As a gift to my fellow festies here is a shot of the Irish Cottage at the Minnesota Renaissance festival. For those of you not familiar with this cottage there’s quite a bit a history behind but I’m not too knowledgeable about it. Perhaps some of her alumni can elaborate on here?
For me and a lot of others the Irish Cottage provided a safe, warm haven from the cold and wet of the Fall and you’d could always find a warm meal or a cold drink for a weary traveler. The first time I entered was on a cold, wet evening and the roaring fire and friendly faces took me right in. There was music and song, food and drink and fellow performers shoved in every nook and cranny, including a couple lounging on the ceiling beams. I’ll always remember Taffy blessing the threshold with a kiss and Maggie’s great eats and her wonderful “cold medicine!”
The management has since seen fit to once again change something that didn’t need changing and the cottage is “under new management” and though I’ll not begrudge the new proprietors it will never be the same. This was one of the truest representations of that era MRF ever had and now it only lives in our memories and photos. Here’s to you ol’ Cottage!
May you have
Walls for the wind
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks bedside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire
Sláinte!
