Afternoon Tea in Co. Galway

My friend Jen from the UK (we used to work together in Australia about seven years ago) came for a week and we had a great time. It was a good opportunity to visit some of her relatives, so off we headed to County Galway. I was pretty pleased that I managed to drive 3/4 way across Ireland! We had actually been this way at Easter, so I knew the route to the N6 which leads to Galway. We stopped at Moate for lunch and then headed to Aughrim to her place. Although she had been there a couple of years ago, things do change (even in country Ireland) and after driving many gradually narrowing lanes, we eventually had to stop a passing motorist and ask directions.

We found the house and were welcomed upstairs to the lounge for a chat - mainly family history. After a while she put the tea on and eventually called us downstairs, apologizing that we had to walk through the kitchen, which contained a wood stove, a table, the dog's basket and a drying rack on the ceiling. We entered the tiny dining room and the table was set with a beautiful cloth and the good china. She had spared no trouble and we were served scones with butter and jam (cream is for Sunday), coffee cake, warmed apple tart and fruitcake and our cups were topped up repeatedly with tea. She still digs her own potatoes and does all her own cooking and keeps busy with news of the relatives and locals. We also called to visit her sister who is 89 and frail but still manages on her own. We sat by her stove in the kitchen as she reminisced about being a new bride in the family home which had raised 9 children! About 5pm we had to leave (and say no to more tea!)

I found it a privilege to see another side of country life in Ireland, listen to stories of life in the last 80 years and the hardships of farm life.