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After dinner, we had our final film (and digital) presentations and critiques,
which were fascinating, informative, and fun as usual. Richard Rabinowitz, who
sponsored an informal "Drawing the pint of Gunnness" picture contest,
awarded the prize of a Nikon Coolpix digital camera to Tyler Vance, and we each
brought our "five best images of the trek" to be judged by our mentors
and trekker buddies. The general mood was certainly upbeat, but with a tinge
of sadness because, for most of us, tomorrow would be our last day in Ireland.
However, the visual highlight of the evening was the video movie that the mentors
had cooked up right under our noses--a sarcastic and hilariously funny spoof
of picture-taking foibles that literally had us rolling in the aisles, yet taught
us some good lessons we'll never forget. We knew by seeing their photographs
that these guys and gals were excellent photographers, but we never imagined
they were such talented comic actors!
That night, we faced the logistically challenging task of stuffing all the belongings we originally brought, plus all our newly acquired clothing, souvenirs and gifts, into our bags. We were under the strict orders of Mirjam Evans, our puckish but practical Special Events Manager and disciplinarian, to have our baggage ready for stowage by 7AM or else. Violators of this edict had to buy drinks for the whole group! Happily, everybody was punctual, and after a last hearty Irish breakfast, we were bound for Bunratty Castle & Folk Park just northwest of Limerick, and directly on our way back to Shannon airport.
Bunratty Castle, an imposing , tessellated stone structure dating back to 1425,
was a stronghold of the O'Brien clan, and is furnished in 15th and 16th century
style. Clambering through its ancient, narrow circular staircases, peering into
the earl's bedroom and private chapel, and taking in the faded splendor of the
great hall give you a real feeling of what life as a royal personage must have
been like 400 or 500 years ago. If you have a chance to go castle crawling here
or elsewhere, I'd strongly suggest you bring an ultrawide-angle lens ( I used
a 20mmm f/2.8 Nikkor) to best capture the tiny rooms, narrow passageways. and
fairly cramped quarters kings and earls had to endure.
The rest of the estate, the Bunratty Folk Park, is equally fascinating. Essentially,
it's another authentic reconstruction of the homes and environment of 19th century
Ireland—indeed some of its buildings, such as the East Clare schoolhouse
(with separate entrances for boys and girls) were actually moved and rebuilt
on the site. Other engaging and photogenic attractions include the Talbot collection
of 19th century farm machinery, working horizontal and vertical watermills,
a weaver's shed, and a working farm complete with pigsty (whew!). Needless to
say, authentic shops such as J.J Correy's Pub, Cahill's Grocery, and P. Macnamara
& Son Bar/Hotel provide traditional fare and foodstuffs-- at modern prices of
course.
After spending half a day shooting carloads of images, hiking over the extensive
grounds, and partaking of drink and comestibles, most of us were ready to enjoy
a nice leisurely half-hour ride to Shannon airport before boarding our Aer Lingus
flights home. Some of us did, but not our bunch. The leprechauns stuck Group
2 big time, and our posh motor coach would not start despite the best efforts
of Ed Burke, our capable driver, and a passing German mechanic, who probably
could have fixed a Boeing 747 with his extensive toolkit. Fortunately, our fearless
Special Events Managers, had built enough slack into our return schedule to
cover just such contingencies, and after depositing Group 1 at the airport first,
the other bus came back to the castle and picked up our anxiously waiting crew.
Despite the delay, and the slow security-check line, everything went smoothly,
and we actually had to wait to board the plane. In the airport, I took some
charming shots of little kids drawing pictures in an area specifically set aside
for this purpose. Kudos to Shannon airport for this thoughtful idea. Lesson
for photographers: Always keep a camera handy—the best picture opportunities
occur when you least expect them.
I hope I've managed to give you some sense of what a Mentorseries Photo Trek
is like in this abbreviated whirlwind description of the recent Ireland Trek,
but I can assure you that the actual experience was much more heartfelt, enlightening,
educational, and fun than what I have been able to convey here in words. Inevitably,
I have elided over many details, events and places, and I am sure I'll be receiving
scads of e-mails from fellow Ireland trekkers chastising me on my lapses. The
best advice I can give potential trekkers? Do It! If you're a photo enthusiast
who wants the experience of a lifetime doing what you love, there's nothing
better!
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