Liz's Ireland Journal

Off to a Grand Start!

Today was the first day of class for students in Study Abroad Ireland 2011.  My class, The Irish Storytelling Tradition, is the first one of the day at 8:30 a.m.  All 23 of my students were in their seats, enthusiastic and ready to go right on time.  Fully present in every sense of the word.  Their first exercise was to be paired off so that they could interview and then introduce each other.  The questions included name and any nicknames, major, why they came on SAI and why they took my class, whether they have Irish ancestry, and finally, any interesting happenings so far.  That took a good hour and many of them had stories to share - another very good sign on the first day of class.  We heard about clandestine field romping, terrible bus drivers, tragically weak grocery bags, strange behavior in pubs, the remarkable capacity of the Irish to recognize Americans even before they open their mouths, and much more. 

Then we spent another 45 minutes on Learn an Irish Story Fast, which gave everyone the opportunity to learn and tell their first story.  After a very quick break, I had about 40 minutes to give an overview of their syllabus and their first set of assignments.  It went by in a flash, and if past experience can be trusted, we will probably say the same thing about the whole month-long session!   

Clockwise from the left in the top photo are Fidencio, Jesse, Alison, Lucia, Melinda, and Lizzy

Clockwise from the left in the second photo are Kayla, Kalyn, Christine, Ashley, Andrea, Faye, Sarah, and Laura

Left to right in the third photo are Bryan, Angela, Michelle, Shelli, Tammy, Melissa, Nicole, and Kim

 

Leaving the Glens

Mark and I are packing up this morning to drive down to Athlone in advance of the 32 Study Abroad Ireland participants and the rest of the faculty. I’m sad to be leaving Beachview Cottage, our friends, and the Nine Glens of Antrim.  We’ve had five nights and four days right on the ocean.  I could easily stay another month.

             I wanted an ocean view and that is exactly what we got.  We arrived to rainbows and we’re leaving under a grey sky.  But through it all the ocean has been spectacular.  We’ve seen every color from cobalt to sea-glass green, from dark-wash denim to chambray, from aquamarine to taupe-tinged lavender.  There have been white capped breakers and waves that gently lapped the shore.

            I’ve been wondering what it would be like to live by the ocean.  Ciara McKillop told me that she has lived her entire life by the sea and that she can only be away for a week or two and then she begins to long for it.  She says she starts to feel claustrophobic if she’s inland too long.  I know it’s not reasonable, but I feel that if I lived here by the ocean all my concerns about the arc of my career, my life span, my purpose in life would be easier to bear.  The ocean puts all of those things into perspective.  Somehow its enormity and beauty provide a counterbalance. I see myself in relation to a wider horizon. I feel more natural and less burdened by what I would, should, or could do.

            In fairness, the desert mountain behind our house in Phoenix gives me much the same feeling.  Is it any wonder that since moving there I’ve been much more absorbed in contemplating the next phase in my life?

 

A Treasured Tradition - the Saturday Night Session at Ballyeamon Barn

We arrived in Ireland on Saturday morning and then drove directly from Dublin to Beachview Cottage in Cushendun. Cushendun is just five miles from Cushendall where Liz Weir lives. We arrived with just enough time to shower and get back to Liz's Ballyeamon Barn for the weekly Saturday night session

It was a wonderful homecoming and beginning to our time in Ireland.  Liz had a group of rowdy bikers staying in the barn, and when we arrived they were barbecuing in the rain.  We were starving, and they shared their steak and burgers with us.  Her German barn minders had made a great potato salad to go along with it, all of which we wolfed down gratefully. We then met and had a quick romp with Gino the adorable new all-black German Shepherd puppy who has more personality than some people I know.

The session was just starting, so we hurried next door. All of my favorites were there - Martin, Alec, Fergal - and many others. I asked Alec to sing "The Man in the Moon", and Martin to sing "The Errant Apprentice" which is one of Mark's favorites.  Martin asked me to do "Tomboy" by Dee Strickand Johnson, and I also recited John Good's translation of the Welsh "The Old Man from the Wood".  Feargal came in as I was reciting that one, and afterwards he sang "From Clare to Here", which was the highlight of the evening for Mark.  The barn minders sang and recited poems in German. Charlie, Tony, Hugh, and Eileen all contributed as well. 

At one point we noticed that the weather had cleared and almost everyone ran outside to see the golden light on the clouds over the deep emerald hills.  Glorious.  Mark’s picture of it is at the top of the post, and in this one barn minders and guests enjoy the sight.

Back inside we heard Helen, whom I’d never met before, read a great poem she wrote about a woman who gets her six inch heels stuck in the middle of the street on a hot day.  She is bodily carried from the road by irate drivers and then stands helplessly by as her beautiful shoes are run over. The photo is Charlie and Helen.

Stan from Belfast sang "My Lagan Love", which includes this verse:

Where Lagan stream sings lullaby

There blows a lily fair

The twilight gleam is in her eye

The night is on her hair

And like a love-sick lennan-shee

She has my heart in thrall

Nor life I owe nor liberty

For love is lord of all.

The line about the “lennan-shee” inspired Liz Weir to tell her version of Sheila Quigley’s story about a young man who is pursued and eventually caught by a fairy woman – a lennan-shee – and comes to a tragic end.  It’s a beautiful story, although Liz reflected that it probably should not be told after two glasses of wine! 

Feargal closed the evening out with “I am the Yawning Man” which includes an audience participation refrain of – you guessed it – yawning!  The picture on the left is Feargal singing with Alec and Martin to his left.  The picture on the right is his listeners reacting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn’t stay too late.  I’d gotten myself pretty ramped up and excited to be there, but by 10:30 or so both Mark and I were suffering the effects of 30 plus hours of travel with no real sleep.  We headed back to Beachview and collapsed into bed, feeling completely welcomed, privileged, and happy.

Below is Mark's panoramic shot from the beginning  of the session.  

Sunday in Belfast – St. George’s Market and More

Liz Weir took us to Belfast for the afternoon on Sunday.  We were headed to the St. George’s Market, but we saw a lot along the way.  We passed through Ardoyne, which the mural above proclaims to be “a confident, colourful, creative community”.  We learned from Liz that the president of the Republic, Mary McAleese is from this neighborhood.  She is much on everyone’s minds these days, being widely hailed for the grace and skill she demonstrated during the recent landmark visit of the queen to Dublin.

 
           I had asked Liz to show us the library she worked at before she became a full-time storyteller.  I hadn’t imagined it correctly at all!  It’s right downtown, in a large multi-story red sandstone building. It’s right across the street from the Belfast Telegraph where Clare Weir now works.  From the street she showed us where her office had been and described all the windows being blown out by bombs during the Troubles.

            Once at the market we hunted down lunch and then had a good wander around the stalls while Mark took lots of pictures. There was everything from olives to hand-woven linens, to table full of thrift store treasures.  One highlight was these guys all dressed up in various states of drag to promote their fundraising efforts for the local hospice.

The favorite of the day was of this booth where your little darlings are dressed up as fairies and then photographed.  Mark offered, repeatedly and loudly, that he would pay good money to see me and Liz dressed up as fairies, but we declined.

Then we went to the Ulster Museum (right next door to Liz’s alma mater Queens College) for a quick tour of a few highlights – including Takabuti the mummy, a gorgeous butterfly display, and a splendid sheela-na-gig – and Mark took more pictures.  Most importantly, I had a much needed latte!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below Sheela and me is Mark's shot of the butterflies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Places, Beloved Friends

One of my favorite places in Cushendall  is Harry’s  on Mill Street, right across the street from Johnny Joe’s pub.  The first time I went there, I had driven up from Athlone with Liz Weir and we were starving.  We didn’t stop at the barn first; we went directly to dinner and I had a delicious steak au poivre with crispy onion rings and champ – mashed potatoes with scallions. It was heaven.  So, naturally, that is what I always order when I’m lucky enough to be there.

As luck would have it, I was there on Sunday night.  Mark and I were invited to dinner by Liz and Clare Weir, Ciara McKillop and Feargal Lynn. Harry’s new owner is one of Feargal’s best friends and he has completely redecorated it.  It’s really beautiful inside with dark wood and shades of silver and lavender.  And my favorite steak is still on the menu. Mark ordered it too, and he also had this starter of duck spring rolls. Given the splendid company, all was truly well with the world.

Clare told us more about the gorgeous new puppy, Gino, and how as a working dog he is distinct from Bodo, who is a show dog.  We learned all about Feargal and Ciara’s new venture running a care home. Liz told us about telling to students at a detention facility and a girl there who knew what keeners were, even when her teachers did not. (Keeners are professional mourners, hired to stimulate the expression of grief at a funeral.)

Afterwards we went across the street to Joe’s for a pint, and then Mark and I traveled the five miles up the road to Beachview Cottage in Cushendun.  

 

Seven is Supposed to Be a Lucky Number

"Seven is supposed to be a lucky number. I always think of the seven chapels, or maybe the seven deadly sins. Or, what about the seven great Dublin mysteries? There was morals, mercenaries, music, and monasteries, money, mutts and marriage - especially marriage."  (Ronnie Drew's opening to Do You Remember, Jem?)  

I’ve just arrived in Ireland for a week of vacation with Mark  before the start of my seventh summer teaching in Mesa Community College’s Study Abroad Ireland Program.  This makes my head spin a little bit.  I remember how anxious I was anticipating my first trip in 2005.  What would my room be like?  Would I have one of the rooms with the bathroom ensuite?  How would I manage being away from home and Mark for so long?  Big questions.  I’m a very different traveler in 2011.

 Going to Ireland every summer has been one of the richest experiences of my life.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet and get to know so many remarkable people, from the students who make it possible, to the faculty who make it happen, and, of course, the many Irish friends and storytellers I’ve been privileged to meet and know.

So, seven being a number of significance and importance, I decided I’d better set some goals for summer 2011.  Here they are:

• Tell my Irish repertoire in class. This summer, I’m going to plan it out carefully to make sure I tell as much of it as possible.
• Write a minimum of 5 blog posts each week:  Last summer I barely wrote a handful and I regret that I didn’t do more.
• See something I’ve never seen before each week: Or, even just take the time to see something I really love again!

One place I will be telling stories this summer is at Scoil Mhuire in Tullamore.  I’ll be there every Tuesday afternoon beginning, I think, on May 31. The photo at the top is one of the four  25-foot Saints and Scholars sculptures on N52 Tullamore bypass road.  Here is more information on them and the artist.

            Back to Ronnie Drew.  His version of D’you Remember Jem is one of Mark’s favorites. Google it and you can hear it online, although I didn't find a version that had his spoken introduction. It’s great to have a few days with Mark, who is certainly one of the great and wonderful mysteries of my life!

a link to the song.