The Famous Four

And so begins the final stage: the Wild West Tour!

We met at the fancy Skylon hotel in Dublin: Michael, our guide, Mary Jane from Massachusetts, Claudia from Brazil and me. We are a very eclectic bunch but I think it will work out. After the first day we have developed a friendly rapport, some early dynamics have emerged and we have gleaned a bit about each other.

We set off smartly in our Tarago in order to reach a megalithic cemetery near Sligo two hours away on the west coast where Michael had arranged for us to meet Dr Michael Roberts, an archaeologist mate of his who would be our guide. We got hot in the car and were fooled into dressing lightly for our two hour journey amongst the ancient tomb stones. The wind was gale force. Claudia was the most inappropriately dressed in high heeled boots and blouse. We encouraged her to race back to the car and grab a jacket which was still no defence against torrential rain that suddenly lashed us. If you wore your jacket hood, the noise of it flapping in the wind completely drowned out the commentary. Dr Michael is a man obsessed. It would not matter to him if we’d been in a snowstorm, so oblivious was he to anything other than his topic, and we would still be there now listening to yet another interpretation of a myth or archeological gem if our own Michael had not show up to take us home. It was all terribly fascinating; we were so privileged to have such an erudite professor convey a condensed and detailed overview of Irish history. But we froze to our marrow and when that happens only a tiny bit of your brain is concentrating. The rest is screaming: would someone shut him up so we aren’t buried here as well?

Michael is recovering from cancer which may explain why communication from him has been so scant since I booked in January. He was diagnosed in February. Mary Jane walks with a stick to support her gammy knee. She is utterly cheerful and enjoying being away from her husband, but told me this in a whisper. Claudia regales us with drinking stories and makes eyes at Michael who is in his third marriage. My Irish accent has passed muster with Michael, but between the other the three it’s hard to get a word in.

Dr Michael Roberts on a roll

Mary Jane in the pink and Claudia

Good-bye from Gerard’s cat