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in pencil Mead, Frank

Galway, Eire Aug. 16, 1961

Dear Jack:

  Your vacation, I trust was satisfying,  and you and Mrs. Conroy are well, I trust.
   Just a short distance from where I'm temporarily lodging is Galway Bay, a bay, and no doubt important in its way, but just another bay.  It is but a short distance also to the Spanish arch, which goes back 500 years or so.  In all other respects Galway is like any other small British city, but streets - even the main stem - extremely narrow light motorcycles which reign supreme 

in Eire (maybe Britain generally) race along, and the Irish guards (their name for cops here) hardly heed the rushing vehicles. The small cars - Austins, Minor 1000's, Prefect, Hillman, VW and I've even seen a Skoda, are everywhere. about the guards, they are mainly rosy-cheeked young men who go along quiety [sic], bothering no one and, as in England, no guns, yet in Ulster do have.

   Galway was reached on a holiday - Feast of the Assumption, another ghastly church stunt.  So a hotel room was out of the question, and I merely walked out into the B&B, or Bread and Breakfast district (where homes take guests) and no trouble.  Quite cool, days something like California just now.  I can hear the people saying "good-night, god bless you," as they go home from the pubs.. Saw several Tinkers yesterday and got begged.  The women wear long shawls, the men do nothing now.  Regards  -MEAD-