1) Castles – With the Ulster Plantation  in the 17th century there were many buildings with the ‘castle’ appellation built in the county.  If it is ruins that you find romantic you should take a gander at Monea, which dates from around 1616.

The military garrison Enniskillen Castle, sometimes also known as the watergate, presides over the county town and is now a museum with a full programme of events year round.

But if you have ever had a hankering after Mr. Darcy than Castle Coole, a Regency palace finished in in 1798, is everything your romantic imagination could conjure.  It is a National Trust property on the outskirts of Enniskillen.

Photo  above left is of one of the trees in the Coole House Arboretum.

2) Early Christian Relicts – With Lough Erne as the main thoroughfare through the region from early Christian throughout the medieval period there is a wealth of  Celtic spiritual past to peruse.   Boa Island is the home of a Janus figure and ‘The Lusty Man’ removed here from nearby Lustybeg. These are more likely from the early Christian period when both the pagan and Christian paths intersected.  Boa Island takes its name from the Irish goddess Babdh, who was one of the warrior goddesses The Morrigan.

The photo of the Janus figure, right, is by Gareth McCormack Photography.

Boa Island is really more a peninsula. You need an actual boat to get to see the stone carvings  of characters from the Romanesque period on White Island.  Many people refer to one of these figures as a Sheela-na-gig.  Actually, this grinning female figure has a demurely draped breast and does not display her yoni. So to be truthful this is the Fermanagh Sheela-na-gig that isn’t one since she is neither bare of breast or displaying her genitalia.  She is probably of a similar period.  The Sheela-na-gigs are early Christian carvings although they seem to our modern eyes to harken to a pagan past.

3) Natural History – With its limestone geology Fermanagh hosts a network of underground caverns.   You can tour one of these caves at the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark near Florencecourt.  The Marlbank Scenic Drive climbs high up Cuilcagh giving breathtaking view of the county.  Or you can get some exercise by walking up to the caves via Claddagh Glen, a wet ash woodland with waterfalls and a fast running river.

4) Holy Wells – The most famous of Fermanagh’s curing waters (and reputedly the coldest!) is in Belcoo. St. Patrick’s Well is immaculately maintained and reputedly has the cure for stomach and nervous complaints.  The ritual pattern of prayers is still celebrated in July on Garland Sunday and unbroken tradition honouring sacred water from pre-Christian times.

St. Ninndh’s Well is located in Derrylin on the south west corner of Upper Lough Erne close by the lakeshore.  St. Ninndh was a sixth century saint who reputedly visited St. Brigit on her deathbed.

The photo below right was taken at St. Patrick’s Holywell near Belcoo.

  5) Ancient Sites -  Drumskinny Stone Circle is a 39 stone Bronze Age complex that dates from around 2,500 years ago. Located near Kesh, the stone on the grassy mound aligns with sun rise on winter solstice.

The Aghanaglack Dual Court Tomb is located not far from St. Patrick’s Holy Well, Belcoo.  It can be found down a forestry track. The court cairn excavation revealed the cremated remains of a child, red deer and the teeth of pig, pottery, flint tools and weapons from the late neolithic period. Just east from here is the Belmore Mountain Passage Cairn on the mountain road from Boho. Newgrange is the  most famous but not the only Passage Tomb. It is considered to be early Bronze Age and the National Museum in Dublin displays some of this passage cairn’s grave goods.

6) Clan Maguire Country – Fermanagh, as well as Cavan, were inhabited by the Maguire clan who have leant their name to towns like Maguiresbridge.  The border country close to Derrylin and Lisnakea  and the mountain Benaghlin are especially associated with the Maguire chieftains. Routinely, there are festivals that celebrate the associations this ancient Gaelic clan had with this county.

7) The Ardhowen Theatre – Ireland has many regional theatres and Fermanagh’s, located just east of Enniskillen town centre, was opened in 1986.  The theatre was created as an addition to the McDonagh family’s Edwardian home and hosts a year round programme.  Unlike many of Ireland’s regional theatres, you can actually putter up with your cruiser and moor on the Ardhowen’s jetty before show time.

Of course, May is also the time when the hawthorn is blossoming. The apples are blossoming. So are the cuckoo flowers, bog cotton. Everything is bursting with liveliness. The swallows have returned and the cuckoo has made its journey from sub-Saharan Africa to pinch a place in another bird’s nest so another species can get on with foster parenting their young. The beautiful Irish countryside is bursting with an array of species.   In the Celtic tree calendar the two trees associated with May are willow and hawthorn, both of whom are bursting into blossom and leaf at this time of year.

The old custom was to leave some yellow flowers on the doorstep on May morning. Well, the gorse is in bloom, as are the primroses,  buttercups, dandelions, cistus, daisies. Well there’s no shortage of yellow flowers.  Sometimes hawthorn blossom was laid at the doorstep. But beware! It is considered very bad luck to bring hawthorn into the house.

For nature and garden lovers there may be an irresistible urge to visit county Wicklow.  The month of May sees a series of gardens open to the public. With thirty-three to choose from in each part of the county you also have the added incentive to visit those open on weekdays when the crowds will be thinner.

Since Armagh is the Orchard County it is appropriate that they host an Apple Blossom festival each May. The festivities centre around the Manor Estate and Country Park in Loughall, Co. Armagh.

There is always a bank holiday, or long weekend, on the first weekend of May and the summer festival season starts off in earnest.

In the old Celtic way of living Bealtaine was considered a fire festival. Cattle were driven between two bonfires; the smoke was thought to purify the animals – probably from those parasitic hangers-on.  The Fesival of Fires at Uisneath in Westmeath has literally rekindled the old custom of burning the Bealtaine bonfires.  This festival is self-defined as “Burning Man meets Braveheart!” It is part medieval reconstruction event, part music festival and much, much more.  But the Bealtaine bonfires will blaze for sure.

May Bank Holiday weekend  sees the an international poetry festival in Strokestown, Roscommon as well as the literary Heinrich Boll Memorial weekend over in Achill Island in Mayo.  The first weekend in May is a bank holiday and with the long weekend everyone likes to get out and about.  Arts events are happening in Drogheda, Belfast, Dingle in Kerry and Rosscarbery in Cork over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

In Leitrim the Wise Woman Weekend in Dromahair is celebrating its eighth year.  This weekend that coincides with the Bealtaine full  moon offers a range of workshops – craft, music, song, dance and more- open to women. The 2012 theme is “Growing Deeper” and will be held 25th-27th May.

Although in the Celtic tradition Bealtaine is seen as a fertility festival when the earth is flaunting its fecundity, in modern Ireland it has become associated with its older citizens.  Many local communities host events for those in active age.  This slight conundrum may be resolved when you know that there is a Celtic tradition that associates the dew supped from Lady’s Mantle at May full moon offers rebirth and eternal youth. Or at least a youthful outlook on life. Counties Sligo, Westmeath and Laois and just some examples of regions who are running programmes and events during the month of May to celebrate creativity in ‘old age.’

If you really ARE youthful and looking for some active outdoor fun then Toddsleap near Omagh, Co. Tyrone is hosting a Family Fun Day over the Bank Holiday weekend that gives you a chance your arm with archery or on a zipline.  Northern Ireland is also hosting a Course Fishing Festival in Enniskillen, the heart of the Fermanagh lakelands, is running from 30th April to 4th May.

Almost every locality will be having some sort of festival to celebrate what is unique about the geography, history and heritage of where they live.  If you are rambling around Ireland during the month of May it is bound to be merry.  Bealtaine is definitely a blast!

Many of this blog’s readers are interested in the holy wells of Ireland. There are many in varying states of repair and disarray.  Only this past weekend some friends on a Bards in the Woods walk  near Knockvicar in County Roscommon cleaned out a holy well that had silted up.   Anyone preparing a trip to Ireland needs to make sure that these indigenous relics of Celtic spirituality are on their itinerary.

If a holy well runs dry for reasons that can vary between changes of water course or engineering works, the healing spirit that holds the well’s cure moves to the nearest tree.

The folk belief that the cure of a dry well is transferred to the nearest tree harkens back to the seven sacred chieftain trees of Ireland.  These are oak, pine, yew, hazel, ash, holly and apple.  However, the tree most often seen near holy wells and used as the clootie tree is the hawthorn.  Along with oak, hawthorn is considered the preferred tree of the fairies.  Since holy wells spring from deep inside the earth, the homeland of the faerie, they are also places where you may be lucky enough to contact these earth spirits.

It’s also usual to see  offerings at holy wells. The bits of fabric, ribbons, rosary beads are known as clooties and it is a familiar site to see these at some holy wells.  However, in some localities the local priest has banned this practice even though the ‘pattern’ of prayers for a cure is still alive and well and usually done either the last Sunday in July or near the feast of Mary, Jesus’ mother’s ascension.

If you see  the word ‘Tobar’ on a map then you will know that there is a holy well there. This is the Irish word for well.  This sign translates as ‘Mary’s Well.’ My 100 year old neighbour tells me that there was a very old story that Our Lady appeared here many, many years ago.

St. Brigit is associated with holy wells and many are dedicated to her. However, any spring with a ‘cure for the eye’ or inspiring visions is under her matronage.

If you are preparing for a trip to Ireland then you need to include a visit to a holy well – or indeed many holy wells for they are so varied and individual in each locality – that you may want to do a bit of research in advance.  I’ve chosen a few of the best  as well as some favourites on the Celtic beliefs surrounding trees.

So Yes, you can really earn your Light Carbon Footprint badge using public transport. Using public transport in Ireland is also a way of seeing Ireland as an ecotourism destination.

You do need to wear waterproof outerwear and footwear because there will be times when you can only access some of the really interesting places by foot.  If you are happy on a bike then also look into bike hire in places that you will visit. Also pack light as you will probably be wheeling, lugging or backpacking over a fair amount of distance. So consider your back’s health. I took a  Redmond 40 litre rucksack for a one week trip. Allow for the inevitable books, gifts, CDs you will accumulate enroute. Leave some empty space in other words.

For instance, my enquirer would like to visit the Cavan Burren, which has many megalithic monuments. Now there is a wonderful opportunity to get guided bus tours during the Cathal Buí Festival week, in 2012 from 27th June to 2nd July.  But outside of that festival you can still get a bus to Blacklion. While the Burren is a good six kilometres uphill and away someone who is happy to bicycle could enquire about bike hire in the Tourist information office. Otherwise it is a hike, but a taxi could fetch you home. Or your B&B proprietor would most likely see your right.

As I said, not impossible, but tricky.  You cannot be shy about asking questions. Be clear where you would like to visit and then ask locals to help you figure out those logistics.

I do not have a full driver’s license and just over ten years ago when we were contemplating a move to rural Ireland I did a solo trip to see if it was possible to get around using just public transport. With the generous assistance of some B&B owners who gave me lifts to bus stops to make connections that didn’t work to plan, it did work out.

I did it by bus because there was an absolute steal of deal through Eurolines from England(where we were living at that time)  to Dublin. All roads and transport links lead to Dublin so, bleary eyed from the over night ferry, I traveled onwards to Limerick where I fell comatose into my hostel bed and slept thirteen hours.

The bus services in Ireland are remarkably prompt. I encountered only one delay on my trip when some prankster had let a goat into the bus in Scariff overnight. The driver’s seat had been eaten.  But even this amounted only to about a half hour delay while we waited for the replacement bus to arrive. You do need to be aware though that on Sundays and Bank Holidays (public holidays) the buses are fewer and farther between.

Since I am older now and not so lithe and limber of limb, I’d choose to take the train as my first preference.  Whenever I return from transatlantic flights I take the early train to Sligo to get me to my bed in the shortest time. However, my outgoing journey to the airport is usually by bus. Bus Éireann is cheaper than Iaonród Éireann but if you combine the best of both you should be able to get around. Buses will take you deeper into the rural areas. Once in the very rural areas you may need to resort to kindly B&B proprietors, bicycle hire or shoe leather.

Irish Rail has a few options to suit the tourist. Check the prices, which will alter but there are three tickets for travelers around Ireland.The 4 Day Trekker Ticket is valid for 4 consecutive days and can be used on all Irish Rail Services.Useful for a short stay with brief hops between towns outlying Dublin.

The Irish Rover Rail ticket seems a better deal for transatlantic visitors who would like to see a number of destinations or sites over a two week period. This ticket is valid  for 5 days of travel out of 15 consecutive days.  It can be used on all Irish Rail Services including all Northern Ireland Railways services, which could allow you to take in Belfast, the Antrim coastal towns and Derry.  With this option plus local bus you could conceivably see the Giant’s Causeway. Be aware that the timetables for the North of Ireland will be through Translink rather than on the Bus Éireann timetables.

If you are seriously wanting to get out into the countryside then you may want to spring for the Irish Explorer Rail and Bus ticket.  This option is valid 8 days of travel out of 15 consecutive days and includes all Irish Rail Services and all Bus Éireann services.

If you have a bit of time you may get more bang for your buck by just using the tourist bus tickets available from Bus Éireann.  They have an Open Road Ticket which is completely flexible in terms of length of time it will be valid. You choose your first and last  travel dates. This is valid in the Republic only.  If you want to include Northern Ireland on your itinerary then you probably should opt for the Irish Rover Ticket.

Depending on how long you will be touring, bear in mind that trains allow more leg room and opportunities to stretch your legs and wander around. But the buses will allow you to see more of the countryside on their routes.

On my trek those many years ago I was able to bus from Dublin to Limerick, Limerick to Mountshannon. My kind B&B proprietor, Mr. Waterstone, gave me a lift to Scariff on the morning that I went to Liscannor, via Limerick and some tourist time out in Ennis en route.   I did a fair amount of walking that week in the Mountshannon area and it was a few miles hike to the Cliffs of Moher from my Liscannor B&B but I was prepared for wet weather and had good hiking boots. I was offered lifts and those that I accepted proved completely harmless but hitching lifts on your own in unknown territory is never a good idea.

You may want to have a smart phone and buy an Irish pay as you go SIM card while traveling so you can access the internet and check bus and train timetables. Depending on the area where you travel you will have to gauge which provider to use. Vodaphone is strong in rural areas. O2 seems to be popular in built up areas.  Meteor is getting better in rural coverage. Ask at the shop, tell them where you intend to tour and enquire about the coverage in the areas you will visit.

So, once you know where you want to go and what you want to see, start perusing the online bus and train timetables to figure how you can pack it all in to one very eco-friendly itinerary.   Traveling by public transport is slower, but you will meet people, chat, see a great deal of the countryside from your window. You can be independent but also secure as a lone woman traveler.  And that lone woman trekker can walk lightly leaving less of a carbon footprint if she uses public transport.

So here are my top seven suggestions for things to see and do in Ireland.

1) Go fairy hunting on Slieve Anieran

This mountain ranges along the R207 between Drumshambo and Ballinagleragh with dramatic views of Lough Allen.  Drive carefully over the minute track between Ballinamore and Ballinagleragh to the top of the mountain.  The Leitrim Way will lead you up to a Mass Rock, where Catholics heard mass said during the days when practicing that faith was illegal.

2) Visit a Holy Well and Sweat House

Along the R207 at the foot of Slieve Anieran near the Lough Allen Adventure Centre is a sign leading to St. Aodh’s Holy Well.  Holy wells are well maintained through out Ireland; holy wells are an atavism of the old Celtic spiritual reverence of nature, water in particular being regarded as sacred. Wells were venerated not just as having cures but also, coming underground, as being thin places or portals between this world and the spiritual world.

Leitrim and West Cavan are distinctive in having many examples of sweat houses. These were Irish country saunas.  Turf was lit in the tiny stone structures and kept going for five house.  The embers were raked and then wet rushes were put on top to create the steam.   The Ballinagleragh Sweat House is interesting as there is a stream where you could plunge after your steam.  Folklore says that they were used for arthritis, rheumatism and fever cures. But given Ireland’s climate why are they not wider spread throughout the island? Is this another gift that the Tuatha de Danaan brought with them and the tradition remained strong in the de Danaan homeplace?

3) The Costello Chapel in Carrick on Shannon

Reputedly the second smallest chapel in the world and certainly the smallest one in Ireland this minute place of worship was built as one Irishman’s Taj Mahal to a beloved wife. The gentleman who commissioned this chapel is laid to rest beside his wife, although outliving her by decades.  A curiosity in terms of Victorian era monument making it is an interesting neo-Gothic piece of architecture.

The chapel is on the corner of Leitrim’s county town’s Main Street where it intersects Bridge Street, opposite the Market Yard where there is one of Ireland’s best Farmer’s Markets each Thursday.

4) Take to the Boats!

There is fine fishing in Lough Allen and the other lakes in the centre of the county. However, if angling is not your sport you can hire a narrowboat and putter along the Shannon Erne Waterway, exploring the stops along the network of canal locks until you enter Lough Erne in County Fermanagh. Ballinamore is a good base for narrowboat adventures.

But if you don’t have a week or even a weekend for slow travel you may fancy a shorter jaunt on the water.  Carrick on Shannon’s Moon River Boat hosts many events during the high season.  If you are a lover of Yeat’s poetry you may want to visit Parkes Castle and take a trip out to the Isle of Innisfree in Lough Gill, which inspired Yeats’ poem of that name.

5) Glencar Waterfalls and Lake

While on the subject of William Butler Lake’s it is worth mentioning another beauty spot that inspired his poem “The Stolen Child.” Up at the tip of North Leitrim close to the Sligo boundary is Glencar Waterfall.  This peaceful spot is accessed from a turn off the N16 between Manorhamilton and Sligo.  It is also a good fairy hunting spot so be sure to bring a little offering for the fairies and they may show themselves. Remember, they like chocolate! And shiny things like coins, but please do not toss coins into the the stream.

6) The Organic Centre

One comment I’ve heard about this garden is that it is always changing and evolving. A major training centre in Ireland promoting organic and sustainable living, the Organic Centre has polytunnels, orchard, willow nursery and woodland to explore. It’s distinctive grass roof and reed bed system shows that it walks its talk.  Weekend courses are run year round and there is a shop where you can buy seeds, books and other useful garden equipment.  A nursery provides vegetable, herb, shrub and flower plant stock, too.

7) The Séan Mac Diarmuida Memorial Cottage

Irish history lovers will not want to miss this historical monument to one of the 1916 signatories of Ireland’s Declaration of Independence. A native of Kiltyclogher, the family homeplace of Séan McDermott (or Mac Diarmuida) is now a small museum.  You can find this by turning right off the N16 at the Rainbow Ballroom of Romance.  There is a left hand turning posted on this road traveling through Glenfarne, one of Leitrim’s Seven Glens, towards Kiltyclogher.   There is also a memorial in the centre of the village to their local hero.

There are many more things to see and do in Lovely Leitrim but these few pointers will put you on track to discover some of your own favourites no matter which part of the county you decide to explore.

There are two Armaghs. The City of Armagh is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. Like Rome it is built on seven hills.  It’s also known as the city of saints and scholars because in early Christian Ireland it was the prime seat of learning. The county of Armagh is known as the Orchard County and in the rolling hills are filled with apple blossom come April.  The combination of rural landscape and county town and cathedral city make Armagh a great destination for visitors with plenty of things to see and do while in Ireland.  I’ve been visiting this county since 1984 and these are my top recommendations. Here are my top seven things to do and see in County Armagh.

1) The Cathedrals – Okay, technically there are two St. Patrick’s Cathedrals.  The Church of Ireland Cathedral is older and has the grave of Brian Boru as well as pre-Christian artefacts. One known as the Tandragee Idol is thought to depict Nuada of the Silver Arm, a king of the Tuatha de Danaan. There is also the donkey-eared carving of Labhraidh Loingseach.  This cathedral is also host to the Centre for Celtic Spirituality.

The twin spires of the Roman Catholic St. Patrick’s Cathedral dominate the horizon of the cityscape.  Begun ion 1840, this Gothic Revival cathedral had to suspend construction during the hard Famine Years.  There is an amazing blue mosaic vaulted ceiling and the Lady Chapel displays the caps of every cardinal.

This You Tube Clip starts out at the Church of Ireland St. Patrick’s Cathedral and shows the Armagh Rhymers make their way through the town to the St. Brigid’s Well near the Palace Stables to celebrate St. Brigid’s Day on 1st February.

2) The Mall – Rhyme that with Pal rather than say it like the long mile that is home to many of the Smithsonian’s Museums in Washington, D.C.  This elegant green space began life as the town’s racecourse.  It is edged by some of the finest examples of Georgian architecture outside of Dublin.  It also is home to the County Museum , the Courthouse and the Cricket Club.

3) A short walk heading out the Portadown Road will lead you to Armagh’s Observatory and Planetarium.  If you are at all star struck or have inquisitive children then you are sure to while away your time full of wonder.

4) Retracing your steps back past The Mall and heading out the Killylea Road you have the Palace Stables.  Originally Archbishop Robinson’s Residence the Palace Stables now house a Heritage Centre, which brings Georgian era Ireland to life.  Archbishop Robinson, also a Baron, was the guiding force that shaped how Armagh looks today by creating the Mall, endowing and building the library, renovating the Cathedral and other public buildings.  With a playground and woodland walks as well as guided tours and special events this is a very family friendly venue with a wide choice of things to see and do to please all age ranges.

5) Carry on a bit further along this road and you will find the amazing Navan Fort or Emain Macha.  This is the Height (Ard) of Macha, the goddess who gave her name as this was her seat of power.  Archaeology studies have  created an amazing exhibit with plenty of everything you might want to know about Celtic Ireland.  There are guided tours but there is a really good self-guided exhibit.  And then you get to walk up the giant earthwork that is Macha’s Height. Learn about how the early Irish before St. Patrick lived with the reenactments of Early Irish life.

6) Now it’s time to head out the Markethill Road for a bit of outdoor activity.  Gosford Castle Forest Park offers camping and caravan berths, a stunning arboretum,  mountain bike trails, woodland walks,  a walled garden and deer park.  In the 240  hectare demesne you can even rent a self-catering apartment in the Castle!  So there is no need to rough it if that is not your style.

Rather you can imagine how the landed gentry who created this amazing country seat lived. Jonathan Swift, who was Dean of Dublin for a time, used to vacation here and one of the woodland walks takes you to a favourite resting spot, Dean Swift’s Seat.  The current castle was constructed in the 1800s after Dean Swift’s holiday with the aristocratic owners and has been converted into private homes.

I’m on my last recommendation of things to see and do in County Armagh.  I’ve covered the ecclesiastical side, the early Christian and pre-Christian aspect as well as the Georgian period. My jaunt around has also offered you outdoor activities, the opportunity to see castles and cathedrals and to learn about heritage. So what is left?  Well, entertainment.

7) The Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre offers not just theatre, music concerts and art exhibition space. It also have an ongoing programme of workshops and activities. But I’ll let their YouTube explain all that’s on offer to see and do at this amazing arts space.

Dates are still to be confirmed but we have penciled in the last weeks of September/early October for the tour in 2013.

Want to know a bit more about the concept?

Well, check out Amy’s blog to see what she has done on her tours to the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, New Mexico. And read how my own love of poetry, and haiku in particular, lends itself to experiencing Ireland on tour.

Smouldering Lough Talt

Hemmed in by the hills

Cloud above the cauldron

In August 2011 I guided Amy and her friends around my part of the world – West Cavan in Ireland – a landscape of myth, megalith and sacred power places. It turns out that Amy leads groups who journal their trips through art. While I am a deep devotee of art, that gene passed me by. I did, however, get the writing gene and while Amy wields her drawing pencil, I journal trips by writing haiku.

Haiku is a Japanese poetry form, deceptively simple and fiendishly difficult (but fun!) if you play by the classical rules. It is simply three lines composed of no more than seventeen syllables. The classic format is lines of 5,7,5 syllables but these days we tend to play it a bit looser since we are not writing in Japanese after all. There is generally a ‘seasonal’ word that tells the reader the time of year for the scene. It also is alive to the natural world, which then can stand for the universal, even Zen, truth. Unlike English poems we don’t use simile and the metaphors are very oblique. What you aim to do is to capture a moment in time and share the feeling/seeing/hearing/sensing with the reader. Using the seasons as a leitmotif the little poem aims to capture mood, moment and image.

A cow’s anguished moo

A calf taken from its mother

Sentient beings

I generally have a small notebook in my handbag and haiku is a convenient way of jotting down what I am experiencing. I’ve been a professional foreigner for more than thirty years. I left the USA in 1980 and lived in England, where I met my Irish partner, for twenty years. We moved to Ireland in 2001. We live deep in the country on an acre where we garden organically. For someone who loves nature and needs solitude and quiet it is like heaven. Only better, because I’m alive to enjoy it.

Through poetry I not only met my partner, I also made other friends. One of those poetry buddies suggested to a group of American women that they let me organise a tour for them over the Festival of Brigit, who also happens to be the matron goddess/saint of poetry.

So poetry gave me my new vocation as tour guide and creatrix of tours for people who want to immerse themselves in an authentic Ireland. This Ireland is not always furnished with an interpretative centre but allows the visitor to draw their own conclusions. It does allow the visitor to experience for themselves, take the pulse, to be inquisitive and meet people in their locality.

Open-hearted traveling yields many pleasant surprises.

It is a way of touring that lends itself to journalling through art and poetry, in particular that three lined haiku that can get swiftly jotted in the pocket size notebook. To travel should engage your heart as much as other senses. Jotting down a haiku you often capture that heart sense. It captures that moment just as a photograph. But the poem or drawing uses your hand, muscle, coordination – and they are connected to your heart.

The roaring cascade

Raw assertion over rock

Lichen bearded glen

Amy wants to bring contact me at bee@irishblessingstours.com or Amy at www.amybogard.com to express interest in joining us on this tour.  We will forward full details of the dates, itinerary, and costs later in 2012.

While  others think leprechauns for Ireland,  in Ireland we tend to revere the fairies. Our parades are generally full of political satire, which goes right back to the bardic tradition of ancient Ireland. Plenty of young ones sport false rears sporting ‘Pogue Mahone’ – roughly and more politely translated as smooch here.

There have been moves to encourage people to wear a snake on St. Patrick’s Day as a way to reclaim the druidic past.  You see adders(snakes) were never native to Ireland.  Ireland never has had a snake species. Not even  a garden variety.   It is hypothesised that the ‘snakes’ were actually the Druids that the conversion to Christianity supplanted with Patrick’s mission to Ireland.

Alternatively, anti-fracking activists have declared St. Patrick’s Day an international day of action to prevent hydraulic fracturing of shale gas  in Ireland’s least spoiled landscape in the Lough Allen and Clare Basins.  Given the watery nature of the land experiences elsewhere in the world have raised anxieties at home about the dangers of water pollution and worse.  So in Carrick on Shannon they will be sporting black shamrocks at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to alert the wider public to the dangers and asking people to contact TDs (deputies in the Dáil or Irish Parliament) and county councillors to prevent this happening in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.

“Don’t Frack with the Fairies”

                                                                                                                                                                  Image copyright Helga Martinez

Here is rural Ireland it is the traditional day to set your spuds on St. Patrick’s Day.  That is exactly what I intend to be doing this year.  It’s warm enough even for our frost pocket prone field to chance the first earlies. There are plenty of parades going on too – we are spoiled for choice between our local one, another five miles away that is cross border between Belcoo and Blacklion. Heading out to the big towns around twenty miles away we could attend Carrick on Shannon or Enniskillen.

For me, on St. Patrick’s Day I think about the tenets of Celtic Spirituality – that of seeing God in nature, giving hospitality, celebrating with music and poetry, nurturing soul friendships.   So I’ll be out in the garden setting spuds and planting some memorial plants since this St. Patrick’s Day marks the 50th anniversary of the day my father was buried.  I’ll plant two things for both my parents. So first thing is to get to the garden centre early and then wield the spade.

Over this national holiday weekend we will join in the Thur Mountain celebrations organised by Glenfarne Community Development. Glenfarne is just seven miles over the Boleybrack from us.  They are having three kinds of walk to appeal to all classes of walker from the hardcore hillwalkers, to the staunch ramblers right down to the dog strollers.  We’ll be in the latter category. But all the walking groups will gather in the Rainbow Ballroom of Romance for some tea and craic after doing all that healthful activity.

In the evening we get to have the music and poetry and some more hospitality.  We are having a birthday celebration and that is the cue for conviviality, homemade music, singing and reciting or reading poems.  There will also be homemade cake!

But let me leave you with a favourite Irish blessing attributed to St. Patrick.

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

Beir Bua (Best Wishes)

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Bee Smith created Irish Blessings Tours to serve travelers to Ireland who want the unique and inspirational packaged for their group’s desires and needs. Bee seeks the source to manifest your dream Irish vacation according to your budget and time scale. She has a special interest in Fairy folklore, Celtic Spirituality and the Natural Heritage of northwestern Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2011 Bee became one of the first trained tour guides that act at ambassadors for the UNESCO designated Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark. Send her your dreams for your Ireland vacation package to bee@irishblessingstours.com.

I am a firm believer in traveling light. For sightseeing a day pack is handy and it can double as your flight carry on. A wheelie suitcase will stream through the airports on departure days. Make sure the suitcase is half empty. You will pick up souvenirs. Wear the heaviest pair of shoes on the flight. You don’t want to be schlepping extra weight around.

There are always personal essentials, which I have not added to this list. These are to be considered universal requirements.  I won’t burden you with the amount of room I have to factor in for reading material while I am traveling. This may well have been the critical motivator for my spare packing philosophy. I’ve even got a collapsible cane that fits into my wheelie suitcase for days that my arthritis growls.

1. Ireland uses the same electrical voltage  as the UK. Get an adapter for UK voltage. You’ll know it’s the right one if it has  3 pin plug. Continental plugs are two round pins. You’ll need the adapter to power up you cell phone or use hair styling appliances. Check with the manufacturer that you favourite appliance is compatible with an adapter. Some are and others will not work. Appliances sold as ‘travel’ generally are versatile enough. Also look for descriptions such as ‘dual voltage’; travel hairdryers frequently fit the bill.  Most hotels and B&Bs can provide an iron if your packing gets particularly creased.

2. The Irish climate requires waterproof and shower proof outerwear year round. Make sure your shoes are especially leak proof and that you pack socks that are particularly comfortable and don’t chaff.  Try them out before you leave home. Footsore sightseeing is no fun.  I advised a friend to buy a micro fleece hoodie for trip to Ireland in September. With a rain slicker for heavier showers she made it through the trip just fine.

3. Ireland’s temperate climate requires that you wear layers. Make sure to pack a  sleeveless tank, short-sleeved and long-sleeved t-shirts and either a pullover sweater or fleece or cardigan. Temperatures can rise and fall within a day. You’ll be glad to have at least one layer to meet every eventuality.

4. A smallish notebook and pen that fits in your pocket, handbag or day pack. You will be overloaded with information and people say the most interesting things! Note them down when you are back in your hotel room or in transit between sites.  You’d be surprised how many people want to remember the name of that charming little place with the pub, with the dog, you know the one? But then can’t remember the name. Urrrgh! Put important addresses, email addys and contact numbers in the back of this notebook. Make a note down of your passport number in case it gets lost or stolen.

5. Your camera or camcorder will also be useful ways to jog your memory. Remember to pack your chargers (see Tip1 – you’ll need to power them up regularly) and bring spare memory cards! Have some batteries if you don’t have a charger. You can buy them here but having a few to be getting on with in an emergency is much less stressful.

6. Buy traveller’s checks in local currency – that would be euro for the Republic of Ireland and  pounds sterling for Northern Ireland. It is easier to cash a traveller’s check in local currency. Hotels will cash your dollar checks but you pay for the privilege.  Banks will give the best rates of exchange in rural areas but they may limit how much you can cash on a single day.

7. If you take medication make sure you have enough for your trip. Get a paper copy of your prescription – and if you are as reliant upon wearing corrective lens as I am then make sure you have your glasses’ prescription, too. Or a spare pair of glasses. Have a small first aid kit as well with Band-aids and blister packs just in case you didn’t heed my advice about footwear and comfy socks (as per item 2.)

Happy Trails!

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Bee Smith created Irish Blessings Tours to serve travelers to Ireland who want the unique and inspirational packaged for their group’s desires and needs. Bee seeks the source to manifest your dream Irish vacation according to your budget and time scale. She has a special interest in Fairy folklore, Celtic Spirituality and the Natural Heritage of northwestern Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2011 Bee became one of the first trained tour guides that act at ambassadors for the UNESCO designated Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark. Send her your dreams for your Ireland vacation package to bee@irishblessingstours.com.

1) The Lough MacNean Park, Blacklion is an enhanced lay by and lakeside picnic area a kilometre outside the border village along the N16.  This is a particularly nice spot of those touring Ireland to schedule a rest stop.  There is outdoor sculpture, a play park for children, swans on the lake and wondrous views of a crannog in the middle of Lough MacNean. Despite being a long a main national road there is a peacefulness that even traffic cannot distract.

2) The Cavan Burren is also signposted from Blacklion and offers over 200 acres of woodland walking with megalithic tombs, rock art and other Bronze and Iron Age archaeological remains to view.  Part of the Marble Arch  Caves Global Geopark this limestone landscape has beautiful ‘glacial erratics’, dry river valleys and much more.

3) Visit the Source of the River Shannon taking the R206 between Blacklion and Glangevlin you will find the turn off for the Shannon Pot, which marks the point where the underground rivers that feed the longest river in Ireland surfaces.  The Shannon Pot is a quiet, contemplative spot. Cattle low, a solitary fairy tree can be seen in adjacent fields.  If you are lucky enough to visit in June the meadow beside the car park is full of rare and beautiful species, cowslips and wild orchids just to name two of the wildflowers growing in this unspoilt landscape.

4) The All Ireland Fleadh will be held in Cavan this August for ten days between 10th and 20th August. Besides the wonderful traditional music sessions, concerts and workshops there will be many more events offering plenty to see and do in Ireland during this annual event.

5) Belturbet is an excellent base for exploring the Shannon Erne Waterway.  This former garrison town with a 600 year history offers canal side walks as well as all the usual town amenities. More importantly it is part of the Shannon Erne Cruise route.  You can hire a narrowboat or cruiser and have a leisurely vacation tooling along the Shannon and Erne waterways system that runs from Ballinamore in County Leitrim  right up to Enniskillen in Northern Ireland.

6) Everyone finds castles very romantic.  How about going to see a castle that even Cromwell could only dent.  Set on an island Castle Oughter is set within one of Ireland’s greatest geological wonders, the largest ribbed moraine in the world.  This accounts for the crenulated lake landscape that stretches between Belturbet and Killeshandra. Besides seeing romantic castles this area is great for outdoor activities like fishing and canoeing.

7) Travelling from the N87 there is a turn off for the R200 towards Glangevlin.  This is a wonder to behold on a clear day.  From this direction heading south toward Glangevlin and Dowra you climb up to moorland and cross the spectacular Bellavally Gap.  On a bright day you will see spectacular mountain range spread before you.  To the west is Slieve Anieran where the ancestral fairy people the Tuatha de Danaan landed when they first arrived in Erin.In the middle is Ben Croy and to the east is Slievenakilla and it’s distinctive sphinx like terminus. The Bellavally Gap was created, according to myth, by the giant green cow that belonged to the Tuatha de Danaan’s smith Govannon. Like Paul Bunyan’s ox Babe this Bo Glas must have been built on majestic lines.  You pass Maguire’s Chair, which is said to be the convention seat for the Maguire Clan.  There is a brief turn down a lane to Tullydermot Falls, a stunning waterfall that is connected with the mythological flight of Diarmuid and Grainne.

Having not even covered half the county I’ve already run out of space listing all the things to see and do in Ireland. I’m sure this taster will lure you to explore the countryside of west Cavan more thoroughly.

We have megaliths and meadowland, mountains and lakes, castles and canals, dolmens and Druid’s Chairs. There is hiking, fishing, canoeing, natural history safaris and wildlife watches.  This is truly a place where the mythic and modern Ireland rub shoulders.  West Cavan offers the tourist a wealth of things to see and do in Ireland.

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Bee Smith created Irish Blessings Tours to serve travelers to Ireland who want the unique and inspirational packages for their group’s desires and needs. Bee seeks the source to manifest your dream Irish vacation according to your budget and time scale. She has a special interest in Fairy folklore, Celtic Spirituality and the Natural Heritage of northwestern Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2011 Bee became one of the first trained tour guides that act at ambassadors for the UNESCO designated Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark. Send her your dreams for your Ireland vacation package to bee@irishblessingstours.com.