Ireland trip, Day 8

Today we visited The Celtic Crystal factory where the last leaded crystal in Ireland is blown and cut. They cut colored pieces there as well. Since the eye strain is so severe when cutting colored crystal the masters are only allowed to cut one piece each month and must cut only clear crystal for the next 3 weeks to let their eyes rest. Blue is particularly straining and each master is allowed to cut only 3 blue pieces each year! Consequently blue is very expensive.

We also visited the only native Irish marble purveyor where they have three different shades of green marble as well as white, sepia, jet black and black that is full of shells, coral and fish skeletons. The quarry is almost played out of green, so they only make jewelry and small items from the green now.

After driving through the most beautiful part of Ireland yet, we had lunch at a tiny pub in a tiny village named Corrib. I had the best traditional fish and chips I've ever had.

For the highlight of the day, we went to Cong where the movie "The Quiet Man" was filmed. All the outdoor scenes where filmed here in Ireland and the interior scenes were filmed in a Hollywood studio. It was interesting to hear that Sean Thorton punched Red Will Danagher through the door of the bar in California and Red hit the street 6000 miles away in Cong! I was in heaven being in the spot where they filmed one of my all-time favorite movies (if not the absolute favorite!)

Dinner tonight was in a world famous seafood restaurant near Galway and it was very good.

This made this morning's breakfast the best one yet!

Some of the beautiful crystal at Celtic Crystal

A master cutter did the initial pattern cuts in this bowl in about 5 minutes of cutting while we watched.

More of the "40 shades of green"

The pub from The Quiet Man.

Peggy and Fifi enjoy the river where Father Lonergan did his fly fishing.

Some of us had to don costumes and play out parts inside a replica of White 'O' Morn, Sean Thorton's cottage. I was Father Paul.

The Reverend and Mrs. Playfair's tandem bike Sean and Mary Kate stole from in front of the widow Tillane's house.

There was so much to see here, but I can't include it all in the blog. You'll just have to come see it for yourself some day!

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