h3ath3r_t_ash

Three major experiences in County Sligo to share:

Went to Lake Innesfree (made famous by Yeats). As we came down the road to the lake, there was a rainbow-honsest to God-stretching into the water! It was knock me into nexst week beautiful. Also, near the lake, was a grotto with a rag tree. . . after seeing the rainbow, the spiritual experience of the grotto and the memories people had tied up to the tree was just awesome (in the true meaning of the term)!

Second, went to Yeats grave. . . saw the swans. . . as an English major who has extreme admiration for Yeats-this experience, too, was awesome. I cannot imagine many more compelling writers from the 20th Century—and when I saw the places he had seen, I could understand why.

Third—pub, meet Johnny who wanted to show me the monoliths. . .Thad, my traveling companion and I ended up seeing more than monoliths in an experience I can’t really share here. Leave it to say that anyone should be careful about “white pints”!

When I visited Ireland a few years ago (I guess it was in 1999 or 2000), I was at the Castle on the day of a major solar eclipse in Europe. The eclipse made the experience more heady than it would normally have been!

Walking around the grounds in the graying light was eerie, to say the least. I felt that I had spiraled down the rabbit hole into another time. The atmosphere was so charged with a sense of time gone by—that as I write this blog, my hair on th eback of my neck stirs. . . .

Of course, there was the obligatory kissing of the Stone—but the grounds are far more exciting and worth the visit!

When you have a GGGG grandfather who was named John Patrick Murphy. . .well, eventually you have to make the pilgrimage to Ireland. The place is as beautiful as anyone can ever imagine! The people were wonderful, the stout plentious, and the adventure, breath-taking (see my headline, so to speak).

One of the most compelling experiences was on the Hills of Tara where the ancient peoples-Druids or Celts-had tombs and mounds. . .yet we could see a mound across the way where St. Patrick had built his fire to gather the “pagans” into the Christian fold. The energy on Tara was unbelievable and it is not that far of a drive from Dublin. . . if ever you go to Ireland, please see Tara.

One my most favorite cities I’ve ever seen. . . I love the history, the night life, the food, and those Citadel boys—yummmmm!

My favorite place is an Irish pub, Tommy Condon’s. Love the shrimp & grits and the Guiness. . . since my mom is 4 generations away from John Thomas Murphy in Cork, my appreciation for stout is genetic!