Dateline: St. Patricks Day - Dublin

Top of the mornin' to ya! Today is St. Patrick's Day and I'm in Dublin...how do ya like them apples. Last March, I toldmy buddy Layne that I would be in Dublin on St. Pats Day 2008 and here I am. See what happens when you put something out to the universe. (inside joke, but I know Layne gets it) Well, since this IS my very favorite holiday and I am in Ireland, I'm a wee bit STOKED to say the least.

After breakfast the team heads over to Abby Church to start our day off helping kids get ready for the parade. It's a total blast. The kids at Abby are dressing as bumble bees and crickets. I have no idea why, but we help them get ready and mobilize for the parade. They are so fun and just full of excitment. I had a blast with them.

After the getting everyone dressed and ready to roll, we headed out the side door of the church and into the street to catch the parade. I must have shot 80 pictures out there, most of the church kids and kids from around the community enjoying the sites and sounds of the day. All the bands in the parade wer from America - most from right around us in Tennessee. A band from Huntsville was representing as was one from Cleveland, TN. And Richard, if your reading, Auburn's Band was here as well. I tried to even teach a couple of Irish lads to say "War Eagle!" but they wanted to know "Why Eagle when they are Tigers?" I'm sorry, I didn't have an answer to that.

The parade ends around two and its back to work at the church. That night we are having a traditional Irish Ceili for the youth program and of course any other member that wants to come. So, we have to clean up all the parade stuff from the basement and get set up for the big night. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, we have to practice a LINE DANCE and SQUARE DANCE that we are supposed to teach the Irish after they teach us to River Dance. This feels and looks like its going to be a disaster. Luckily, one of our group, Shelby has taken up the rains on this dance stuff and teaches us all the Cotton Eyed Joe. I only fell twice tryign to learn it which was good for me...

The night gets rolling with a traditional irish band playing ceili music (think Cheiftans here) and a gentleman form the church who teaches us all traditional Irish dancing. Its a blast. I'm not really good at it but who cares, we are having fun. And everyone is loving it. In between rests, the band entertains us with Pub songs. Well, now I'm just having too much fun singing and swaying. The band cracks up that I know all the songs. Not to be outdone, my friend Amy does as well. We sing along beween dances...the only thing missing is a pint of Guinness.

After the ceili band breaks up, Shelby leads everyone in the Cotton Eyed Joe. The Irish kids love it. And since it was getting late and the church had a DJ waiting to break into his techno for the kids...we DIDN'T HAVE TO SQUARE DANCE! Can I get a Yee-haw and and Amen on that one. : )

The night comes to a close around 11. We help clean up, walke back to our pad, staying clear of the rowdy bunch of rugby players throwing beer bottles, and flop into our beds exhausted from our St. Pats fun. Tomorrow is a free day on the trip and I have to be up at 5 for a train to Galway in western Ireland.