Carmel's 21st

I find it funny that the Irish celebrate 21st birthdays in a bigger way than Americans do and it doesn't mean anything here (the drinking age is 18)! Carmel (Gillian's younger sister) turned 21 on Wednesday and had a huge birthday party last night. It was really fun to see both people I had already met and to finally put faces to some names I had heard again and again. There were probably about 150-200 people there. Eoghan and Katie got to come along for the first part of the night, but then Kieran's parents took them home "early" (still three hours past their bedtime!). They certainly broke it down on the dance floor for the four hours they were there.

Gillian's sisters tried to teach me the 'Siege of Ennis' which is a line-dancing style dance. I pretty much butchered it. They will have to try to teach me again another night!

Tug of war is actually a sport here- not just a game people play at recess. Carmel is on a tug of war team, so her sisters decided to get her a tug of war cake. These fancy cakes will never seize to amaze me..

Before the party, Eoghan won a Rudolph stuffed animal-which of course had to come to the party!

The tug of war cake

The Hegarty family (L to R): Norma (25), Gillian (32), Marie (30), Jimmy (?!!), and Carmel (21!)

The birthday girl!

Learning the "Siege of Ennis"!

Katie trying her first sip of Guiness (she seems happier than I did after my first sip..)