News from the WWC Travelers

The Washington Women's Chorus is having a marvelous time in Ireland, their tour manager Eammon just reported over the phone. The singers are on their way to the Danny Mann Pub and are looking forward to a performance and dinner. The Incantato Tours Team wishes WWC a wonderful evening!

The Washington Women's Chorus performs at the Danny Mann Pub in Killarney on Wednesday, June 23, at 7 pm

On Wednesday, June 23, at 7 pm, the Danny Mann Pub in Killarney will turn into a performance venue for the WWC travelers under the direction of Donald P. Richardson. Incantato Tours proudly presents this very special and traditional venue: The Danny Mann is a hotel pub that is renowned as one of the best centers for Irish music, singing and dancing in all of Killarney. Here you will find locals and visitors alike joining with the band to sing together. The Danny Mann Pub has brought traditional Irish music and good times to Killarney for over 70 years.
After the concert the WWC travelers enjoy dinner at the pub. On the menu (to choose from):
Starter:
- Chefs Cream of Potato and Leek Soup
- Breaded Mushrooms with Parsley and Garlic Mayonnaise
Main course:
- Roast Topside of Irish Beef, Red Wine Gravy
- Baked Darne of Kenmare Bay Salmon, Prawn and Saffron Cream
- Pan-seared Chicken Supreme, Smoked Bacon and Mushroom Sauce
Dessert:
-Warm Apple Crumble with Custard
- Baileys Cheesecake, Butterscotch Sauce

Welcome to Killarney!

Killarney (from the Irish: "Cill Airne" meaning "church of sloes") is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland, and the next stop on the WWC itinerary. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St. Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castle, Muckross Abbey, Lakes of Killarney, Torc Waterfall and Gap of Dunloe. Killarney was awarded the "Best Kept Town" award for 2007 in a cross-border competition jointly organised by the Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council. Owing to its natural heritage, history and proximity to the Dingle Peninsula, Skellig Michael island and its location on the Ring of Kerry, Killarney is a popular tourist destination.
"There's only the one Killarney" is a song that was recorded by Irish tenor, Patrich O'Hagan. The song was written by Irish songwriter, Dick Farrelly, who wrote the words & music. Killarney appears in another song, titled, "How Can you buy Killarney", written by Kennedy, Steels, Grant and Morrison, the song was recorded by Joseph Locke among others.

Sightseeing-Highlight on Wednesday, June 23: The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of the Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland. The Cliffs are currently one of the 28 finalists for The New-7-Wonders of Nature. The cliffs rise 120 meters (394 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 meters (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres away. The cliffs have one of Ireland's most spectacular views. On a clear day, the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara. O'Brien's Tower is a round stone tower at the approximate midpoint of the cliffs. It was built by Sir Cornelius O'Brien, a descendant of Ireland's High King Brian Boru, in order to impress female visitors. From atop that watchtower, one can view the Aran Islands and Galway Bay, the Maum Turk Mountains and the Twelve Pins to the north in Connemara, and Loop Head to the south.

Washington Women's Chorus sings at the Franciscan Abbey in Galway on Tuesday, June 22, at 7.30 pm - Exchange Concert!

The travelers of WWC get ready for their exchange concert in Galway tonight, June 22, at 7.30 pm with the Galway Gospel Choir. To learn more about the choir, please click here.
The Franciscan Abbey was founded in 1296. In 1483 a school of advanced theology was instituted there. About 40 years later, Maurice O Fihely, archbishop of Tuam, was buried in the church. 1657 the friary was destroyed and the church was made into a court house (the present court house stands on the same site). In 1660 a church was erected on the present site. The only novitiate of which they have definite information was opened here in 1774. The church was rebuilt in 1781 and around 1836 the present church was opened; present friary was built or rebuilt in 1820, and renovated recently. The organ of the Abbey, Galway, is placed in the gallery at the back of the church, and is divided between two cases to avoid obscuring a large stained-glass window in the centre. The swell and pedal divisions are located in the left case (as seen from the church, facing the back) and the great in the right. The console is beside the left case, and faces sideways across the rather narrow gallery. The instrument has a pleasant, sweet sound with good definition and a fast, ready response from the action. The picture is from the official website of the Irish Franciscans.

WWC presents first formal concert at The Gothic Church at Kylemore Abbey on Tuesday, June 22, at noon

On Tuesday, June 22, the Washington Women's Chorus, under the direction of Don Richardson, will kick off their 2010 Ireland Performance Tour with a lunch time concert presented at noon at the Gothic Church at Kylemore Abbey, the oldest of the Irish Benedictine Abbeys.

Kylemore Abbey is a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The abbey was founded for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I. Originally called Kylemore Castle, it was built between 1863 and 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy politician from Manchester, England who was also MP for Galway County from 1871 to 1885. Architects were James Franklin Fuller and Ussher Roberts. After the death of his wife Margaret in 1875, Mitchell did not spend much time there. He and his wife are both buried in the small mausoleum near the church in the grounds of the abbey.
A notable feature of the abbey is the neo-Gothic church, a miniature replica of Norwich Cathedral, made from local green Connemara marble. It was built between 1877 and 1881 and has a beautiful stained glass tracery window depicts the five graces; Fortitude, Faith, Charity, Hope and Chastity, and it is a center of reflection and prayer for many visitors.

Welcome to Galway!

Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) is the third largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht. It is located on the west coast of Ireland.
In Irish, Galway is also called Cathair na Gaillimhe (City of Galway).
The population of Galway city is approximately 72,400. Approximately 78 per cent of the population of Galway is white Irish, descended from native Gaelic peoples and Norman settlers. A further 5 per cent are foreign-born Irish. Following an influx of immigrants to Galway during the 2000s, as Europe's fastest growing city of its size, approximately 17 per cent of the population is today non-Irish.
Galway is nicknamed Ireland's Cultural Heart and is renowned for its vibrant lifestyle and numerous festivals, celebrations and events. Every July, Galway hosts the Galway Arts Festival which is known for its famous Macnas parade.
Galway city has a reputation amongst Irish cities for being associated with the Irish language, music, song and dancing traditions - it is sometimes referred to as the 'Bilingual Capital of Ireland', although like all other cities in the Republic of Ireland, the vast bulk of the city's inhabitants converse mostly in English.