Today, Nick set off to Lough Gur
Where he saw limestone boulders galore
Susannah sat through
Conference day number two
That eve had a banquet in store

Actually, Susannah’s conference was far more fun than the verse above lets on, including a memorable keynote talk by her colleague Marie. But the eventfulness prize of the day goes to Nick, who ventured by bus and by foot to the Stone Age ruins around Lough Gur. These include the largest stone circle in Ireland, which sits right off the local motorway. The region seems to have been a hotbed of ancient times, with a plethora of Neolithic and early medieval sites situated around a picturesque lake surrounded by knobby hills studded with cows. They are spread over quite an area so you need to either bring a car or be willing to hike a bit. Fortunately the day was good for walking and there was plenty of time.

The evening had a treat in store: a medieval-inspired banquet in the genuine 15th century Bunratty Castle just north of Limerick. The evening festivities were hosted by a company of performers in costume who played music and sang beautifully in addition to serving us our meal. We were especially fortunate to be seated beside a woman who had years ago performed as the harpist with the company and was able to share all the inside scoop. The food came in four “removes” (courses) and was supplemented by plentiful mead and wine. Leaving aside the historical accuracy, the music was great, the food was tasty, and the setting was quite charming; we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Back in Limerick, we capped off the night with pints in our local pub and a cut-throat game of cribbage.