European Literary
Trails
Director:
Professor Jolanta W. Wawrzycka
Jenny Cline's Web Site 2003
Galway, Ireland
Journal Entry: Wednesday May 14, 2003
The Weather was sunny yesterday and today as well.
Which is why we decided to go to Thoor Ballylee and Coole Park before we get a
real taste of Ireland's famous rainy weather. We didn't get to go
inside Thoor Ballylee which was disappointing. I really wanted to go
inside to get a clear sense of what it was about this summer home that inspired
Yeats to write "The Winding Stair" and "The Tower Poems".
In doing research I came across a website that had some information about Thoor
Ballylee and I found this quote from a letter that Yeats wrote to Olivia
Shakespeare interesting: "We are in our Tower and I am writing poetry as I
always do here, and, as always happens, no matter how I begin, it becomes love
poetry before I am finished with it"
(Thoor
Ballylee Article)
Left: Thoor Ballylee
Right: W.B Yeats' poetry on a plaque that adorns Thoor Ballylee's outer walls.
The Plaque Reads:
, the poet William Yeats, With old mill boards and sea-green slates, And smithy work from the Gort forge, Restored this tower for my wife George; And may these characters remain When all is ruin once again.I
The Pictures Below from Left to Right: Me, Alison, and Bliss standing in the bushes that Lady Gregory built for her grandchildren to play in. Bliss and Alison making their way down the shady path that leads to the 59 swans at Coole Lake. Me, writing away on a rock in front of cool lake. Panoramic view of Coole Lake.
The Wild Swans At Coole (Click to Read Yeats' Poem)
(Same Entry Cont.) It's so peaceful here in Coole Park. The only sounds you can here are those that nature has provided such as the birds and their cheery tunes. I can tell why Yeats loved to retreat to this park and why it was such an inspirational setting for his writing. Just sitting here on this rock I feel like I could write forever. I never saw any swans at Coole Lake but Kelin is swan crazy and I'm sure she didn't leave the Lake without finding those 59 swans that Yeats wrote about....click here to look at Kelin's swan picture collection (bottom page).
Below: A Picture of the bedroom
Nora Barnacle's home.
(Same Entry Cont.) Before venturing off to Thoor Ballylee and Coole Park we walked through the cobblestone streets of downtown Galway to visit Nora Barnacle's home. Nora and James Joyce have an amazing love story. To hear how Joyce avidly pursued her and how she stood him up was amusing. It's amazing to think that Nora lived in this tiny house with many other family members!! YIKES! No wonder she ran away....
Right: Some of the group checking out
Nora and James Joyce memorabilia that hang
downstairs of her two room flat.
Aran Islands
Journal Entry: May 16, 2003 Today we took a boat
ride out to the Aran Islands. I was afraid that I was going to get sea
sick on the boat but instead the boat floating over the gentles waves put me to
sleep. Their are three Islands that make up the Aran Islands:
Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer. We visited the main island of
Inishmore. I've never seen so much rock in all my life. The entire
island is a huge grid made up of stone fences. It truly is an unbelievable
sight. We drove around the entire island and visited one of the Seven
Churches (a monastic settlement dedicated to St. Brecan) and Dun Aonghasa.
Dun Aonghasa is an incredible fort that dates back to the bronze or Iron age.
It's semi-circular walls still stand today. The history of Dun Aonghasa is
a mystery. Their are many different theories on its purpose. Some
think it could be a military fort while others believe it to have been used as a
ceremonial theater. 
Top
Left: View Walking Back from Dun Aonghasa.
Top Right: Alison Walking Towards Dun Aonghasa...you can see it on top of the hill.
Bottom Left: Alison and Eric standing in the entrance to Dun Aonghasa.
Bottom Right: Crazy Deanna trying to get the best shot possible off the cliffs of Dun Aonghasa while risking her life.
Journal Entry: May 15, 2003
Today we went shopping around Galway. While we were shopping in the rain Alison and I stopped inside this little cafe to have Bailey's hot chocolate. I don't want to leave Galway...It has been a blast! Tonight we're going to celebrate Lindsey's 21st birthday at Quay Street Restaurant. Jolanta swears by this place so I'm sure that its got some amazing food.
Above Left : Lindsey's Bday at Quay Street Restaurant wearing the light up soccer ball head band we gave her.
Above Right: Standing inside The Quays Pub. Every time we would go into a pub I would swear that it was cooler than the last. You would walk into these places and there would be a tiny bar in the front but then you walk further back and they open up into massive bars. They're so pretty and they have a lot of history behind them. No bar in America can compare to an Irish pub.
Left: My favorite picture of the Galway. I fell in love with the brightly painted store fronts and the cobblestone streets.