Update on first two weeks in the USA

Another crisis averted and I am back in Hawaii

My abode in Covington near New Orleans for 3 days

After a fantastic 2 weeks on mainland USA. The time came to move on to the island Maui in HAWAII known as 'Paradise'. I left behind 2 weeks at no cost, not even a cent. My first on arrival was a visit to Harry and Lisa Hawney formerly from Tralee now in New Orleans, Harry collected me at the airport after a very difficult days travel. From there I was collected by Peter Egan and resided with him and his charming wife Pam at Covington across the longest bridge in the world 24 miles over lake Ponchetrain. I had three lovely days recovering from after my travelling exertions out in the country at his beautiful abode. That got me through from Thursday to Monday afternoon. 

Peter, Cuddy, Tommy and Paddy doing the needful

Peter collected a roast pig he had donated to the Carlow college reunion and brought me to the reunion at Bay St Louis in Mississippi. This year we stayed at the Divine Word Retreat house totally free. The dinner was attended by 30 down from 2 years ago, but brilliant in the circumstances. On Tuesday it was golf day which netted me 100 dollars.

Key event

Carlow College Reunion mass

Then followed the key event of the reunion the annual mass. The latest past pupil ordained at Carlow College, elevated to the status of bishop, Paul Dempsey was invited from Ireland to give the homily. He turned down the offer due to Covid and I was so delighted to be asked to replace him. The chief celebrant Fr Louis Lohan, a legend in Mississippi where he ministered for over 40 years before retiring to his family farm in Galway and he helps out at the local church. He used his wonderful fundraising skills to help refurbish the church at Newcastle. That was a 'piece of cake' for him after raising millions to rebuild the church and ancillary facilities at Long Beach in Mississippi after everything was completely wiped out after Hurricane Katrina. Equally impressive are the exploits of his fellow parishioner Fr Paddy Mockler who with his late brother Peter studied in Carlow.

New Church

Outside of Most HolyTrinity Church

Painting at the back of the altar all are locals dressed up in garb from Our Lords time. The cost $100,000 but was donated to the parish

A few short years ago Fr Paddy was assigned to a parish virtually bankrupt. This year the re-union mass was celebrated in his brand new church Most Hoy Trinity at Pas Christian. I visited him two years ago for three days and he had started the fundraising for the church. Less than a year ago the first sod was turned and now after a very difficult time due to Covid, the magnificent edifice is a tribute to his work and the massive support he has got from his parishioners and further afield. The cost was 6 million-plus remarkably all paid for. It was a fitting place for the reunion mass. Paddy as he is wont to do took a back seat and the main concelebrant with Louis and yours truly, was Fr Cuddy O'Connell from Cork, the reunion President who replaced Louis in St Claire's Long Beach. Cuddy was assigned to Waveland after Katrina and he had not seen the parish and I went there with him after the reunion and we were met with total devastation.

When I returned to Ireland I sold some of my best pictures and raised about €6,000 for the fund. So on the altar for the mass, I was truly privileged to be there and supported by the 40 plus concelebrants. I was a bit nervous standing at the podium, I had put a lot of thought into the homily and for the first time in years, I had a few notes in front of me and I was chuffed to get an ovation from the 300 plus congregation at the finish, I was truly humbled. Mass was followed by a scrumptious dinner for all present.

Following day another dinner at the casino-- compliments of the manager

The following day all the clergy were guests at the Silver Slipper casino for lunch to bring the reunion to an end. I returned with Fr Paddy to his house in Diamondhead, a beautiful house on the golf course donated to the parish was a kind parishioner. The house is about 3 miles from the church and Fr Paddy's next project is to build a rectory next to the church and also accommodation for retired clergy, he was responsible for building 4 homes for similar use in Biloxi.

I stayed there until Friday had no luck at the bingo, as I had two years ago. At morning mass Fr Paddy auctioned me off for meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast the following morning and there were plenty takers. another parishioner, Mary Beth like she had done 2 years before, drove me to the airport in New Orleans for my flight to Phoenix.

Phoenix

On the Briarwood country club golf course with Len Ward

My good friend Len Ward whom I had met more than 10 years ago at a Juice Plus+ nutrition conference in Limerick collected me at the airport. Started with another great dinner and went to Len and Carol's home my hosts for the next 3 days. After a two years absence, I was thrilled that their dog, Paco, recognised me. He always barks at strangers Carol told me but did not even whimper when I arrived and was all excited. After a good nights sleep, I had an 8am golf appointment with Len's brother in law Ken. That evening he, his wife, Len and Carol sat down with me for dinner at Briarwood country club at Sun city, again an evening to saviour.

The next 2 days I played golf at the excellent course, courtesy of Len as his guest, he is a member there. On Sunday evening he brought me to the convent of the Loreto sisters in Phoenix which I also visit regularly. Many of the old sisters including Sr Loreto Downing have passed to their eternal reward. Sr Raphael is the principal of a thriving school. They were delighted that I offered mass for them. After a cuppa and some lovely Irish brown bread, we headed back the 45-minute journey to a lovely salmon dinner caught in the sea off the coast of Oregon by Len. After the 18 holes of golf on Monday it was off to the airport to set off on another adventure in Las Vegas.

Vegas

Bellagio hotel

The year of the Ti

I was collected at 4pm by Joy, my friend of 15 years, whom I first met at my cousin Sr Raymond Kelleher at her Golden Jubilee. The following year I took up her invitation to visit Vegas. Sadly her husband Ray died last year and Covid prevented me from attending his funeral. She checked me into the Excalibur hotel, thinking I would not have much peace in her son Raymond's home with 2 young children, where she had moved after the loss of her husband. We spent most of the next 2 days touring the iconic hotels the Bellagio, the Venetian my favourite, the Luxor, Pallazio, Treasure Island New York etc and relished the excellent food on offer.

On to Hawaii

Weather when I arrived in Maui

Thursday morning, 2 weeks since the start of my odyssey it was time to move on again. Joy collected me at 6.45am. I arrived in good time for the 8.45 flight to Maui. I had not filled out the special entry form required for Hawaii even though it is one of the US states. One of the attendants was helping me to fill in the form which would normally take 15 minutes, but could not get it done in 30 minutes. But with the flight boarding, it remained to be sorted.

For a brief moment, I had visions of being left behind, fears were eased when I was told I could fill it out on arrival. Again there was major difficulties, thankfully I eventually found the necessary Covid info on my phone. Incredibly when the lady was looking at my passport which has Christian name of William, she said I thought your name was Liam, I know you. She told me that she had met me when she came to a canoe race many of my friends were competing in, she was competing for another club. She reminded me of the 700 pictures I took, during the six-person three day three island race, from Maui to Molokai to Lanai and back to Maui.

Just when we were almost home off Kaanapali, a huge whale breached in front of me and I got that iconic picture that appeared in the Hawaiian papers. I will include it in this post. The process took 45 minutes. The flight got in 45 minutes ahead of schedule so it was perfect my host Gail was due to collect me at 1.15. Contrast that with the hour and a half delay on my original flight from Dublin 2 weeks before.

I first met Gail in 1984, when I stayed with her mum Betty and Sister Denise when I attended the 1984 Olympics. I had met Betty the year before when I officiated at her dads funeral in Dromina. I went in 1987 to officiate at Denise's wedding. That weekend was the live aid event, organized by Bob Geldof for famine in Ethiopia. I helped the cause by running a marathon in Charleville at 6am. Rushed off to Shannon boarded a flight to New York, ran another there with friends from Donoughmore at 3pm and completed a 3rd at Los Angeles finishing at 2am and raised 5000 for the cause and was interviewed live by Vincent Hanley on Morning Ireland.

Gail moved to Hawaii and I have been visiting here for 20 years and will be here for her birthday. We went for lunch at Honu restaurant in Lahaina recently taken over by 3 good friends of mine. Gail's friend Mariana Löwy-Gerstmar, a lawyer, joined us for lunch. I encouraged her 2 years ago to train to qualify for the Boston which she did and I am going to sit down and draw up a schedule to make the Olympics in Paris and Los Angeles 4 years later. Another friend Rich Townley an employee in the restaurant broke the shock news that our regular nightly haunt Coolers did not open since the pandemic. Three friends had recently bought HONU.

After the welcome meal, I took a stroll to the nearby baby beach across the road I saw a house on the entrance to the beach on sale for 6 million, unfortunately, I am unable to come up with the deposit. Then came back to Gail's house and met 2 more dear friends, Holly and Chyna came to visit.

I awoke to hear the good news of restrictions being lifted in Ireland and I decided to do an update on my travels before going off to the beach not a cloud in the sky with the temperature a 'cool' 80f. I post this a few days after arriving, so much to do with 2 birthday parties last Sunday, meeting many friends, helping athletes with their training programme for the Boston Marathon in April. Watched the 4 NFL games at the weekend all were exciting and went down to the wire. Two more weeks here before moving on to San Francisco. Happy days and it's great to see restrictions eased in Ireland.