This is a Photo my sister in law Sheena sent me of the new statues...  Wild Geese chasing a poor boy. Which can be seen at the top of my old home town of Midleton Co Cork,Ireland.They are in an area/village green that is known as the Gooses Acre, this Photo with the statues I felt  was very fitting to share on this page considering the name of the Page THE WILD GEESE IRISH.At one time our town was a thriving market town with fairs on Thursdays. The village green was full of Geese for decades, Even  a pub built in the 1800s  was called the Gooses Acre which was very near the village green, the poor boy is a remembrance to the workhouse that was in our town, it had many poor boys who were only young orphans, slaving away no education, no shoes or anyone to love them as their own, very sad. Now Midleton Lady of Lourdes Hospital stands in the same area as the work house was.

I have yet to see those statues in person!!

  WHY I NEVER DID GET WILD IN THE WILD WEST OF IRELAND, BUT THERES ALWAYS A FIRST TIME!!

In1985 at the age of 23  I left the old home Town of Midleton,Co Cork where the Bushmills Whiskey Factory is, to come to America. No jobs in Ireland, so I had no choice but to leave., it was either sink or swim.

Most of my friends had already left, gone to England or Australia. It was a very sad day as my dad Known as Kevin O ' in our town said his good byes. He put his loving  arms around me and hugged me, it was the final good bye for him but for me it was till I see you again !, He told me he would never see me again except in Heaven. He lifted my bag in to the car to be whisked off on my new Journey to the promised land . Off to Shannon to take an Air Lingus 747  to JFK Airport. That was as much of the west of Ireland  I got to see. Lttle did I know that morning on September 2nd 1985.  I would never see My dad Kevin O' again ! He died 2 years later in 1987,its been bitter sweet for me. He told me I had made the right decision when I initially told them I was leaving that summer Mother was not happy about it at all..I think back then I thought I would only be gone for a year.

In 1992 I went back to see My  Beautiful Irish mother Mary Bridget O'Brien who now had gotten older and seemed to have had shrunk, but her Blue Eyes still twinkled and her hug was not as strong as I remembered..I thought there must be a mistake how could she have gotten so frail in seven years ? Surely it cant be....   Had I really been gone that long?

My mother got frailer as time went on and took a stroke ,so I went home as often as I could but mostly it was Christmas time. I never ventured far as my time was spent with her,  and perhaps I felt guilty for being so far away . She died of cancer in 2004. Before she passed I stayed back with her for  2 months so I only really got to see my friends for a cuppa tae or an old jar at the local pub for a quick natter about who got married died, left and of course a bit of Irish gossip.

The church was up the road from my mothers house, where I was baptised, I had made my first Holy Communion and First confession there(by the way I was made go to confession when I was young whether I sinned or not, an Irish thing Irish mother made you do on Saturday mornings) I made my Confirmation in that church too. I remember it like it was yesterday, taking the pledge too that one would never indulge in drink (the water of life or any other alcohol ) must have been an Irish thing that Irish mammy's made up and the Bishop of the Cloyne Dioceses went along with it.!!.. I would sit in that beautiful building feeling at peace and contemplate did I make the right decision in going to America....I came to the conclusion it was Gods will.....but Ireland will always be my home. .Oh how I miss my dear old Mam!

Even in 2004 My hometown had changed new faces in town new houses gone up, the Celtic tiger was in full swing, Friends were taking there chances and moving back to Ireland. I had thought of moving back too, I had gathered all the info I needed little did I know it was not Gods plan for me back then,

I returned to my home in NJ with Ireland laying heavy on my heart, it will always be my main home. The family home is now gone and is but good memories of simple times of my dad telling us story's by the turf  fire. We had only one TV channel that was RTE1 on a rented B&W TV when I was growing up and it did not come on until 5pm in the evening. At 6pm a picture of Our Lady, The Blessed Mother came on and  the Angelus bells rang out from the TV while the church bells from our own church of the Most Holy Rosary rang out. We all stopped what we were doing and bowed our heads, knelt and prayed . Then the RTE  news came on, and then tea time which  was our supper time or dinner time as we say in America.

People over here in NJ ask me about different places in Ireland to go and visit, and I have to admit to them I've only been to Cork, Kerry, Waterford ,Tipperary and Dublin to visit, they still ask me how could I have left the beautiful country of so many shades of green, Castles, Round Tower's, the magic of the Fairies,the music and the soft rain!!  I have never been to Bunratty Castle or Claire, Mayo or Donegal which I would love to do. I would love  see the Ciffs of Moher and the Giants Causeway that I have never seen not by choice, but because I never had the opportunity to do so.It has been on my list for years. Would love to see the area that Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne made famous in The Quiet Man film, my favorite movie of all-time.

After I came back from Ireland in2004 I got very sick and had surgery after surgery. I was unable to return. I am much better now ,luck of the Irish TG but I can't believe another 11 years has flew by.. Oh  but.. it would be so grand to win the Wild West trip to the west of Ireland and see the beauty that tourist describe, I feel incomplete, being born and bred Irish and never seeing the west except from the air plane window for a brief second. I would love my hubby himself to see Ireland he has never been, but loves the music and photos and Irish foods. He himself  is of Irish descent and he's very proud of it. Himself has a collection of  Donegal tweed cap's and Hat's made by Hanna Hats. I bought them for him and he wears them constantly and gets so many complements! Himself  would wear them to bed if he could and that is the truth, he loves those hats and his Barry's tea that he orders on line. I have a few very nice things myself by Blarney weavers ,so for anyone who is not familiar with Blarney weavers, look them up on line lovely good quality 100%irish goods. Better still if you get to Ireland they have a store in all places Blarney!! Been to Blarney Castle and kissed the stone years ago, some say its a medieval toilet, found out this after only after I kissed it....Lol !!.Never been to the Woolen Mill's. But have some items I purchased through an Irish shop called OUT OF IRELAND owned and  run by a family from Donegal here in my area of NJ, When I sport my Irish cap, scarfs and hand bags and bracelets.(.Tara's Diary Charm Bracelet, Necklace and Ring set being my favorite). I have  gotten so many complements from people here in the states. Funny how things made in Ireland makes one feel so connected, so I told himself to keep buying me Irish things...and he does.. I think I'll keep him,he's a grand man.

Anyway I am fascinated by my childhood country and definitely want to explore the wild west of Ireland every nook and cranny of it  if I can.Visit all the castles and rugged coast line up to Mayo and Donegal smell the fresh Irish air ,and take tons of photos to show the gang back in NJ. I would stop in for a nice pot of Irish tea and scones with fresh Kerry gold butter and some homemade  jam in some cute little café, with red geranium in pots at the front door to greet me, my tea and scones served on fine Irish bone china, Irish linen table cloths and lace curtains,along the beaten path  while I rest my legs and savor the moment,,I love old fashioned cute places but I do like modern cafes too that seem to be now part of the Irish landscape, complete with Wi-Fi so you can plug in and let the gang back in the States know your alive and well...... telling them you wish they were here.(.a big fat lie)..def would have to go to confession for that one!!!

The hospitality in Ireland is the best in the world, and nothing can compare, so  for anyone who's never gone I can honestly say when your hear the words"'Cead Mile Failte"a hundred thousand welcomes, which is a well known Irish saying... its the Gods honest truth, people are so friendly! If you get stuck in the rain in Ireland, You will most likely hear the term" sur its a grand soft day, thanks be to God"... or" you wont melt" is another famous one even if the rain is lashing down !!! Irish people you will find back in Ireland  try to see the good in every thing!!

The years have flown bye, I am now, 30 years in the states, seems like only yesteday I arrived in NY as a young girl ,scared and frightened of the unknown. I don't want it to be another 30 years before I get to see the West of Ireland.so my fingers toes and eyes are crossed, as I say luck oh the Irish to me so I can hopefully go wild in the wild west of Ireland. As they say the older the Fiddle the sweeter the tune,!!

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