This trip is starting to feel like one big international pub crawl, as we visited Dublin, then went on an over-night excursion to the west coast of Ireland. We visited Galway, Bunratty village and castle and the Cliffs of Moher.
Much history learned on this trip. The Irish Potato Famine transpired in 1848, where 1 million people died of starvation. They were so poor they couldn’t afford grave markers, so ordinary unscripted rocks were used. Many of these rock cemeteries, long abandoned, are still in existence.
There was no employment for the men to earn for food, so they built walls of stone everywhere. Most of the walls were in the middle of nowhere and served no practical purpose, just employment. The men were paid 1 penny a day, which was enough to feed a family. The Irish government had to pay for these walls.
Many also left Ireland and many went to New York City, where they formed the Gangs of New York.
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