Sligo Trip

Friday, Feb. 9 – Sunday, Feb. 11

We packed the car in a light sprinkle/sunshine/light sprinkle/sunshine to the final joy of a complete and double rainbow. Brilliant. Surprisingly, this is only the second rainbow I’ve seen since being in Ireland, and the first lasted about 10 seconds. But this one is caught on film although it required three shots to capture the complete bow.

We left TC for Sligo going through the city of Westport – would like to explore that more in the future, but it seems more shopping than I may be interested in. I drive from Westport to Sligo – the easy roads. But it takes us over 1 ½ hours after we reach Sligo to find our hotel, The Clarion. We decided to treat ourselves to 2 nights of B&B and dinner. Sligo is a challenge even for good navigators like Tom and me. Seems like the Clarion is glad to have us as they upgrade us to a suite – it is bigger than our cottage. The living room is about 30’ x 30’. Guess we should have brought our dancing shoes!! Large bathroom with a very large tub. Hurray. I’m feeling like I’m in America as everything is so big.

But we quickly grab some fantastic lunch. How could the best Chinese food I’ve ever had come from Ireland. It was chicken with some black bean sauce that was superb. Enough that we won’t worry about dinner tonight. Of course, everyone who has been to Ireland is now saying to themselves, she’s just tired of potatoes cooked a hundred different ways.

Off we go to explore Yeats Country or Sligo Town. Either way, that’s what this area is referred to.

We still feel a bit intimidated with wrestling the city directions, so we will head north of the town to Glencar Lake and the Waterfall. If you are a reader of Yeats, you can find the corresponding poems. I can help with some lines – I’ve got the tour guide!! “Where the wandering water gushes From the hills above GlenCar, In pools among the rushes That scarce could bathe a star, We seek for slumbering trout and whispering in their ears give them unquiet dreams.”

As we are leaving for our next stop, we ask a young woman in the parking lot for help with directions. She offers to have us follow her half way there. Off we go to Drumcliff and the burial place of Yeats. “Under bar Ben Bulben’s head In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid. An ancestor was rector there Long years ago, a church stands near, by the road an ancient cross. No marble, no conventional phrase; On limestone quarried near the spot. By his command these words are cut: Cast a cold eye On life, on death. Horseman, pass by!”

And, so we find his grave just has he has described it. With the church where his great-grandfather was rector, with an 11^th century High Cross and the remains of a Round Tower. It is almost sunset. The cross and tower look surreal with the low sun.

We make our way back toward Sligo with a slight detour out to Rosses Point. “My name is Henry Middleton, I have a small demesne, a small house set on a storm bitten green.” We see the Metal Man Light that points incoming ships away from Sruth na Mile (the thousand streams) and into the channel to Sligo.

Tomorrow, rain or shine, we explore Sligo. But for now, I’ll enjoy being fully in the 21^st century: hot bath, heat, TV, internet, room service. You name it.

Saturday

Wow, what great beds with soft duvet covers won’t do. We wake up at 9:30!!! Time to head for a good hearty Irish breakfast and off to explore Sligo Town. We will conquer the streets yet. With great directions to a parking spot that ‘you can’t miss.’

I lay out a path that will hit all the main spots. Many will not be open because of the time of the year, but we can enjoy the outsides of many buildings. Our first stop is the Courthouse, which is one of those that is closed. But we are getting our bearings and enjoy the exterior. On down John St. to the Church of Ireland – kind of reminds me of the Tower of London – which is also not open.

Never fear. Our next stop is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The stain glass windows are beautiful as are the carvings in the altar. We light a candle – one for me and one for Mary Alice who taught us never to go into a cathedral without enjoying this walk down memory lane. I remember when my sister Mary once lit all the candles in our little small-town church. My mom then made her pay for all of them!!!

We head down O’Connell St which has been turned into a pedestrian walkway. I can’t imagine what this place is like during tourist season. It is certainly busy enough. We see a wood carver making mythical creatures. Later I read that he uses only wind-fallen wood and used to be a butcher. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Irish mythology. A missed opportunity – especially for a woodworker. Next time!

We find the Yeats Building and Sligo Art Gallery. Somewhat disappointing, as not much available to see. Move on past the Yeats statue – also somewhat unexciting. But the walk by and over the River Garaogue is quite exciting. It reminds me of how many cities are built on some sort of waterway – rivers, lakes or oceans. Makes sense.

We spend the lunch hour at the Model Arts and Niland Gallery. One of the few things that is open but doesn’t close for lunch! Unfortunately, the Jack Yeats (brother to W.B.) works are not on exhibit. But there is a great exhibit of women artists – some very contemporary. There is a particularly interesting exhibit of lithographs of brush drawings depicting the Irish legend Tain Bo Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley). Tom particularly liked these, but unfortunately there is no exhibition book to get as a remembrance.

We end our day at the library and now the County Museum which is next door is open. It has some great historical pieces as well as quite a bit of Yeats memorabilia. Of course, his Nobel Prize is on exhibit at the moment in Dublin. Maybe we will catch it there. It amazing what has been packed into these two rooms. Particularly some postcards that were made of the men and women who fought in the Easter Uprising. It even listed their execution date.

Time to call it a day as we have probably traversed the city at least twice. We see the Sligo Abbey – very impressive. I am struck by how much work is being done to attract tourism. Ireland is growing and on the move.

One of the challenges they will have is with immigration – something they are very inexperienced in. At our hotel, I would say the majority of the wait staff is Eastern European. We have a nice dinner – but my Chinese lunch was much more interesting.

Sunday, Feb. 11

I decide to forgo the Irish breakfast for one last good long soak in the tub. Tom heads down for a bite to eat before we head out for two destinations before we head back to Tullycross: first, we want to go to Lough Gill to see the Lake Isle of Innisfree. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made.” The water is perfectly calm when we arrive. Two swans come paddling right toward us. I’m staying put in the car. I’m not quite sure, but I do know that swans can be aggressive. And they have their wings raised – like you see the dancers in the ballet Swan Lake. I see other swans, but only these two are doing this – kind of looks like your shoulder blades sticking out but much more beautiful J

We move on to a long trek down a little road, where we get out and walk to the end of a pier and see Innisfree. No one else is around.

We drive on to the north side of the lake and it begins to rain and cloud over. It gives the lake a very misty, quiet feeling. We go to Parkes Castle hoping to take in a video on the heritage of the entire region, but . . . it is closed. I’ve got a nice outside shot!!

Now to our next destination. Carrowmore – megalithic cemetery and is one of the largest in Ireland. Probably dated about 5,000 BC. Incredible. The visitor’s center is closed for construction which requires us to crawl under a fence. Hope no one calls the Guarda. But this is our one chance to see these magnificent monuments. I can’t believe that the majority of the stones have been ‘quarried” and these are the remaining ones. But they are everywhere. Every year, Swedish archaeologist work at the sites.

We begin heading home. We get a call from a student (a group of 5 stayed in Ireland, everyone else went for more exotic locations). They wanted to let us know they are coming back early. No problem, as we will be there, and we can exchange stories about our adventures.

We made it back in time to see the last 15 minutes of the Ireland vs. France rugby tournament. Ireland was ahead until the last minutes. It took the joy out of the pub. But rugby is a game that everyone should watch once. It is brutal. Makes football look like kids’ tag.

Sligo was a wonderful place to visit and explore even with the number of drive-throughs and places closed. It was great. And it was nice to get away for a couple of days, and now it is nice to be home.