Mary Vail felt right at home in Ireland.

“The Irish talk a lot — constantly — that's why I was so at home there,” Vail said. “Anyone who's friendly, not on a set schedule, loves Ireland.

“I met all kinds of people. The Irish are friendly and love to chat,” Vail said.

Vail and her husband Richard spent 10 years living in Ireland before moving to Grand Junction 13 years ago.

While Richard taught business classes at Trinity College in Dublin, Vail worked toward a Master's degree, researching Irish couples who adopted Romanian children.

“There was 17 percent unemployment. There was no way I was going to be able to get a job,” Vail said.

Previously, the couple had lived for three years in England where Richard worked on a doctorate degree and Vail worked as editor of the Queens College Register, an alumni book.

It was easier being an American in Ireland, than in England, Vail said. While they were in England, then-President Ronald Reagan bombed Libya, and there was a “huge upset about that,” Vail said.

Grandsons currently living in England report resentment at America for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Ireland, the sentiment seemed different, Vail said.

“So many Irish live in America — more live in America than in Ireland. So many go back and forth,” she said.

Many Irish emigrated to America during past tough economic periods in Ireland.

Richard Vail is Irish-American. While he and Mary Vail were in Ireland an aunt asked them to go to a tiny village called Castletownbere in West Cork, where she had discovered family roots through genealogy research. She gave them reams of genealogy information hoping they could find relatives there.

Richard's grandparents' name is Harrington, and so they made arrangements to stay at a hotel called the Harrington Arms.

But when they arrived to the hotel the woman at the desk, with no explanation why, said they had no reservations and they could not stay there. She referred them to a bed and breakfast down the road and up a hill.

“It was a beautiful bed and breakfast, a nice couple. We were happy, and went off to find the farm where our family was from,” Vail said.

Normally no one stays in the town for more than a day, the owners of the bed and breakfast told Vail the next morning. When Vail explained they were there for a few days to search their family roots, the owners Carolyn and Brendan Harrington offered to help.

When the Vails returned from a day of sight-seeing later that day, Brendan Harrington came running out the door saying, “We're related, we're related.”

It turns out his and Richard's great, great grandmothers were sisters. One went to America, and the other stayed in Ireland.

Brendan drove the Vails on a personal tour of the old family farm and cemetery.

“Anyone who is friendly, not on a set schedule, loves Ireland. Ireland is your place,” Vail said.

Otherwise you can be frustrated in Ireland, she said. For example, an 8 p.m. dinner invitation really means 8:45 or 9.

“You never have dinner before 10:30 or 11. People just talk and talk and visit,” Vail said.

Evenings with friends usually wrap up around 2 a.m.

“People end up telling stories and singing all those wonderful Irish songs,” Vail said.

At parties everyone is expected to share something by singing a song, reciting a poem or telling a story, Vail said.

The Vails lived in Dublin, the capital, during its millennium when Dubliners were celebrating its 1,000-year history.

Parish visitor

The Vails returned to Colorado (Vail is a native of Boulder) to be near their young grandchildren.

Richard is a professor at Mesa State College where he helped set up the master's in business administration program.

Vail was program director at the Homeward Bound homeless shelter for a year before her current job as parish visitor for the First United Methodist Church, at Fifth Street and White Avenue.

There's been a parish visitor position at First United Methodist Church for 40 years. Glenna White served for 10 years, Loretta Branton for 20 years and Ginny McGriffin for 10 years. Vail has worked as parish visitor for the past two years.

Vail visits parishioners who are homebound for a variety of reasons. Some are recuperating from illness, others from surgery.

She also visits hospice and hospital patients, and people who live in nursing homes or assisted living centers.

While a student at Metro State College in Denver years ago, Vail had an opportunity to work at a hospice center in England for six months — an experience she's found invaluable to her current job. She also did hospice work for a year in Boulder.

Vail visits between 30 to 40 people a week, some every week, others bi-weekly. She brings them copies of the week's sermons by Rev. Blaine Scott and Rev. Annie Arnoldy, the church bulletin, and a DVD of the service. And she visits with people to see how they're doing.

The goal of the parish visitor is to make sure members know they are appreciated and valued, Vail said.

“It's such a blessing to get to know these people,” Vail said. “Their experience and wisdom about life has been a real learning experience for me.

“They're an important part of the congregation. They're the grandmothers and grandfathers of this church.”

Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com