First communion.

As integral to Irelands fibre as Guinness, good Craic, and a universal wash of verdant green, is Catholicism. An experience of Ireland isnt truly complete without getting some sense of just how deeply it penetrates and shapes the Irish sense of self, family and community.
You dont feel Ireland until you sit in a small parish church, washed in coloured light from IRA donated stained glass... until you hear and feel the happy chattering connection of friends and familys, and see the efforts and joys in a genuine communal celebration.
Im not Catholic.
I am strongly disinclined even to the notion of a god of guilt and redemption.
But looking beyond the reasons behind it, in a shared moment of support, happiness and communal celebration, you get a glimpse at the strength of its appeal and just how integral it is to the Irish identity.

And so, I saw my first communion.
Milo sang, and smiled.
And then home for a massive spread I prepared... and there was much eating and drinking and laughing.
A rare, mild sunny Irish day.