Day 1 (Friday)

We are here! We had breakfast this morning at the Knappogue Castle, greeted by an Irish piper. The musician's name was Michael and he has played since age sixteen and wears the tartan of his parish. (He did tell us the pipes are an outside instrument - very loud in the castle!).



Sleep-deprived and free for the afternoon to sleep or wander, several of us skipped the nap and investigated the town of Ennis - more on that later. This evening we had a welcome reception and met the remainder of the travelers in our group. There are 23 of us from Texas, Arizona, Colorada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts. Western New England College has the largest representation. Good night!