Day 4, A Travelogue of Christmas in Ireland, December 2005

Christmas in Ireland Tour, 2005

Day 4 - Into the legendary land of poets and faeries

Sunday, December 4, 2005

Itinerary: Stopped at Killary Fjord in Leenane, Left Galway and drove across Mayo under the shadow of Croagh Patrick, Ireland's most holy mountain, stopped off at the Christmas Craft Fair in Foxtown, drove into Co. Sligo and decided against the Sea Kelp Baths at Enniscrone, visited Parke's Castle on Lough Gill in Co. Leitrim. Stayed at DUNFORE FARMHOUSE, Ballinful, Co. Sligo (04-05 Dec) with Ita and Michael Leyden. Dinner: Yeat's Tavern, Drumcliff.

We left Mary and Pat Rattigan after a large Irish breakfast and drive to our next destination. We drove northeast across the Connemara and into Co. Mayo. Along the way, we stopped at Killary Fjord in Leenane. This is the only fjord in Ireland. Much of the film "The Field" was shot in and around Leenane. As we drove across Mayo, we were in the shadow of Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holiest mountain. Pilgrims climb this mountain each year carrying candles and praying; some make the pilgrimage barefooted. As we drove through Foxtown, we noticed signs for a Holiday Craft Fair. We made a stop and purchased some homemade Christmas gifts before continuing our northward journey. As we left the fair, we bought some nettles cheese. It is made from stinging nettles. It is only made from the tip of the nettles and it ground up. It was very good and we never found it again.

We drove along the southern shore of Sligo Bay to Inishcrone. The group decided against a stop at the hot Atlantic water and sea kelp baths. As we neared Sligo Town, we were under the shadow of Knocknarea. This great mountain is centerpiece of one of the greatest megalithic tomb complexes in Europe. The landscape around the mountain is dotted with megalithic tombs, mostly portal tombs. The cairn atop the mountain is believed to house a passage tomb where Maeve, legendary Queen of Connaught and Queen of the Faeries, is said to be buried.

We stopped at Parkes Castle on the edge of Lough Gill to the west of Sligo. On this drive we were overshadowed by Ben Bulben, a mountain made famous in the poetry of Nobel laureate William Butler Yeats. Since it was the off season, the castle was closed, but we walked around the outside. It is being restored and repaired and has scaffolding on one side.

Dunfore Farmhouse was our home for the next two days. Ita (who says to remember her name by saying "eat a lot for breakfast") is our hostess. This farm has a view of a large valley with the mountains in the background, and the ocean to the side. The rooms each have a private bath. The sitting room has a large fireplace, grand piano, several couches, and overstuffed chairs.

For supper we went to the Yeats Tavern near Drumcliff. In the evening Ita entertained us with poetry and song. Some of it was Yeats' poetry, since we would be visiting sites mentioned in his poems. She also recited some cute ditties about guests who did not speak English and have communication problems and some satires about Irish immigration laws.

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