Tidbits

My mother once told me a tale: after her father left Ireland, his dog (?name) went to a nearby cliff, and stayed there, watching the sea for his master's return, taking no nourishment, until he died. He was informed of this by friends and family from home. Now keep in mind that he was a great storyteller (Seanachai), particularly of ghost stories and of the leprechauns (anyone have any of the stories, passed on from their mother or father?); but if you go to Google maps, enter Clifden (his apparent hometown), and enlarge to the 4th click from the top, you'll see some beautiful pictures of this seaside town at the westernmost tip of Connemara. In fact, the poverty there must have been pretty grinding and the promise of America pretty large, for them to have left that gorgeous place.