A YEATS EXPERIENCE IN NORTHWEST IRELAND

VIEW OF LOUGH GILL FROM THE BROC HOUSE

Last May, we had lunch at a contemporary home that was built on a hill overlooking Lough Gill in Sligo County on the northwest coast of Ireland. The picturesque lough (Gaelic word for lake), surrounded by woodlands, is five miles long and one mile wide. The surrounding landscape looks much as it did 150 years ago when William Butler Yeats frequented the area to spend time with his grandparents. 

As we drove up the tree-lined driveway to the Broc House, we were greeted by Damien Brennan and his wife, Paula Gilvarry. They welcomed us into their home. We enjoyed looking at Damien's collection of Irish paintings, and the spectacular view of the Lough Gill through the floor-to-ceiling dining room windows. We also stepped outside to see the lush green landscape and to hear a story about the hens that provide them with fresh eggs daily. Damien's maternal family ancestors have lived and farmed on this property since the early 19^th century.

MICHAEL BRENNAN IN  KITCHEN

We were here to dine and to learn about William Butler Yeats from Sligo's local authority and President of the Sligo Yeats Society, Damien Brennan. With a love for all things Yeats, he has chosen to share his passion and knowledge with visitors from all over the world as they pass through Sligo—often referred to as Yeats country. Lough Gill and Sligo county were the inspiration for many of Yeats famous writings making it a perfect setting for a Yeats Experience. 

IRISH LUNCHEON 

Damien read to us on several occasions throughout the leisurely lunch that we shared with a tour group from the US. He was reading from a rather well-used Complete Works of W.B. Yeats. This old classic book appeared a bit worn and crumpled. I would guess that he could quote much of it from memory. As he explains it, he has a passion for Yeats and enjoys sharing it with others. His hope is that guests will leave with a desire to pick up a book about Yeats and learn more about him. Yeats was born in Dublin and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. 

There are 20 islands on Lough Gill, however, the most well-known is the Island of Innisfree—the subject of one of Yeats most popular poems. It was written in 1888 while he was in London and at a time when he was wishing to escape the city to the countryside. Although I find it difficult to understand much of his writings, I do appreciate this poem about Innisfree. Perhaps, because as a youth I also longed to leave the city and spend time at my parent's lake cabin whenever possible. 

"The Lake Isle of Innisfree"

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade. 

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow.
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings,
There midnights all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow.
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day,
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
                                W.B. Yeats, 1865-1939

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We first heard about the Yeats Experience on the PBS series: Samantha Brown's Places to Love - Ireland's Northwest Coast. Samantha interviewed Damien at the Broc House. It was so interesting that I sent him an email requesting a reservation for the one day we would be in the area—this was many months before our arrival. He responded immediately and said that he had a tour group scheduled for lunch on that day and that we could join them. We were delighted. It was one of the highlights of our month in Ireland. (Damien later told us that when Samantha arrived for the story she was accompanied by a large camera crew of seven and a drone that was equipped with a camera.) 

The Broc House is about five miles from Sligo. Taxi from Sligo is 10E.

Related Posts: A Vintage Walk in Dingle - July 14, 2018
                        Stone Fences & Walls of Ireland - June 27, 2018
                        Ireland: Nine Reason to Return - June 14, 2018

                     

BROC HOUSE SLIGO COUNTY IRELAND

2018 TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW IN SANDIEGO--JANUARY 13-14

Travel & Adventure shows are the #1 series of travel shows in the U.S. They are held in eight separate locations throughout the country from January through March. The first show of 2018 was held in San Diego on January 13-14.

With over 140 exhibits, four stages, dance performances, and cooking presentations, deciding where to spend my time is always a challenge. However, since I enjoy hearing travel stories almost as much as I love to travel, I head for the travel theater to listen to travel stars like Samantha Brown, Peter Greenberg, Rudy Maxa, and Patricia Schultz share their adventures and expertise. 

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SamanthaBrown has always been one of the most popular speakers, and this year was no exception. She's been hosting television travel shows for over 15 years and recently launched her own public television series, Places to Love. The series of ten half-hour episodes feature places throughout the world, with the goal of getting to know the places directly from the people who live there and know it best. Samantha has the wonderful ability to make travel look fun and make the art of conversation look easy.

If the programs are not available in your viewing area, you can download the PBS app and watch them anytime for free. I just now signed up for the app and spent 30 enjoyable minutes with “Samantha Brown in Bern, Switzerland”—I couldn't recommend her show more highly. The next episode takes place in Brooklyn, NY, it should be good because that's where she currently hails from.

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RUDY MAXA

Rudy Maxa, travel expert, writer, and television personality, has produced 85 travel shows for public television. He is producer of the popular weekly radio program, Rudy Maxa's World with the Carey's.

As usual, he had some words of wisdom to share with the audience:

--If you want to go somewhere, set the date and work your schedule  around it—or it just won't happen.

--Engage with the locals more. A few suggested websites: are Eatwith.com, Mealsharing.com, and Travelingspoon.com.

        

--Every place can be discovered—it can also become your next favorite place.

--Travel in your own hometown.

Then, a few interesting facts: the average American takes 3.8 days of vacation per year; the first commercial jet air flight was in 1952; the Milestone Motel in San Luis Obispo, California, opened in 1925—it was the first motel in the world. At that time, you could rent a two-bedroom bungalow with a kitchen for $1.25 a night. It closed in 1991, however, you can still see part of the original structure if you are driving along Hwy 101 halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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PeterGreenberg, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and CBS News Travel Editor, travels 420,000 miles a year. Of the many programs he has produced for public television, a favorite is The Royal Tour. In this series, he does one-on-one journeys through countries with their heads of state.

Here are his predictions for the most popular travel destinations of 2018:

Portugal with its a high standard of living at a low cost. TAP, the Portugal airlines, MM allows for free five-day layovers in Portugal before flying on to your final destination.

Malta, a southern European island country is also on the list. Only a two-hour flight from Rome—offering a warm climate, great food, historical monuments, and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Valletta, the Megalithic Temples of Malta, and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum (underground cemetery).

Baja California, Mexico, is well known for its hundreds of miles of coastline, however, the hidden secret is a great wine. Wine tours have become popular and Baja now exports 75% of its wine to France.

The Faroe Islands, halfway between Iceland and Norway, are best visited in the summer when there are 22 hours of daylight. It consists of 18 islands and many are connected by underground tunnel roads.

Chile is another popular destination. A place of natural beauty with mountains, a coastline, national parks, forests, and lakes to enjoy.

Detroit, Michigan, the motor city, is making a comeback due to its restoration of buildings, parks, and restaurants along the riverfront.

York, Pennsylvania, is considered a good place to learn about American history while enjoying great food. It's also known as the factory tour capital of the world. It sounds like a great place for a family vacation.

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Just one last thing: I didn't spend my entire time at the travel theater. I also stopped to visit Eli the camel and took advantage of the free camel ride that is provided to all visitors at the Travel & Adventure show. I guess that qualifies me for a three-day camel safari ride.                                                                                               

PATRICIA SCHULTZ 

1,000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE