Looking across the glen in Glen Colm Cille to the cluster of houses to the colaiste (college) at Oideas Gael. The river Merylen flows in front out into the Atlantic just to the right in the photo.OIdeas Gael June 2005
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Oideas Gael
Looking across the glen in Glen Colm Cille to the cluster of houses to the colaiste (college) at Oideas Gael. The river Merylen flows in front out into the Atlantic just to the right in the photo.OIdeas Gael June 2005
Thursday Déardaoin
Sat on the bed this morning, in front of the window ledge where I have made a little altar. The altar has a candle, the cross from Midland, and the love figurine symbol of my relationship and love with Jon. Reading the card Jon gave me when I left, I moved my eyes towards Sliabh Bhiofáin agus Gharbhrios. It struck me that this mountain is shaped very similar to the one I was transported to in a night time journey. I watched the clouds gather and creep up and across the mountain changing the colors and bringing light and darkness to the ridges and crevices of the mountain......
“ look to this day for it is life,
In its brief course lie all
the realities and truths of existence,
the joy of growth, the glory of action,
the splendor of beauty….
today well lived makes every
yesterday a memory of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope,
look well, therefore to this day….”
-ancient Sanskrit proverb
Another intense learning day in class. Seo muinteor go thar barr, ar dóigh (excellent).
Sat on the bed this morning, in front of the window ledge where I have made a little altar. The altar has a candle, the cross from Midland, and the love figurine symbol of my relationship and love with Jon. Reading the card Jon gave me when I left, I moved my eyes towards Sliabh Bhiofáin agus Gharbhrios. It struck me that this mountain is shaped very similar to the one I was transported to in a night time journey. I watched the clouds gather and creep up and across the mountain changing the colors and bringing light and darkness to the ridges and crevices of the mountain......
“ look to this day for it is life,
In its brief course lie all
the realities and truths of existence,
the joy of growth, the glory of action,
the splendor of beauty….
today well lived makes every
yesterday a memory of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope,
look well, therefore to this day….”
-ancient Sanskrit proverb
Another intense learning day in class. Seo muinteor go thar barr, ar dóigh (excellent).
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Class Group at Oideas Gael June 2005
Class Group at Oideas Gael taking evening walk before adjourning to "Biddys" for ceol agus craic or a tradional music session
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Started my day feeling the power of angels surrounding me alleviating my fear about driving. Woke up around 5 and dozed back again. This is my last breakfast here at the Iona bed and breakfast in Sligo - its time to move on.
Stopped in Donegal town to shop for supplies. Meant to buy a little radio but when it came down to it I could not be bothered to stop again. The towns in Ireland are so congested I want to flee them. The search is never ending in the towns for disc parking and finding your way around the maze of one way streets. I was glad to leave Donegal behind me
At the Clock Tower Restaurant in Fintra, I pull over to get a bite to eat when I had this feeling come over me that the place has pain surrounding it. Then I read in a little booklet that the land belonged to the Hamilton family who had been planted here in the 16th century. The stones used for the clock tower came from the stables. Maybe I heard the cries of the horses of the people of the land groaning.
I move onto to Glen Colm Cille. Here I will stay for the next two weeeks. Thankfully, my cell phone works so I can stay in touch with Jon with text messaging. This is good. We were talking (aka texting) when one of my room mates for the week comes in. Her name is Joan. Another one is due tomorrow. We are sharing Teach Foinse next door to the Cistin and the OIdeas Gael college. Joan and I work our way through an article written in gaeilge – Sasamh agus Stadas (Satisfaction and Status) about the naming of Gaeilge as one of the official EU languages. Joan is proficient and we read one paragraph at a time, she translating and me struggling through the translations.
Ta Luchair agus gliondar (delight and joy) ar mo croi inniu, a chairde…
Later in the evening we do a mini pub crawl to Roriaty’s – atrocious red wine , and then onto Biddies’ and this time I take an excellent pint of Guinness. Sitting next to us are an older couple – they could be husband and wife or brother and sister. They are sitting there no drinks in front of them (why did nt I offer to buy a drink?) a missed opportunity. They have basic English skills and try to converse with us much as I would do speaking gaeilge with a native speaking. What did I learn? To be more of a pilgrim?
Stopped in Donegal town to shop for supplies. Meant to buy a little radio but when it came down to it I could not be bothered to stop again. The towns in Ireland are so congested I want to flee them. The search is never ending in the towns for disc parking and finding your way around the maze of one way streets. I was glad to leave Donegal behind me
At the Clock Tower Restaurant in Fintra, I pull over to get a bite to eat when I had this feeling come over me that the place has pain surrounding it. Then I read in a little booklet that the land belonged to the Hamilton family who had been planted here in the 16th century. The stones used for the clock tower came from the stables. Maybe I heard the cries of the horses of the people of the land groaning.
I move onto to Glen Colm Cille. Here I will stay for the next two weeeks. Thankfully, my cell phone works so I can stay in touch with Jon with text messaging. This is good. We were talking (aka texting) when one of my room mates for the week comes in. Her name is Joan. Another one is due tomorrow. We are sharing Teach Foinse next door to the Cistin and the OIdeas Gael college. Joan and I work our way through an article written in gaeilge – Sasamh agus Stadas (Satisfaction and Status) about the naming of Gaeilge as one of the official EU languages. Joan is proficient and we read one paragraph at a time, she translating and me struggling through the translations.
Ta Luchair agus gliondar (delight and joy) ar mo croi inniu, a chairde…
Later in the evening we do a mini pub crawl to Roriaty’s – atrocious red wine , and then onto Biddies’ and this time I take an excellent pint of Guinness. Sitting next to us are an older couple – they could be husband and wife or brother and sister. They are sitting there no drinks in front of them (why did nt I offer to buy a drink?) a missed opportunity. They have basic English skills and try to converse with us much as I would do speaking gaeilge with a native speaking. What did I learn? To be more of a pilgrim?
Monday, June 06, 2005
On my Way
Checked in- at O Hare, Chicago. Jon dropped me off and then headed back to Ann Arbor. Do we realize what we have embarked on as a couple and as individuals. This is going to impact both of us. Trust in the blessings... and up up and away...
An seú lá de mhí Mheithimh
Arrival day in Dublin: Monday June 6.
Here I am landed once again in Dublin. What a great word landed! It describes my search where is it that I need to land? Or be landed? This search began almost the day I left living in Ireland 45 years ago after my Father’s death. I exiled through Belfast on a hot summer day in June 1960. Today, I return in a different way from all my previous trips here. I am a pilgrim seeking what it means to live between two lands – idir dhá tire? Cén fad áith?
My plane was delayed leaving Chicago for over an hour and so I did not arrive in till after 10:00 a.m What is a little delay of an hour I have waited 45 years to do this! It is totally unclear to me what lessons I am to learn and what changes will occur in my life, what is only important at this point is that I start the journey.
Standing waiting for my bags, I recall looking at my watch and seeing it was 10:30, and thinking what am I doing? What do I intend for this journey? Eventually the bags come through and I stack them up on a cart. What strikes me is the high technology of the flat screen monitor against the back drop of a dingy baggage hall. There is nothing fancy about this arrival hall where millions pass through.
As I come out the doors, there is Matt waiting off to the side in a sea of other faces some eagerly looking, others with a resigned look of unfeigned boredom. All faces are pointing in the direction of the exit doors from the custom area. Matt’s chatter starts at once. His exuberace and life energy is catching. Walking out to the car, I say to myself slow down and absorb what it means to connect. I have a huge cloak to remove – the whole mantle of “getting things done” and being productive. More lessons to come I feel or is it fear?
Arrival day in Dublin: Monday June 6.
Here I am landed once again in Dublin. What a great word landed! It describes my search where is it that I need to land? Or be landed? This search began almost the day I left living in Ireland 45 years ago after my Father’s death. I exiled through Belfast on a hot summer day in June 1960. Today, I return in a different way from all my previous trips here. I am a pilgrim seeking what it means to live between two lands – idir dhá tire? Cén fad áith?
My plane was delayed leaving Chicago for over an hour and so I did not arrive in till after 10:00 a.m What is a little delay of an hour I have waited 45 years to do this! It is totally unclear to me what lessons I am to learn and what changes will occur in my life, what is only important at this point is that I start the journey.
Standing waiting for my bags, I recall looking at my watch and seeing it was 10:30, and thinking what am I doing? What do I intend for this journey? Eventually the bags come through and I stack them up on a cart. What strikes me is the high technology of the flat screen monitor against the back drop of a dingy baggage hall. There is nothing fancy about this arrival hall where millions pass through.
As I come out the doors, there is Matt waiting off to the side in a sea of other faces some eagerly looking, others with a resigned look of unfeigned boredom. All faces are pointing in the direction of the exit doors from the custom area. Matt’s chatter starts at once. His exuberace and life energy is catching. Walking out to the car, I say to myself slow down and absorb what it means to connect. I have a huge cloak to remove – the whole mantle of “getting things done” and being productive. More lessons to come I feel or is it fear?
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