2004 Europe

Macroom Castle - Cork, Ireland



June 17 – Today we are traveling to Waterford, of crystal fame. We’re going to tour the factory and get a presentation on the history of the firm.



Our first stop, however, was at Macroom Castle (above) in Cork, the ancestral home of William Penn the original founder of the Pennsylvania Colony where I was born. It was built in the 13th century. The strategic position of Macroom has led to many battles and conflicts in the area and the castle buildings were frequently destroyed by fire. In 1650 there was a major battle between Cromwell's forces led by Lord Borghill and those loyal to King Charles under the command of Bishop MacEgan. The forces of Cromwell were victorious, resulting in the Bishop being captured and hanged. Macroom Castle was given to Admiral Sir William Penn, father of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania in 1656. The last owner was Olive White who married Arthur Guinness of Dublin. the world famous brewers of Guinness’ Stout.



After that we visited Blarney and its famous castle (below). Who could resist climbing the keep to hang over the edge and kiss the Blarney Stone? As if I don’t talk enough already. Diana and I tramped up the narrow, winding stairs and gave the stone a right proper smooching (below). It was fun. I remember watching a documentary about Ireland on TV when I was in grade school. At that time you just climbed the castle keep and leaned over the wall to kiss the stone. Times have sure changed. You still climb the keep but now when you arrive at the top you find a photographer and an assistant that holds on to you while you lie on your back and lean over backward to kiss the stone. I’m sure safety and insurance underwriting considerations have resulted in the assistant and a new profit point has brought the photographer. Nevertheless, it’s still a hoot!



The Waterford Glass factory was fascinating. I have seen custom glass blowers, including a tour of the Corning Glass Works in New York. But there they did the demonstration in the custom glass area so we were watching people make one of a kind pieces. At Waterford we toured the production facility and got to watch the people who blow the stemware we use on our tables. Of course the basic steps are the same, but here, once they get a hollow glass blob at the end of the pipe, they lower it into a hydraulically operated mold for the final shaping. It was fascinating to see the oval shaped blob of glass get clamped into the mold while the artist blows it up to the proper shape. Then he has to keep it spinning until it cools enough to open the mold and have the glass retain its shape. They work so quickly it’s amazing that they don’t incinerate each other with molten glass.



Diana exercised wonderful sales resistance and we escaped from the showroom with our Visas intact.



That evening we had a walking tour of Waterford with a local guide. He was great! Very knowledgeable and also very funny. He told us the story of how the English got a hold on Ireland in a very creative way, using people on the tour as characters in his story. The crux of the story is that two Irish kings were feuding and one fled to England only to return with an English Knight, Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Leinster (aka Strongbow), to attack his rival. After winning the victory for his Irish king employer, Strongbow married the Irish Princess, Eve MacMurchada, and thus gave the English a foothold in Ireland. The kingdom he acquired held about 60% of the country and after some time the English claimed the whole country for themselves and we know what a problem that has been.

(c) 2004 Rod Longenberger