June 30, 2001
A special hello to Edith Duffy Heilmann today (she's my dear, loving wife, if
you don't already know). I thought of her today as we took the tour at Kilkenny
castle. Our guide, Lisa, took us through the royal bedroom and commented on the
short bed. She explained that the bed could be shorter in a castle because
nobility propped themselves with pillows. Those of you who really know Edith,
will recall that she has two square, double-size pillows from Germany, a six
foot
long body pillow and several other regular pillows (I, on the other hand, have
one very thin pillow). At nighttime, the bed becomes a maze of feathers and
humanity. At times, I completely lose my orientation, and I am never quite sure
which end is up. I have a nagging fear that if I ever had to fill out a missing
persons report on Edith, I'd probably have to do an estimate on the number of
days she was missing. Our guide went on to explain that royalty propped
themselves in bed to show their separation from the common folks. That's
probably the reason that Edith uses so many pillows -- she's a princess you see.
Oh, there's probably no need to remind you, but I am the prince.
Kilkenney castle evolved over time. In the 12th. Century it was a Norman castle
wonderfully situated on the river Nore. It later included a church and was
remodeled in Victorian times. Wars swept regularly through area. The town is a
maze of side streets and ancient buildings.
The Irish suffered through a series of invasions. The Celts were invaded by the
Vikings (900 AD), followed the Normans (1200 AD). It was interesting to find
that the Normans easily defeated the Irish mainly because of three superior
weapon systems. Their long bow easily reached the Irish forces before they could
attack. The same was true of the Norman's long sword vs. the short one of the
Irish. And surprisingly, the Norman stirrup caused decisive advantage. The Celts
were excellent horsemen, but they leaped from their horses during battle, while
the Normans could stay on their stirruped horse and fight with advantage (please
see Edith for details and corrections of any these historical accounts).
We are housed in a new Clarion Hotel, only three months old. It will be nice to
stay here for two nights (the normal routine is to be packed and ready to leave
each morning by 8 a.m.).
Ireland Main