Grace O'Malley & Celtic Invasion Vacation Expectations

Where are we going on the next Celtic Invasion Vacation? Listen and also enjoy some music related to the invasion. Plus, you'll learn what you can expect to experience when you join an invasion.

It's Pub Songs & Stories #258

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I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play.

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1:01 - WHAT'S NEW?

This is a bonus episode. I finally settled on where to go for the next Celtic Invasion Vacation in 2023. I looked at Galicia in Spain, the Wicklow Mountains, south of Dublin, Ireland, and Westport in County Mayo, Ireland. And the winner is… Westport in County Mayo.

I don't yet have details about the trip. Nor have I opened it up to the public. I'm gonna spend the next month working those out. But there are few things I want to explore while we are there.

First, County Mayo was the home of Grace O'Malley. She was known as the Pirate Queen of Ireland. A quick search revealed that there are not many records of her. However, there are some letters that were exchanged with Queen Elizabeth I, which show a mutual admiration of each other, two strong women in a time of men. I'm gonna research a bit about the Pirate Queen and see what we can find.

And to give you a small taste, The Gothard Sisters have a song inspired by Grainne, as she is often called.

2:15 - "Grace O'Malley" by The Gothard Sisters from Mountain Rose

5:49 - MORE ON TRAVEL

One of my regular invaders, Jim, once said that what he enjoyed about our trips is that there are frequently different types of travel that we do. Meaning we might take a boat or train, instead of a car. So I'm always looking out for something cool like that for at least one day. Happily, Clare Island is nearby.

I honestly know very little about Clare Island. Although, it sounds like Gracy O'Malley spent some time there as well. What I do know about it is that The Saw Doctors have a fantastic song called "Clare Island". It makes me excited to see it.

That's what I have so far.

6:31 - UPCOMING SHOWS

• SEP 28-OCT 2: ALEP, Shakertown, KY with Brobdingnagian Bards
• OCT 8: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00 – 10:00 PM.
• OCT 14-16: MultiVerse, Atlanta, GA
• NOV 4-6: Conjuration, Atlanta, GA

I'm gonna share a replay from the Celtfather Unkilted podcast. I noticed after publishing that episode last month that there is one thing that is a bit off at present. That is the requirement of a vaccination card. I am not requiring that at present though the sentiment is still valid. These trips are small and your fellow invaders should be treated like family. Meaning I do expect that you will get vaccinated as needed to protect your family.

7:54 - WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT ON A CELTIC INVASION VACATION?

If you go to the website you won't find much information. I usually list the itinerary when it becomes available but that can be January or March before the trip. You will find podcasts and links to pictures and videos. I don't know that any of it really paints a good picture.

So I thought I would try to break down how these trips work to help you decide if you want to join me in the future.

Celtic Invasion Vacations are not your typical travel tour experience. Most tourists travel on big buses. They go place to place. You stay up late. You get up early. There's 30, 60 or even 90 people packed on one to three tour buses.

If you're like me, that sounds pretty miserable. My first two trips were on tour buses. Everyone was a fan of my music. So that was pretty awesome. The bus drivers were awesome too. But that's a lot of people for an introvert like me.

I don't know how much of the fatigue was from so many people or the staying up late/getting-up-early business. But it's not my preferred way of traveling. I like small groups.

My mom moved to Italy in 1985. So I've gone back-and-forth to Europe for a long time.

My mom is an awesome adventurer. I went to school on an American military base in Vicenza, Italy for my senior year of high school. While all the other high school seniors went to Remini to get drunk, my mom and I went on in artistic pilgrimage following the works of Piero Della Francesca. She instilled in me the value of planning as well as spontaneity.

You see that in my Celtic Invasion Vacations itinerary. When I finally make one that is. Typically, I don't have a full itinerary when I announce the latest trip. I have… ideas.

In fact, I usually have one big idea. Then I find a way to make it work.

One person told me he was disappointed when my trip to the Highlands of Scotland a few years back did not also include the Isle of Skye, like it was initially listed on the early itinerary.

That was because I had a big idea. But when I finally settled on details, I realized it was impractical. I learned from that error. If I make any big changes to what was planned, you are welcome to back out.

I don't usually settle on solid itineraries unti