It was the middle of the night before Mona arrived back at the hotel. She slipped into her PJs and quickly fell asleep. The next morning a full report was demanded by the other girls and Mona easily obliged.
There wasn't a lot of time for Paul and Mona to spend alone, but he did keep her by this side all evening. The party went on for hours with lots of laughter and drinking. Since the concert was over at 11PM and the party followed, Mona really didn't spend as much time with Paul as everyone thought. But Paul wanted to see her again and that was going to pose some problems. Mona and the girls only had one more day in Dublin, and Paul was heading out of town to do some recording. Paul got Mona's cell number and told her he would call her. Mona, always the skeptical one, told the girls she was not going to hold her breath. She was obviously smitten with Paul and his easy going charm and good looks.
After another day of sightseeing with a bus trip to New Grange megalithic tombs and the high crosses at Meath, the girls settled for a quiet dinner in Temple Bar at Gallagher's Boxty House listening to some music there for the evening. They would be heading out of Dublin the next day to Belfast. They had heard of a couple of places for some good music around Queen's University. And Saturday night would be a fun one in Belfast.
Mona was a little disappointed as Paul did not call her the next day. But he did call Sunday afternoon for a short chat saying he had come back to Dublin for Sunday but was heading out again and she may not hear from him for a few days. At this point she figured she probably would never see him again.
This was the first time Mona had ever seemed interested in a man, and she couldn't stop talking about Paul whenever they were not otherwise occupied. He made a big impression on her and her disappointment was very obvious.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Dream Trip - Chapter 2
After lunch the girls walked around Temple Bar and Trinity College then headed back to their hotel. They had reservations for an Irish House Party that night and one of the Hop-on-Hop-Off tours the next day. The House Party was at the Landsdowne Hotel and started with dinner. Four musicians played various instruments and showed the attendees how to do some of the Irish dances. The girls were able to participate and gave it their all. Loads of laughs and lots of craic were had that first night.
The next morning after a full Irish breakfast, their first of the trip, the girls headed off to catch the Hop-on-Hop-Off bus. The day was spent stopping at Trinity College, St Stephen's Green, Kilmainham Gaol, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the St. James Gate Guinness Brewery. From the top of the Gravity Bar the older girls enjoyed a cold pint of Guinness and they all enjoyed amazing views of Dublin. It wasn't until they were at dinner that night after a full day that Mona came across the tickets that Paul had given them.
“Girls, since we really have no plans for tonight, how about we go to this concert?” Mona asked the group.
Briana an Caitlin were still having some trouble adjusting to the time difference and were exhausted from the day's sightseeing so they begged off. Darcy and Mona decided they would be going to the concert. The performance was at the Gaiety Theater just a few blocks from their hotel and easily withing walking distance. After dinner Darcy and Mona went back to the hotel to dress up a little for this concert. Other than looking at the theater and time Mona hadn't really looked at the performance information. As they walked up to the venue they stopped in their tracks and looked at each other as they saw the marquee at the theater:
Music From the Heart By Ireland's Premier Tenor
Featuring Paul Byrom
“Oh my goodness,” was all Mona could utter. Darla was the speechless one this time.
And then the two of them let out a small squeal so as not to draw attention to themselves. When they entered the theater, they realized that Paul had given them front row seats also! This was more than they had bargained for. As the lights started to lower, two young men seated themselves in the two the empty seats that would have been for Briana and Caitlin. Both younger than Paul, but some of Ireland's finest specimens to be sure.
The concert began and Darcy and Mona lost themselves in the music and Paul's voice. He had such control. In between songs he chatted a little talking about his song choices and throwing in a joke here and there. Every once in a while he would glance down at the two girls and at one point seemed to nod to the two men sitting next to them.
Intermission came and every one stood to stretch and go in to the lobby for a drink. Darcy and Mona decided they would stand by their seats and take in the remodeled look of the theater. As they stood, so did the men next to them.
“Ladies, Paul would like to invite you backstage after the performance for a little cocktail party he is hosting,” one of the men said.
When Mona looked at this stranger questioningly, he smiled.
“Sorry we are friends of Paul's. I'm Ryan and this is my brother Daragh,” the younger of the two explained. “We were in town and met up with Paul for tea today. He called a little while ago and told us about giving you tickets after we left him. Paul said that if you came, he would like to invite you to the cocktail party after the show. We saw these two seats empty, so thought it would be great if we came and sat next to you to make sure you were the girls he was expecting. And from his actions on stage, we knew you were the two he was talking about.”
The girls were flabbergasted, but extremely excited. Before they could even think about it they said “yes”. The lights flickered that the second act was going to begin and they all sat down. As Paul walked out on the stage Mona turned slightly toward Daragh and saw him nod his head to Paul, and Paul smiled back glancing over to Mona.
The second act was just as wonderful as the first. Paul's voice was in great form and he had such control. Mona was mesmerized by him. Darcy was enjoying the show, but realized that Mona seemed to be floating along with each song.
As the show ended and Paul received a long standing ovation, Daragh and Ryan told the girls to follow them. Darcy had tons of questions for Daragh and Ryan, but Mona was quiet at this point. They were lead backstage to a reception room. There were other people there when they arrived, but it was a small crowd. As Paul saw them enter he immediately walked over the Mona, hugged her and said, “I'm so glad you came tonight. It was nice to have someone to sing to during my performance.”
Darcy was busy chatting with Daragh and Ryan and didn't notice that Paul had put his arm around Mona and guided her across the room. As he visited with other guests at the reception he kept Mona close by. He either held her hand, or had his arm around her. Mona was beaming. Darcy bid goodnight to Daragh and Ryan and headed back to the hotel. She asked them to let Mona know she had left. She felt Mona was in very good hands.
The next morning after a full Irish breakfast, their first of the trip, the girls headed off to catch the Hop-on-Hop-Off bus. The day was spent stopping at Trinity College, St Stephen's Green, Kilmainham Gaol, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the St. James Gate Guinness Brewery. From the top of the Gravity Bar the older girls enjoyed a cold pint of Guinness and they all enjoyed amazing views of Dublin. It wasn't until they were at dinner that night after a full day that Mona came across the tickets that Paul had given them.
“Girls, since we really have no plans for tonight, how about we go to this concert?” Mona asked the group.
Briana an Caitlin were still having some trouble adjusting to the time difference and were exhausted from the day's sightseeing so they begged off. Darcy and Mona decided they would be going to the concert. The performance was at the Gaiety Theater just a few blocks from their hotel and easily withing walking distance. After dinner Darcy and Mona went back to the hotel to dress up a little for this concert. Other than looking at the theater and time Mona hadn't really looked at the performance information. As they walked up to the venue they stopped in their tracks and looked at each other as they saw the marquee at the theater:
Music From the Heart By Ireland's Premier Tenor
Featuring Paul Byrom
“Oh my goodness,” was all Mona could utter. Darla was the speechless one this time.
And then the two of them let out a small squeal so as not to draw attention to themselves. When they entered the theater, they realized that Paul had given them front row seats also! This was more than they had bargained for. As the lights started to lower, two young men seated themselves in the two the empty seats that would have been for Briana and Caitlin. Both younger than Paul, but some of Ireland's finest specimens to be sure.
The concert began and Darcy and Mona lost themselves in the music and Paul's voice. He had such control. In between songs he chatted a little talking about his song choices and throwing in a joke here and there. Every once in a while he would glance down at the two girls and at one point seemed to nod to the two men sitting next to them.
Intermission came and every one stood to stretch and go in to the lobby for a drink. Darcy and Mona decided they would stand by their seats and take in the remodeled look of the theater. As they stood, so did the men next to them.
“Ladies, Paul would like to invite you backstage after the performance for a little cocktail party he is hosting,” one of the men said.
When Mona looked at this stranger questioningly, he smiled.
“Sorry we are friends of Paul's. I'm Ryan and this is my brother Daragh,” the younger of the two explained. “We were in town and met up with Paul for tea today. He called a little while ago and told us about giving you tickets after we left him. Paul said that if you came, he would like to invite you to the cocktail party after the show. We saw these two seats empty, so thought it would be great if we came and sat next to you to make sure you were the girls he was expecting. And from his actions on stage, we knew you were the two he was talking about.”
The girls were flabbergasted, but extremely excited. Before they could even think about it they said “yes”. The lights flickered that the second act was going to begin and they all sat down. As Paul walked out on the stage Mona turned slightly toward Daragh and saw him nod his head to Paul, and Paul smiled back glancing over to Mona.
The second act was just as wonderful as the first. Paul's voice was in great form and he had such control. Mona was mesmerized by him. Darcy was enjoying the show, but realized that Mona seemed to be floating along with each song.
As the show ended and Paul received a long standing ovation, Daragh and Ryan told the girls to follow them. Darcy had tons of questions for Daragh and Ryan, but Mona was quiet at this point. They were lead backstage to a reception room. There were other people there when they arrived, but it was a small crowd. As Paul saw them enter he immediately walked over the Mona, hugged her and said, “I'm so glad you came tonight. It was nice to have someone to sing to during my performance.”
Darcy was busy chatting with Daragh and Ryan and didn't notice that Paul had put his arm around Mona and guided her across the room. As he visited with other guests at the reception he kept Mona close by. He either held her hand, or had his arm around her. Mona was beaming. Darcy bid goodnight to Daragh and Ryan and headed back to the hotel. She asked them to let Mona know she had left. She felt Mona was in very good hands.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Dream Trip - Chapter 1
The plane landed about 8:30 in the morning Ireland time and after immigration paperwork and luggage pick up, the girls headed for the taxis and their hotel in Dublin. They dropped off their luggage at the hotel and headed for the tourist office to set up some day tours for the next couple of days. Before they realized noon was upon them and they needed a place to eat. They were told that there was a great place for a small lunch and tea not too far from where they were staying. Their adventure was about to begin.
The girls headed back to the hotel quickly so they could change into some simple summer dresses and be properly dressed for tea. Then headed to the tea room in the hotel across the street. It was elegant and set up beautifully with fresh flowers and white linens. They were seated at a window that overlooked Grafton Street. After some instruction from their hostess they ordered their special teas and anxiously awaited the arrival of the assorted sandwich plate filled with goodies.
As they chatted and looked out the window, Mona noticed a handsome looking man at the table next to them. He looked up from his tea and smiled at Mona. She smiled back with a slight blush as she suddenly realized that she had been staring at him. He had a very refined look with sandy blond hair that had been highlighted with a lighter blond. He wore a smart fitting suit that had the look of one that was custom made. The rest of the girls were still chatting when Mona realized that the man was getting up from his seat and heading their way!
“Afternoon girls. I notice that you don't seem to be Dubliners here. When did you arrive from the America?” He continued to look at Mona as he addressed all the girls.
Briana and Caitlin couldn't wait to answer. They were so excited some strange Irish man had come up to them.
“My name is Paul, may I join you? I promise I'm not dangerous,” he said as he pulled up a chair next to Mona and winked at her.
Mona was beyond speechless. Up close this man was so handsome. He had a day old beard. Not overgrown, but just enough to add to his appeal. His style was very casual, but there was something about him that was so refined. While Mona was not looking for a man in her life, she suddenly realized that if she was, this was exactly the man she was looking for. Paul seemed to carry the conversation with lots of questions making some recommendations for sites in Dublin.
Before they knew it their lunch tray and tea had arrived. As Paul said his good-byes and excused himself he handed Mona some tickets and told the girls that there is a small concert they may enjoy on Thursday evening. Mona never looked at the tickets , but thanked Paul and put them in her purse as Paul left the tea room and the girls devoured their lunch.
They chatted through the rest of their lunch about all their plans and how this handsome stranger had joined them. They also all took note that he seemed to be particularly interested in Mona. As they finished and went to pay for their lunch, the hostess informed them that the bill had already been taken care of by the gentleman who had been seated with them! The girls all giggled at this and were thoroughly impressed with the first Irishman they had met.
The girls headed back to the hotel quickly so they could change into some simple summer dresses and be properly dressed for tea. Then headed to the tea room in the hotel across the street. It was elegant and set up beautifully with fresh flowers and white linens. They were seated at a window that overlooked Grafton Street. After some instruction from their hostess they ordered their special teas and anxiously awaited the arrival of the assorted sandwich plate filled with goodies.
As they chatted and looked out the window, Mona noticed a handsome looking man at the table next to them. He looked up from his tea and smiled at Mona. She smiled back with a slight blush as she suddenly realized that she had been staring at him. He had a very refined look with sandy blond hair that had been highlighted with a lighter blond. He wore a smart fitting suit that had the look of one that was custom made. The rest of the girls were still chatting when Mona realized that the man was getting up from his seat and heading their way!
“Afternoon girls. I notice that you don't seem to be Dubliners here. When did you arrive from the America?” He continued to look at Mona as he addressed all the girls.
Briana and Caitlin couldn't wait to answer. They were so excited some strange Irish man had come up to them.
“My name is Paul, may I join you? I promise I'm not dangerous,” he said as he pulled up a chair next to Mona and winked at her.
Mona was beyond speechless. Up close this man was so handsome. He had a day old beard. Not overgrown, but just enough to add to his appeal. His style was very casual, but there was something about him that was so refined. While Mona was not looking for a man in her life, she suddenly realized that if she was, this was exactly the man she was looking for. Paul seemed to carry the conversation with lots of questions making some recommendations for sites in Dublin.
Before they knew it their lunch tray and tea had arrived. As Paul said his good-byes and excused himself he handed Mona some tickets and told the girls that there is a small concert they may enjoy on Thursday evening. Mona never looked at the tickets , but thanked Paul and put them in her purse as Paul left the tea room and the girls devoured their lunch.
They chatted through the rest of their lunch about all their plans and how this handsome stranger had joined them. They also all took note that he seemed to be particularly interested in Mona. As they finished and went to pay for their lunch, the hostess informed them that the bill had already been taken care of by the gentleman who had been seated with them! The girls all giggled at this and were thoroughly impressed with the first Irishman they had met.
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Dream Trip - Introduction
Briana, Caitlin, Darcy, and Mona were so excited for the summer to arrive. They had been planning this for over a year now, even though their ages were different they were great friends. Briana was the youngest at 18. She was just graduating high school and this would be her graduation gift. Caitlin was 22 and had know Briana since they had both been on the same traveling soccer team during high school. Darcy was Caitlin's older sister and Mona was her best friend. They were both 29, met in college and worked at the same ad agency.
This all started when Darcy talked to a friend who had been to Ireland. Her friend raved about the beauty of the and how wonderfully friendly the people had been while they were there. After some discussion with Mona, they both decided that this would be a great summer trip. when Caitlin found out, she wanted to go also. With a little arm twisting Caitlin convinced Darcy that she could go along, as long as she brought a friend so there would be 4 of them traveling. And that's when Caitlin invited Briana. It took a little convincing of Briana's parents but knowing that Darcy and Mona would be along as “chaperones” they gave the go-ahead for the trip.
The four girls started meeting the summer before to talk about the trip and what they wanted to see. Darcy and Mona would share the driving of a rental car. It took a lot of give and take to decide what locations they would visit. This trip would only be 10 days so there was not time to see every site in Ireland. They decided they would concentrate on Northern Ireland trying to catch some music festivals as they traveled. They would also spend a few days in Dublin and the surrounding area at the beginning of the trip. They were leaving some of the trip loosely planned so they could head to towns for music as they heard about it.
So now it was May and all the arrangements had been made. Passports had been acquired, and plane tickets were ordered. The girls would leave the third week of July on Tuesday so that they arrived on Wednesday morning and could start their sightseeing in Dublin right away. As school was winding down for Briana with graduation, and Caitlin with finals, the girls spent lot of time shopping for the perfect outfits and necessary needs. With 10 days they may need to do some laundry, but just in case they needed to make sure they could fit all the luggage they took into the rental car and each one of them had to handle their own luggage. Darcy and Mona had done some traveling before so they had no problems with a smaller suitcase and a carry-on. Briana was having the worst time. She wanted to take a large suitcase and more clothes than she would ever wear. After Darcy and Mona helped Caitlin organize and showed her how to pack, Caitlin went over to Briana's and helped her with what was needed and what she should leave behind. One of the things that Briana insisted that she take was her red and black trimmed team soccer shirt. She wore it all the time, and just couldn't give it up. If she could have fit a soccer ball into her suitcase, she would have done that too. Little did she know how lucky she would be with her soccer shirt.
June came and went with the end of school and the last of plans for packing. The girls all had iPods and made sure they had loaded them with their favorite music. They really didn't know too much about Irish music, but planned to learn all about it while they were in Ireland. Before the girls realized July 4th had passed and they were in the car heading to the airport.
Darcy and Mona were prepared for the trip physically and mentally, Caitlin was approaching this a an adventure, and Briana was doubting the decision, but with the other girls to support her she was calmer and excited at the same time for the trip. With iPods plugged in the plane took off for Ireland and the adventure started.
This all started when Darcy talked to a friend who had been to Ireland. Her friend raved about the beauty of the and how wonderfully friendly the people had been while they were there. After some discussion with Mona, they both decided that this would be a great summer trip. when Caitlin found out, she wanted to go also. With a little arm twisting Caitlin convinced Darcy that she could go along, as long as she brought a friend so there would be 4 of them traveling. And that's when Caitlin invited Briana. It took a little convincing of Briana's parents but knowing that Darcy and Mona would be along as “chaperones” they gave the go-ahead for the trip.
The four girls started meeting the summer before to talk about the trip and what they wanted to see. Darcy and Mona would share the driving of a rental car. It took a lot of give and take to decide what locations they would visit. This trip would only be 10 days so there was not time to see every site in Ireland. They decided they would concentrate on Northern Ireland trying to catch some music festivals as they traveled. They would also spend a few days in Dublin and the surrounding area at the beginning of the trip. They were leaving some of the trip loosely planned so they could head to towns for music as they heard about it.
So now it was May and all the arrangements had been made. Passports had been acquired, and plane tickets were ordered. The girls would leave the third week of July on Tuesday so that they arrived on Wednesday morning and could start their sightseeing in Dublin right away. As school was winding down for Briana with graduation, and Caitlin with finals, the girls spent lot of time shopping for the perfect outfits and necessary needs. With 10 days they may need to do some laundry, but just in case they needed to make sure they could fit all the luggage they took into the rental car and each one of them had to handle their own luggage. Darcy and Mona had done some traveling before so they had no problems with a smaller suitcase and a carry-on. Briana was having the worst time. She wanted to take a large suitcase and more clothes than she would ever wear. After Darcy and Mona helped Caitlin organize and showed her how to pack, Caitlin went over to Briana's and helped her with what was needed and what she should leave behind. One of the things that Briana insisted that she take was her red and black trimmed team soccer shirt. She wore it all the time, and just couldn't give it up. If she could have fit a soccer ball into her suitcase, she would have done that too. Little did she know how lucky she would be with her soccer shirt.
June came and went with the end of school and the last of plans for packing. The girls all had iPods and made sure they had loaded them with their favorite music. They really didn't know too much about Irish music, but planned to learn all about it while they were in Ireland. Before the girls realized July 4th had passed and they were in the car heading to the airport.
Darcy and Mona were prepared for the trip physically and mentally, Caitlin was approaching this a an adventure, and Briana was doubting the decision, but with the other girls to support her she was calmer and excited at the same time for the trip. With iPods plugged in the plane took off for Ireland and the adventure started.
Time for a new story
As I said in my last post, it's time for a new story and something very different surrounding Ireland once again.
This one has a younger tone with less romance and more fun adventures for my 4 travelers. And this time, there are some more familiar characters involved. If you don't know about Celtic Thunder, check them out on youtube. :)
Hope you enjoy this story as it unfolds.
*If you just happened to find this blog and want to go back and read all of Travels in Eire, go back in the archives to November 2009.
This one has a younger tone with less romance and more fun adventures for my 4 travelers. And this time, there are some more familiar characters involved. If you don't know about Celtic Thunder, check them out on youtube. :)
Hope you enjoy this story as it unfolds.
*If you just happened to find this blog and want to go back and read all of Travels in Eire, go back in the archives to November 2009.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
End of a story - Reflection
I've just been reflecting back and checked my archive. It is just about two weeks short of a year since my first post of Travels in Eire. I hardly expected to write a story this long or even this involved. Here is the blog, the story is seventy-six chapters. In a word document, it's 141 pages. I've never written that much in my life before.
It was a story that needed to be told. All the locations are real, I've been to all of them. And this story was born from my love of Ireland and feeling of connection that I have to the land. Some of the people are real and genuine people who I've met during my travels, and some are the creation of a very vivid imagination.
During days of stress, having the opportunity to write this story was a gift. For those who read it, I hope you enjoy the story. Like I said above, it's a story I needed to tell.
There are more stories to be told and I hope to continue to tell them here.
Thank you for reading my story.
It was a story that needed to be told. All the locations are real, I've been to all of them. And this story was born from my love of Ireland and feeling of connection that I have to the land. Some of the people are real and genuine people who I've met during my travels, and some are the creation of a very vivid imagination.
During days of stress, having the opportunity to write this story was a gift. For those who read it, I hope you enjoy the story. Like I said above, it's a story I needed to tell.
There are more stories to be told and I hope to continue to tell them here.
Thank you for reading my story.
Travels in Eire - Epilogue
The party lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. There was so much to celebrate besides the marriage of Darren and Cailin. The reunion of Conner with his parents and the first opportunity to see their first grandchild was a bonus that no one expected, especially Maura and Philip. And Cailin's gran was in attendance and had the opportunity to meet Rorey, her distant relative.
Besides her boss, a few of the girls from her office made the trip across the pond for the wedding. Not surprisingly, they found a couple of Darren's friends to be quite accommodating and charming. Cailin would not be surprised to hear of one or two deciding to come back and visit again soon. Declan seemed to take a liking to one of the GOTT girls from Derry. She was wearing a huge smile all night long. In passing Cailin warned Declan that he better be a perfect gentleman with her, or Darren would be coming after him. Declan laughed commenting that he was always a slightly imperfect gentleman, but he did get the warning.
When Conner and Darren had a minute to talk, Conner explained that he, Jessica and little John were in attendance at the wedding. They had slipped in the side door while Darren was outside waiting for Cailin to arrive. They stayed at the back of the church so as not to be seen and sneaked out as soon as the ceremony was over, so they could get to the hotel and hide in their room until Declan told them all was ready. Conner laughed when Darren told him how upset he was after the ceremony.
“Brother, I just had to pull this one last one over on you,” Conner teased. And they hugged until they almost fell over. Maura and Philip took John up to the room to bed so that Jessica and Conner could enjoy the party.
Keith kept the music rocking the house much of the night. Damian sang a couple of popular tunes, and Ryan joined in with a few of his new songs that had just been written. At some point the music turned from dance and rock music to an Irish session with everyone sitting around listening to tunes they had grown up hearing all around.
And as always with the band, there were a few lasses for whom Keith, Damian and Ryan had caught their eyes and sat mesmerized watching the musicians.
Most of the attendees had reservations at the Connemara Coast Hotel for the night ,knowing it would be a long party and there would be much drinking and craic. It must have been around four in the morning when the crowd grew thin and the band packed up. The bar had officially closed hours earlier, but Declan made sure there was an extra supply of whiskey and beer under a table.
Cailin and the other young women headed off to their rooms while the men had their last few toasts of the night.
Tomorrow began a new life for Cailin as the wife of Darren Ryan.
Thinking back to her summer vacation, which in itself was a get away from New York City, Cailin smiled knowing that she was now exactly where she belonged. Only new adventures awaited both Cailin and Darren together as a couple and she knew that whatever life threw at them, they would weather any storm.
End.
Besides her boss, a few of the girls from her office made the trip across the pond for the wedding. Not surprisingly, they found a couple of Darren's friends to be quite accommodating and charming. Cailin would not be surprised to hear of one or two deciding to come back and visit again soon. Declan seemed to take a liking to one of the GOTT girls from Derry. She was wearing a huge smile all night long. In passing Cailin warned Declan that he better be a perfect gentleman with her, or Darren would be coming after him. Declan laughed commenting that he was always a slightly imperfect gentleman, but he did get the warning.
When Conner and Darren had a minute to talk, Conner explained that he, Jessica and little John were in attendance at the wedding. They had slipped in the side door while Darren was outside waiting for Cailin to arrive. They stayed at the back of the church so as not to be seen and sneaked out as soon as the ceremony was over, so they could get to the hotel and hide in their room until Declan told them all was ready. Conner laughed when Darren told him how upset he was after the ceremony.
“Brother, I just had to pull this one last one over on you,” Conner teased. And they hugged until they almost fell over. Maura and Philip took John up to the room to bed so that Jessica and Conner could enjoy the party.
Keith kept the music rocking the house much of the night. Damian sang a couple of popular tunes, and Ryan joined in with a few of his new songs that had just been written. At some point the music turned from dance and rock music to an Irish session with everyone sitting around listening to tunes they had grown up hearing all around.
And as always with the band, there were a few lasses for whom Keith, Damian and Ryan had caught their eyes and sat mesmerized watching the musicians.
Most of the attendees had reservations at the Connemara Coast Hotel for the night ,knowing it would be a long party and there would be much drinking and craic. It must have been around four in the morning when the crowd grew thin and the band packed up. The bar had officially closed hours earlier, but Declan made sure there was an extra supply of whiskey and beer under a table.
Cailin and the other young women headed off to their rooms while the men had their last few toasts of the night.
Tomorrow began a new life for Cailin as the wife of Darren Ryan.
Thinking back to her summer vacation, which in itself was a get away from New York City, Cailin smiled knowing that she was now exactly where she belonged. Only new adventures awaited both Cailin and Darren together as a couple and she knew that whatever life threw at them, they would weather any storm.
End.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
