The Irish Travellers

Here are the Irish Travelers - no, not those Travellers.

Betty - the senior sister, from Campbell, CA. A veteran of several Ireland visits.

She's a red-headed lady from Campbell
And she loves in the evening to gambol
Walks the village at night
Seeking action that's right
But next morn she's still up for a ramble

Sheila (Sile) - From Medford, MA. #2 sister, chronologically.

I knew Sheila was strong and automonous
Yet she can be quite anonymous
But she filled me with fear
And filled me with beer
By announcing she's mostly monogamous.
(by John)

John Saldano (O'Saldon) - Sheila's better (and bigger) half? Chef, gourmet, story teller.

Said John Saldano to his lovely bride
There is a secret I have to confide
A trip with your kinfolk
Resembles a sick joke
Such as travelling with Jekyll and Hyde

Johnny - Sheila & John's son. Age 14. Omnivore.

Young Johnny of whom it is said
Will eat anything put between bread
Give him all kinds of meat
The better to eat
Something larger than even his head.

Theresa - third sister, from Walworth, WI. In the travel biz, has been everywhere. Including Ireland several times - the first time over 25 years ago.

As a girl she was known as the meanest
When grown she was usually leanest
Now she's with us for the ride
With sweet Molly beside
And we'll have no mere man come between us.

Molly - Theresa's youngest daughter (age 15). Molly would turn out to be the person we consulted whenever we needed to know where we were, where we had been, what was the price of petrol, etc. Molly misses nothing.

Molly with words was most frugal
But when she spoke it was clear as a bugle
So to know where we had been
We'd ask Molly and then listen
'Twas like having our own personal Google.

Patty - fourth sister, from Iowa City, IA. Another Ireland veteran. Gadget queen, ace navigator, novice drinker - but learning.

.Patrick Hogan to Patty Kane said
You make such a fine soda bread
Go to practice your gift
While I practice left shift
As Marcella said - before we are dead

Patrick Hogan (Just Patrick) - Patty's hub. Irish historian and Guinness connoisseur. (We dubbed him 'Just Patrick' after Kate noticed that all the other males on the trip had names beginning with the "J" sound and decided that Patrick's name needed to be 'unified'. "Just Patrick" it is, then.)

Twas the two of them matched 'gainst the throng
With great humor they drove us along
They gave more than they got
As they handled the lot
Just Patrick and John do no wrong.

Kate (Kit) - the youngest sister. Also from Iowa City. Designated wit. Constant source of energy. Fearless explorer - except when she was minding Joe and Sarah.

Kate climbed Skellig rock with great care-a
As it rose thousands of feet in the air-a
While others were pokin'
And German ladies were smokin'
Kit glued her eyes to the feet of wild Sara

Joe Kane Baker - Assistant omnivore, sportsman, big brother to Sarah.

As we travelled with Johnny & Joe
One kept asking where will we go
And whenever we ate
They so heaped their plates
We thought we'd run out of dough

Sarah Kane Baker - her primary responsibilities were to keep track of Joe's activities and to keep Kate company. She excelled at both.

She's a blond little girl from mid-west
Who rarely puts all to the test
Please give her some mash
And some bacon - a whole rash
'Cause her smile banishes all of the rest

Gerry (Ger) - the token brother, from Moss Beach, CA. Was in Dublin for three days once - over 40 years ago. Essentially a rookie. My plan was to just follow the pros around. And be the scribe for the trip.

There once was a family called Kane
Planned a trip to the island of rain
Ger said he needed a hip
But his sisters pressured the trip
We fear now he'll be driven insane

Home

	Betty - the senior sister, from Campbell, CA. A veteran of several Ireland visits. She's a red-headed lady from Campbell And she loves in the evening to gambol Walks the village at night Seeking action that's right But next morn she's still up for a ramble
	Sheila (Sile) - From Medford, MA. #2 sister, chronologically. I knew Sheila was strong and automonous Yet she can be quite anonymous But she filled me with fear And filled me with beer By announcing she's mostly monogamous. (by John)
	John Saldano (O'Saldon) - Sheila's better (and bigger) half? Chef, gourmet, story teller. Said John Saldano to his lovely bride There is a secret I have to confide A trip with your kinfolk Resembles a sick joke Such as travelling with Jekyll and Hyde
	Johnny - Sheila & John's son. Age 14. Omnivore. Young Johnny of whom it is said Will eat anything put between bread Give him all kinds of meat The better to eat Something larger than even his head.
	Theresa - third sister, from Walworth, WI. In the travel biz, has been everywhere. Including Ireland several times - the first time over 25 years ago. As a girl she was known as the meanest When grown she was usually leanest Now she's with us for the ride With sweet Molly beside And we'll have no mere man come between us.
	Molly - Theresa's youngest daughter (age 15). Molly would turn out to be the person we consulted whenever we needed to know where we were, where we had been, what was the price of petrol, etc. Molly misses nothing. Molly with words was most frugal But when she spoke it was clear as a bugle So to know where we had been We'd ask Molly and then listen 'Twas like having our own personal Google.
	Patty - fourth sister, from Iowa City, IA. Another Ireland veteran. Gadget queen, ace navigator, novice drinker - but learning. .Patrick Hogan to Patty Kane said You make such a fine soda bread Go to practice your gift While I practice left shift As Marcella said - before we are dead
	Patrick Hogan (Just Patrick) - Patty's hub. Irish historian and Guinness connoisseur. (We dubbed him 'Just Patrick' after Kate noticed that all the other males on the trip had names beginning with the "J" sound and decided that Patrick's name needed to be 'unified'. "Just Patrick" it is, then.) Twas the two of them matched 'gainst the throng With great humor they drove us along They gave more than they got As they handled the lot Just Patrick and John do no wrong.
	Kate (Kit) - the youngest sister. Also from Iowa City. Designated wit. Constant source of energy. Fearless explorer - except when she was minding Joe and Sarah. Kate climbed Skellig rock with great care-a As it rose thousands of feet in the air-a While others were pokin' And German ladies were smokin' Kit glued her eyes to the feet of wild Sara
	Joe Kane Baker - Assistant omnivore, sportsman, big brother to Sarah. As we travelled with Johnny & Joe One kept asking where will we go And whenever we ate They so heaped their plates We thought we'd run out of dough
	Sarah Kane Baker - her primary responsibilities were to keep track of Joe's activities and to keep Kate company. She excelled at both. She's a blond little girl from mid-west Who rarely puts all to the test Please give her some mash And some bacon - a whole rash 'Cause her smile banishes all of the rest
	Gerry (Ger) - the token brother, from Moss Beach, CA. Was in Dublin for three days once - over 40 years ago. Essentially a rookie. My plan was to just follow the pros around. And be the scribe for the trip. There once was a family called Kane Planned a trip to the island of rain Ger said he needed a hip But his sisters pressured the trip We fear now he'll be driven insane