Tag Archives: The Quiet Man

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I Can’t Stop Talking About It

Blarney Castle

You know, most often when you take a trip, you have had a great time, but you are happy to come home. I can tell you that on our recent trip to Ireland, the trip went so fast that now it seems like a dream. I can remember saying to Janet,” I can honestly say that I am not ready to go home yet. ” Because in some strange way- I felt like Ireland was somehow home to me.

The last time I was in Ireland, I can remember seeing so many people who reminded me of my relatives. I swear I saw my grandmother who had passed on, looking at me around a corner and perhaps keeping tabs on me as I made my way on my road bike. This time I saw many people too who reminded me of relatives who have passed on and of people who I currently know. I saw Bob Duffy at least 10 times. Bob and I work together at Armada and he has a classic Irish mug. There is something in my blood that makes me want so badly to return to Ireland. I felt so comfortable there and the people are so warm and friendly that you think, somehow, we are all related. They say that people who visit Ireland are treated in such a manner because the people of Ireland believe that visitors are really returning distant relatives. They are coming back to their roots. Like Janet and me.

The Cliffs of Moher – 60 MPH winds and awe- striking beauty.

I posted about our tour guide- Brendan McCarthy, a couple of weeks ago. He and I hit it off so well that again, somehow, I felt like he was related to me. He did say in Blarney that his relative was Dermot McCarthy who built Blarney Castle back in the 1400s. So, he had a real relative but somehow, again, I felt that we were kin. Brendan regularly sends us videos on What’s App and we do the same for him. We miss him and will reconnect someday. But what is it that is so magical about being in Ireland?

Brendan and my bride- dancing in the van.

Everywhere we went, we felt something that was pulling at us. The rugged coast of Ireland, the winds, the pubs, the people, the food. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that the food is not good in Ireland. We had spectacular meals and the fresh salmon, hake, and other seafood delights in the coastal towns were mouthwatering. Even the potatoes, vegetables, and morning porridge, felt like home to me. Like I was eating again at my grandmother’s on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Anyone tells you that the food is no good has either not been there in a while, or they have an odd taste for good food.

” Cousin Curran” in Dingle.

Jan wanted to stop at Curran’s Pub in Dingle to see if there were any indications of relations there seeing that her mom’s maiden name was Curran. We met the owner and he was a bit standoffish at first but gradually warmed up to us and brought out all his genealogy books to show us the bloodlines. He told us that another Curran cousin just walked out the door. He was from Australia. Jan was thrilled. Sitting in his pub, I felt like I was in my grandma’s house. It felt like the bar was in her living room. It even smelled like her house on the North Side.

Brendan took us to the bridge that was used in the film “The Quiet Man”- one of my favorite movies starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ward Bond, Victor McLaughlin and Barry Fitzgerald. I was so taken by the scene that I kissed Janet on the bridge like I was John Wayne. And I recited his famous line to Maureen O’Hara when he said” There will be no locked doors between us Mary Kate Danaher.” Everyone laughed but I loved being on that bridge. If you have not seen it, take some time to watch…….” The Quiet Man.”

From the first Guiness draughts in Dublin, to the great food in Kinsale, to the rugged coast of The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, we were taken by the beauty. Jan and I both say the next time we would try to get some hiking in because the scenery is so spectacular. But there is this feeling that I have that is hard to put a finger on. What is it? I will be thinking a lot about that because I don’t quite know the answer. But I can tell you we can’t wait to go back. I know I am waiting for ski season to start but I would go back to Ireland at any time.

So, if you ride or ski with me soon, chances are the topic of Ireland will come up. Maybe it will be my Irish sweater that I bought at the Blarney Woolen Mills? Maybe I will talk on the ride or the chairlift about the “craic” or the “goings on ” in the pubs. Maybe I will talk about somehow, I feel like I belong there? I can’t wait to go back, and I will be talking about it for a while until I get there again. Thanks for reading. Slainte’

Shawn Thornton and Mary Kate Danaher. LOL!!
Nothing like the patient wait for a Guiness to settle. Only in Ireland.

Don’t forget- an amazing, professional tour company – Irish Tours for You. http://www.irishtoursforyou.com Ask for Fionnuala O’ Loughlin

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” You see that trail? Don’t take it”

Please observe this picture of so called ” experts” trying to all repair a chain at a recent MTB event in West Virginia. Take a moment to take it in. Then PLEASE,PLEASE, take a moment to review this link. https://youtu.be/L6YrqZ7HZ-0 This is the opening scene from my favorite movie ” The Quiet Man” with John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald and the affable Victor McLaglan. Stop, take a moment and watch this hilarious scene where everybody’s an expert as in typical Irish fashion. Finished? Ok? Don’t skip it. You won’t get the rest of this drivel.

Now, fast forward from this iconic film from 1952 to the present day characters hovering over the good doctor’s chain down in West Virginia. Everybody involved is an expert. Initially, the issue is the Doc. His bike is used and abused as he makes a practice of riding over every log and rock pile he can and trashing his bike in the effort. He abuses himself too. How many guys fall and break their nose on the rocks only to put it back in place and keep riding? Dirty Harry’s Bike Shop always tells us that they could fix the Doc if only he would leave his bike long enough for them to do a thorough and well needed repair. Nonetheless, issues ensue and the repair is like a magnet to the confident crew of “experts”. First comes the ” Shark” who muscles his way in and takes hold of the chain and mumbles what is needed by way of a quick link which ultimately is the wrong one. Minutes, which seem like hours, roll by with the crew getting impatient to ride only to be stalled by the first attempt to quickly repair the chain.

The others, like the author here, making a funny face at the behest of our rider/photographer who laughs at the scene and makes detrimental and funny remarks about the Doc and his assistant trying to muscle the repair. The photographer’s wife here is disinterested as she longs to begin the ride so as not to put the afternoon’s activities any further behind. We are there to see the Mountain Bike World Cup Finals and the quick link issue is anything but quick.

Finally John, similar to the Barry Fitzgerald character who comes in to rescue John Wayne from the pile of Irish “experts”, brings the right link to the repair and silently and swiftly repairs the chain and the Doc is saved from further ridicule. Then the real fun begins. What trail to take? ” You see that trail over there? Don’t take it, it will do you no good.” In typical Irish fashion, the crew discusses where to go and the maps come out, the memories of the trails, and the GPS indicators which do absolutely no good in remote West Virginia. Finally the quick witted photographer and unofficial leader of the pack takes over and takes us on a repetitive route of rocks, roots, steep climbs and missed opportunities. Once again the maps come out and everybody’s an expert on where to go, and if we can ride to a place where we can take a chairlift out. The Doc takes the main group on a detour as he says he knows that the fractal group has gone ahead there. He turns left with no idea about where the “left” will take them.

Mountain bikers are funny people. Passionate in their pursuit of fitness, fun, great gear, and finally knowing how to survive and where to go on the wilderness trails which we all love. But everybody is an expert. We all think we know all the trails and don’t need maps or GPS. When we get lost, it is someone else’s fault and the resultant conversation of what trail we should have taken, fruitlessly leads us to conclusions of no consequence. The beers come out afterwards and the abuse continues with laughs, recommendations on what are better trails, and what we all will do the next time we ride together.

Newcomers are always pleasantly surprised at the variety of personalities and abilities on the rides and if nothing else, they will know that if they take the trail that they think is right, it will do them no good at all. Thanks for reading.