The Wayfarer

The night before Patrick Pearse was to be executed for his part in the Easter rising, and the rebellion against British rule in Ireland, he wrote some very moving pieces including the poem The Wayfarer. I couldn't imagine sitting in a jail cell awaiting your eminent death because you fought for your country and it's people.
The Wayfarer has a since of sorrow to it. Pearse reflects on the beautiful little things in life that he knows he will miss when he dies. The poem is a reminder to appreciate the simple things in life because they could all disappear. I'm sure Pearse wishes he had more time to continue appreciating the place he lives and the people around him. The message the Wayfarer obtains seems loud and clear to me and is a wonderful piece of work.

"The Lake Isle of Innisfree"

W.B. Yeates is one of the most famous Irish writers. This particular poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" was written in 1888 when Yeates was only twenty-three years old. He talks about going to a lake in Innisfree which is a town in county Sligo on the west coast or Ireland. The narrator wants to build a cabin there and grow beans. It sounds so peaceful to live alone in the Irish country side. The narrator appreciates the small things because he does not have them. He is stuck in the city rather than in the country where he would love to reside. From this poem I see the idea of noticing the small things because they may not always be there.

Boadicea

The strength and right of Celtic woman long ago was incredible. In times when in other places women were though of as property and their sole purpose was to serve men, Celtic nations had female leaders like Boadicea. Boadicea was the queen of the Iceni Tribe who lived under Roman rule peacefully until her husbands death. The corrupt ,male, Roman leaders decided to take advantage of the tribe she protested and was beaten and forced to watch her daughters being raped. But, Boadicea would not back down and she staged an uprising against the devilish Romans who had hurt her tribe and family. Unfortunately, the battle ended in her death along with many others in the tribe. I'm sure that they died with honor fighting for what they believed in under a strong leader, their queen Boadicea.

Bealtaine

I read a poem called Bealtaine from Kate Delahunty's Verses from Ireland and wanted to learn more about the holiday in the poem's subject. To understand the word's meaning -taine means "fire" and usually is referred to as the ancient custom of purifying cattle the eve of the holiday by driving them between two bonfires. In old, Druid Ireland this holiday would have been held at the beginning of summer and in the poem they say it is held on the first of May. The poem informs that the holiday included dancing and feasts as many holidays do. This ancient, mystical holiday must have been very exciting for all who participated in it.

The Walworth Farce

On Saturday night I attended the play Druid Ireland The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh. I am no theater critic but I will try to give you a little incite on what I got from the play. Basically the story is about a father who has gone crazy with guilt and his two sons. The family lived in Cork Ireland but when the father kills his brother and sister in law he fleas to London with the two boys, leaving his wife. When the boys ask why they moved the father comes up with a story to cover up the truth and makes the boys reenact the story every day so that the brother who saw what really happened with not realize the truth. Although the play is funny as most Irish stories are, it digs into some very serious topics like murder, abuse, and insanity. The brother who is allowed to go to the store everyday ends up meeting a girl and she comes to give him his groceries when he grabs the wrong bag. The father is furious and locks her in the house, forcing her to become a part in the play. The son feels so terrible and wants her to be freed so he begs his brother for help. The other brother ends up stabbing their father then makes his brother kill him. The girl escapes but the brother is so mentally unstable that he can't leave. He has a break down and stays in the house where he was never able to leave. The play didn't have too much to do with Ireland except for the Irish tunes played, the accents, and the dream to return to the emerald isle. There was humor in the seriousness which is a huge part of Irish literature. The play was sad, humorous, fast paced, and interesting. So if you have a chance to see The Walworth Farce I would recommend it.

Irish Ghost Story

Irish stories are known to have a lot of humor. Here is a story from my friend Taryn.

This story happened a while ago in Dublin , and even though it sounds
like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it's true.

John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road

hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a big storm. The

night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he
could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.

Suddenly, he saw a car slowly coming towards him and stopped.

John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the

car and closed the door.... only to realize there was nobody behind the

wheel and the engine wasn't on.

The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a

curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life.

Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared out of nowhere

through the window, and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror,

watched as the hand came through the window, but never touched or
harmed him.

Shortly thereafter, John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road,
so, gathering strength, he jumped out of the car and ran to it.

Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody

about the horrible experience he had just had.

A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying...
and
wasn't drunk.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two other people walked in from the dark

and stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath.

Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said
to
the other.....


'Look Paddy.....

there's that idiot that got in the car while we were
pushing it!!!!'

Banshee

A scarier Irish character is a banshee. A banshee is a spirit that is always a woman. Seeing a banshee in your home is supposed to mean that someone is about to die! They can take many different female forms, ugly, beautiful, warrior, peasant ext. But no matter what they look like they always sing a sad sad song for all to hear. But its said that banshees only come for major Irish families. But just in case I hope I don't hear any mysterious cries in the night....