A special visit to Ireland

Tim Hattrick of the award winning radio show "Tim and Willy" on KMLE country 108 in Arizona during his brief visit to Ireland yesterday.

This for me was the "great day" that nearly did not happen. I had been contacted on Thursday by Tim and Connie's daughter, Catherine, with a request to collect them on Saturday morning and to take them for a brief trip to the Cliffs of Moher before returning to Shannon later in the afternoon in order for them to catch a flight back to London.It seemed such a rushed affair, and i had plans to relax a little for the weekend, but Catherine seemed so nice and genuine that i said that i would do it for her. I duly arrived at Shannon yesterday morning and from the moment we met i knew that i had made the right decision. From the word go it was as though i was collecting old friends and within a very short period of time the conversation was flowing. I was immiediately totally interested in Tim's work as a radio presenter and DJ and the fact that he was so into music we were two of a kind. Music has always played a big part in my own life and "Country and Western" ,which is Tim's speciality, is close to my own heart. I found that we had so much more in common also , in our family lives, both them and us being married for a good many years, and also having children who have now flown the coop. All of this helped us to enjoy common ground. It was only when we were at the Cliffs that i found out the real motive for Tim's visit. His Mom, who passed away in September at the age of 89, had requested that her ashes be returned to Ireland and scattered in the land of her ancestors. I immiediately felt so priviledged to be a part of this wonderful ceremony. Having chosen a quiet spot on the hillside at the Cliffs, Tim produced his Mom's rememberance card on which was printed that lovely prayer, "An Irish Blessing", which Tim asked me to read as he scattered his Mom's ashes. The chosen spot was in a magnificent location overlooking the Cliffs and the Atlantic ocean which his Mom's family had crossed many years ago on their journey to the new world.The day could not have been nicer, not a puff of wind, and a clear blue sky all around. I could only feel that Patricia Ann was smiling down on us and well pleased with Tim and Connie.
With our time being limited we drove straight on to the little town of Doolin, which is quiet close to the Cliffs, and stopped off at Gus O'Connor's pub where we had a delicious meal of fresh Irish cod in batter with chips and salad. There had to be Guinness also and i think that Arthur Guinness himself would have been proud of Tim the way he downed his creamy pint.
We had stopped off at St Bridgid's Well, which is close to the Cliffs, before we performed our duty at the Cliff's, and Tim had liked that place so much that he kept some of the ashes to leave there on our return journey. This we did and from what Tim told me about his Mom i feel that he could not have picked a better place for this.
What a wonderful adventure this was for me today and another one to add to the many special days i have enjoyed with the host of new friends i have been fortunate enough to make in my years in this business. Now i have new friends in Phoenix and a link to a radio station with a program of country music, which i love, to keep me entertained. The next time i meet up with someone from Arizona i will be able to say "You know the Tim and Willy" show? Well Tim and Connie are pals of mine.
I think that Tim and Connie would have liked to spend more time here but it was not to be, but i really do hope that they will come back again and allow me the privilege to show them more of this beautiful country that is Ireland. Tim has to come back anyway......he left his beanie (hat) in my car.

The picture at the top shows Tim and his lovely wife, Connie, at the Cliffs of Moher. Behind them you can make out the Aran Islands to their right hand side and Galway Bay with the mountains of Connemara to their left. Tim's mission today was to honour the wishes of his late mother, Patricia Ann Chelgren, to bring her ashes back to Ireland and to scatter them on her native soil. She sadly passed away this September at the age of 89, and loved Ireland, and her traditional faith, to the very end. You can leave Ireland, but Ireland will never leave you. God rest her soul. The Hillside at the Cliffs where Tim scattered his Mom's ashes. In what i can only describe as a moment of inspiration,Tim said that he would now remember this spot always as "The Cliffs of Mo(t)her." How very appropriate. Patricia Ann Chelgren's rememberance card at the chosen spot, on the hillside at the Cliffs. Inside the grotto at St Bridgids Well, near the Cliffs, where Tim also left some of his Mom's ashes. St Brigid is the patroness of Ireland and many people leave tokens of gratitude here for blessings both requested and received. There is even a rememberance card for a firefighter who lost his life in New York in 9/11 and whose remains,sadly, were never recovered. Sharing a toast in Gus O Connor's pub in Doolin after the memorial service. Here we enjoyed a wonderful meal of freshly battered cod with chips and salad. Of course there was the pint of Guiness which, of course again, came with another. What a wonderful day this was.