In Yeats Country
October/15/2008 Ireland Journal
This is Yeats Lodge, the B&B establishment that we booked for our stay in Sligo. We have found Irish B&Bs to be wonderful accommodations, and this one was no exception. The public rooms were spacious, and our bedroom with ensuite bath was extremely comfortable. Our host, Geraldine, is a fisherman, so she filled Jim in on the trout and salmon fishing options in the area, as he is seriously considering a fishing trip next year. And her breakfasts were outstanding! Irish breakfasts start the day out right, and most of the time you don't need to eat again until supper time . . . perhaps just a scone at tea time to hold you over. Part of the fun of a trip to Ireland is searching the Internet for B&Bs to see what the area has to offer.
I gravitate toward establishments with personality, many of which are slightly off the beaten path. In this case, however, I was delighted that Yeats Lodge was just off the main north-south motorway, because Yeats's grave was just a mile a way. In addition the sea coast, my attraction to this part of Sligo was its fame as "Yeats Country," as the poet is closely identified with the area around Drumcliff.
As an English major in college, William Butler Yates became one of my three favorite poets, and I completed many papers on his poetry. He wrote with such precision, and his poetic illusions have always painted word pictures for me. So I knew that seeing at least some of the places from which he gained inspiration would be a special treat.
We began our trip through Yates Country at the nearby church where he is buried: Drumcliff Church. (St. Columba's Parish Church, Church of Ireland), where his great-grandfather had served as Rector. Yates spent much of his childhood with his mother's family in Sligo, where he explored the land and learned folk tales. The Celtic cross, shown below, greets you at the churchyard. It was part of the original monastery and is presumed to be from the 11th century.
The country church and graveyard is lovely and tranquil, surrounded by the visually stunning mountains that Yeats so often reference in his work. It was a beautiful Indian summer day, so we lingered for a time just soaking up the beauty of this quiet setting.
Back at the Yates Lodge we stayed in the "Ben Bulben Room," aptly named because it had a view of the massive "Table Mountain," one of Ireland's most beautiful mountains. Its distinctive outline results from different responses to erosion of the limestone and shale of which the mountain is formed.
Ben Bulben simply dominates the landscape from all directions, and it is fascinating to watch the mountain face change as the light comes and goes with the movement of cloud formations.
You can even see Ben Bulben in the mist of this image that we took as we explored the coastal area around Drumcliff.
Next, we turned inland to head east where we could explore the road that lies at the base of Ben Bulben. There we saw picturesque cottages . . .
. . . and grand country homes.
All along the way, we saw beautiful vistas that helped to explain how this rich visual environment informed the imagery of Yeats's poetry.
Finally we arrived at Glencar Lake, one of Yates's favorite locales.
As we were driving along the edge of the lake, I caught sight of a swan.
Fortunately I had some crackers, so I quickly attracted him and eventually his mate.
As we were heading back to the lodge, a rain shower blew in. But it did not spoil our day. In fact, it just made it better, as you can see below.
I never felt so lucky to be a photographer after this unforgettably perfect day in Yates County.
I gravitate toward establishments with personality, many of which are slightly off the beaten path. In this case, however, I was delighted that Yeats Lodge was just off the main north-south motorway, because Yeats's grave was just a mile a way. In addition the sea coast, my attraction to this part of Sligo was its fame as "Yeats Country," as the poet is closely identified with the area around Drumcliff.
As an English major in college, William Butler Yates became one of my three favorite poets, and I completed many papers on his poetry. He wrote with such precision, and his poetic illusions have always painted word pictures for me. So I knew that seeing at least some of the places from which he gained inspiration would be a special treat.
We began our trip through Yates Country at the nearby church where he is buried: Drumcliff Church. (St. Columba's Parish Church, Church of Ireland), where his great-grandfather had served as Rector. Yates spent much of his childhood with his mother's family in Sligo, where he explored the land and learned folk tales. The Celtic cross, shown below, greets you at the churchyard. It was part of the original monastery and is presumed to be from the 11th century.
The country church and graveyard is lovely and tranquil, surrounded by the visually stunning mountains that Yeats so often reference in his work. It was a beautiful Indian summer day, so we lingered for a time just soaking up the beauty of this quiet setting.
Back at the Yates Lodge we stayed in the "Ben Bulben Room," aptly named because it had a view of the massive "Table Mountain," one of Ireland's most beautiful mountains. Its distinctive outline results from different responses to erosion of the limestone and shale of which the mountain is formed.
Ben Bulben simply dominates the landscape from all directions, and it is fascinating to watch the mountain face change as the light comes and goes with the movement of cloud formations.
You can even see Ben Bulben in the mist of this image that we took as we explored the coastal area around Drumcliff.
Next, we turned inland to head east where we could explore the road that lies at the base of Ben Bulben. There we saw picturesque cottages . . .
. . . and grand country homes.
All along the way, we saw beautiful vistas that helped to explain how this rich visual environment informed the imagery of Yeats's poetry.
Finally we arrived at Glencar Lake, one of Yates's favorite locales.
As we were driving along the edge of the lake, I caught sight of a swan.
Fortunately I had some crackers, so I quickly attracted him and eventually his mate.
As we were heading back to the lodge, a rain shower blew in. But it did not spoil our day. In fact, it just made it better, as you can see below.
I never felt so lucky to be a photographer after this unforgettably perfect day in Yates County.