Written by Here’s another great Understory from Rob McRay for our early March 2017 collaboration on “Anything Irish” with Sister Cities Nashville.
Tenx9 Summary, 3/6/17, “Anything Irish”
Tonight, Nashville, we journeyed through all things Irish.
We had several pints and some good craic in an Irish pub, and picked up a waitress on a break-up date. We journeyed from Galway to Nashville—and turned many pages along the 
way.
We chronicled our journey through Ireland, with the blonde leading the blind through the Irish magic of pub gigs, aggressive swans in Limerick, jamming in conference rooms—but nothin’ to do in Doolin.
We learned in Northern Ireland to say nothing, but heard deliciously curious sayings about chest hair in Cork, peeing on the floor, and getting something good for Christmas, and about the good old days—except for the bombs and guns and murders.
We head Irish accents in Georgia that echoed a distant homeland, which led to a shillelagh, a tea time map, and a missed wake—and we contemplated the meaning of an Irish prayer.
We learned the story of mother and her “Aunt Mary”—of Irish orphans, and untimely births and untimely deaths…and embittered silence beside her deathbed.
Our mediocre driving in Ireland took us through double-parking in Dublin, dinging a double-decker, and dodging the Death Star—but failing to dodge the road that rose up to meet us!
We met a courageous Irish chaperone from whom an ocean separated us when love at Christmas led to a home for unwed mothers, and a family that crossed the street to avoid her. But she raised her child, forgave her father, and gave us the gift of knowing a devoted peacemaker.
We bought drinks for surprise relatives, took an interminable bus ride, and explored the cliffs above town—but the vanishing road and Irish quicksand made us late for dinner—and we were more afraid of tardiness than death!
We took a mission impossible to the home of a match-making festival, in our just-in-case undies, where we encountered socially awkward party guests, and a sheepherder with WiFi, and laughed crazily at the handsome stranger, and fell in love—with a lovely Irish town.
This was our Irish journey.
Thanks to Kathleen, Dave, J.W., Michael, Deborah, Chris and Christopher, Irene, Brendan, and Fran for their stories! Hope everyone will join us on March 27 for “School Days”!
Tenx9 Nashville Storytelling 