Ireland- Cast a Cold Eye on Life, on Death, Horseman, pass by!

Departing Galway City

The simple grave of my favourite poet WB Yeats

Following our visit with  Mise we travelled north to Sligo town, where we visited the grave of WB Yeats, which is under the shadow of Ben Bulben Mountain in the cemetary of St. Columba's Parish Church at Drumcliffe.   WB Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.   Millions of people are attracted to Yeat's poetry and one wonders why, perhaps his ability to convey to others the feelings he has experienced, we empathize with these feelings. "Tread softly because you tread on my dreams" we whisper in our mind when an insensitive person threatens to crash upon our space.  "I will arise and go now and go to Innisfree" we silently resolve when the madness of life is overwhelming.

Rest in Peace Mr WB Yeats

Cast a Cold Eye on Life, on Death, Horseman, pass by  - One may interpret this to mean  that he is saying 'if you are looking for answers as to what lies beyond life and death, I can't help you you must look elsewhere Horseman, pass by'.

The grave is but yards from the open door of St. Columba's Parish Church, I enter.  It is a place of quiet intimacy and while sitting in the pew I am reminded that people have worshipped at this site since 574AD.  Noticing a copy of the Book of Common Prayer I am  also reminded that Yeats had a Church of Ireland burial service when his remains were finally laid to rest.   (Yeats remains were brought back to Ireland from Roquebrune, France by sea in a corvette of the Irish navy, the Macha in 1948)

Celtic Cross at Drumcliffe graveyard

I leave you with a reading of "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"

Are you familiar with the poetry of WB Yeats?  Who is your favourite poet?

Helen Tilston Painter meets Pretty Far West

Helen, Mise, Blue Girl and Pink Girl outside Builin Blasta

Craft Shop next door to restaurant

Ceardlann Centre where Builin Blasta is located

This post office is pretty far west

Greetings from Galway Ireland where I am presently.   Many of you know Mise from  www.prettyfarwest.com and this past Wednesday I had the delightful honour and pleasure to meet Mise and her daughters sometimes known as Blue Girl and Pink Girl.  We met at Builin Blasta Restaurant, in Spiddle, Co Galway and spent a memorable afternoon dining and chatting.   Mise is elegant, gracious, warm, has a winning smile and speaks softly.  She is fluent in Gaelic and communicates with her children in this language.  It brought lots of beautiful memories flooding back when she whispered to Blue Girl and the word "a stoirin" was used.  This is an endearing term to a child and it means much more than my little darling. Henceforth, I will be commenting and using Dr. Mise.   Mise has a doctorate in mathematics.  She also works as a translator  from English/Gaelic.

Castle in Kinvara

On road to Cluainin my birthplace

Roadway to where Mise was born

Roadway on route to Dr. Mise's birthplace.

We have much in common.  We were both born on islands linked to the mainland by bridges. Our homes were by the ocean in Co Galway Ireland.  A distance of about 15 miles by boat.  We share the same beautiful memories of a magical childhood.   The perfume of sea weed, the cry of the curlew, the barking of seals and the cuckoo who heralds summer.  The time went all too quickly and on leaving Mise, I was overcome with joy at having met one so special.  I shall treasure my beautiful memories of this day and will be looking forward to our next meeting.

Mise is the first blogger I have met in person.

Have you met a blogger, in person and if so who did you meet?