the station. Once there we educated ourselves quickly on the system!!! and happily got home to Bellsize staion at about 3pm and sat out under the trees here reading the evening paper where we read that the buses today were 54degrees - yes celcius!! and the tube 47degrees. Tomorrow promises to be hotter and the next day much the same!!! While sitting outside I spotted my first squirrel and oh at Denise's home we saw bats. And can you believe it I have only seen 4 cats since I have been away and hardly 10 dogs!!!

Once inside we were treated to chocolate cake and cool dringks and tea and both of us have had a shower - cold one - washed the hair and changed the clotes!!! The news shoul be on at 6pm so I had better go and see what is happening in the Middle East.
Today is Young Tom's aniiversay of priesthood day and of course Fr Paddy's on Thursday. We plan to go down to Surrey tomorrow to see the Bargents. Brian is kindly meeting us at Waterloo so we will take the tube to there and bus the rest of the way with him and we look forward to sharing time with the family. and making our return trip about 7:30 so hope we dont get lost but with the maps and tongue to ask anyone we should be O K An Australian helped us today with the buses.
We have bee thinking of you back at school - they finish here this week - today we saw lots of school children on trips etc which I suppose is because it is just about the the Summer break and hundred of Muslims. All the bus drivers were black and in the food places mostly not english.
If I have time I will come back to this tonight, God bless and start praying that our return trip goes well. I have the big decision to make - whar shall we wear???? I think we will need to change at the airport before travelling - yes even Fr Paddy is in barefeet and sandals and may I add the fact that I have worn everything that I have brought with me except for socks so yo wiould be pleased to know that I am sure!!!!

Sunday, 16 July 2006

Location: Denise's home Galway

Here I am with Father Paddy's thought for the week.

We have come to end of our stay in Ireland and all I can say is how blessed we have been with the beauty of the land and the generosity and kindness of the people and the sense of the history of the catholic faith lived by the people for hundreds of years. Last Thursday Fr Michael took us to Cork sity to visit and old friend, Fr Matt Duggan who served in our Diocese for 49 years. It was so good to see how happy he was in himself - how he still took a great interest in all that was happening in Canterbury yet content to be at home in the place of his birth. It was a reminder to me that if we are peaceful in the heart we can be at home anywhere. On Friday morning and myself and Mons Duggan gathered around his kitchen table to celebrate the Mass together aqnd in the simplicity of the kitchen we were united in as [priests of God fulfilling the most important act of a priest offering praise to God.It is impossible to share in this thought all the impressions which have touch me during my stay Ireland but one that has stood out is the number of parents with young childre, Yesterday we talked to a yuoung father feeding his six week old child while his wife was shopping. Wherever we looked there were mother and fathers with three children was a constant scene and there were many pregnant mothers passing by. The next impression was the large number of people filling the streets along with the great number of cars on the roads. It seemed that there are too many cars for the roads to cope with but for all that the courtesy and patience of the people was amazing with no sign of road rage which we so often experience on our raods at home. I loved visiting the churches which witness to the faith of the people which is still very much alive. Votive candles burn in great numbers at all the shrines and yes we lit many for you all! There are so many other impressions that I could share but that will be at a later date but just for now just these few. As always we continue to learn from the goodness of other people.


Yes this is my last page from Ireland and what a wonderful time it has been - just magic! and we have been so blessed in so many ways. It will be very sad saying good bye to the family tomorrow - today we went up to say good bye to Bridgie and Tom on the old home farm and then stopped at the school where Fr Paddy's mother would have gone to school - it is now a house and the lady welcomed us in and gave a great tour and explanation of the old days so that was a gift. Fr Said Mass at Chrissie's place and blessed their new house for them and tonight we have had a fmily get togther bBQ including Michael so it is pack up time now, We have been in touch with the Bargents and ope to see them on Wednesday and then it is home James - Fr Paddy's 48th anniversary of priesthood on 20 July so we hope that all being well some from here will join hime in NZ for the Golden! Take care and I may not get a chance to write again but as I said I will send the pictures awhn I get home Please pray for safe travel with out hitches and good health!! Thank you Over and out from Ireland XX