Maria Avery

The magic of the Irish land is indescribable. Poetry and myth is engrained in every tree, shoreline, pebble, rolling hill, and pasture of the island. It is easy to see why so many throughout history have felt the need to put their pens to paper and preserve the enchanting visions that encapsulate their everyday world. Arguably Ireland’s more cherished poet, W.B. Yeats perfectly captures the magical and ethereal landscape and mythology that draws so many to the Irish coastline and mountain ranges. The quiet of the country is a stark, yet balanced counter to the buzzing cities of Dublin and Cork.

Even if the physical reminders of the history that is so integral to the country’s identity weren’t present, you could feel it. While Ireland is a place of wonder and magic, the history is ingrained in the land. Walking through the city streets or trudging through the mud towards the remains of Bowen’s Court, there is an undeniable shadow touching everything. Upon arriving at Bowen’s Court, I was amazed as this presence of the past struck me. We were shown where the Big House that Bowen so artfully describes in detail would have been and even though outside the walls of the small chapel and graveyard there was only miles of grass and fields to be seen, somehow the space wasn’t empty. Tapping into Bowen’s descriptions and some creation of my own, I could visualize the house being there, people moving about within and around the grounds. The shadow of the home that once stood, remains in the Earth it seems.

That being said, this shadow or ghost of the past isn’t always necessarily as daunting or depressing as those images suggest. There is just this aura around certain places where you can feel it in the air, something has happened here, people lived their lives here—monotonous, perhaps inconsequential lives. But now I’m here, walking through the mud, or over the cobblestones just as they did. Granted, this is the way one could think about any place in the world, feeling the previous lives and the imprints that they have made on the land; but, never have I been to a place where this feeling is tangible. It is almost like if a person were to concentrate hard enough they could be transported back to another time—to have a conversation with these prior inhabitants of the land. This feeling is reminiscent of the faery and pagan mythology that Yeats (and to an extent Bowen too) describes many times and that has become synonymous with the Irish landscape.

Another poignant moment when the history of this country, as well as, the magical and ethereal land come together to cohabitate was our visit to Daniel O’Connell’s home in Kerry. We were shown through the home that O’Connell spent many of his days in with family and friends, learned more about his personal life, and slowly began to understand the inner workings of the man that so deeply effected Ireland’s identity and past. Moments after the tour was complete we were able to see again why O’Connell came to Kerry so often, why he simply couldn’t stay away. Behind the house, a small truck through some water-logged field, and over a sand dune or two and you are dipping your toes into the Atlantic again. With the shimmering rocks, calming waves, and warm sun it is no wonder that O’Connell would take every opportunity to come to Kerry to take a moment away from the chaos of Dublin.

One of my favorite stops on our trip had to have been the Blarney Castle. It was slightly terrifying in some places to make the steep climb up, but boy is it worth it. Not only is the view from the top spectacular, showing miles of fields and hills, along with surrounding towns; but, exploring the castle is just as remarkable. Off of the stairs you can venture into rooms and passages that give you a better idea of what it would have been like to live and move in the castle when it was habitable. After slowly making our way down the very narrow steps we tackled the grounds next. We walked along paths that took us by gardens, fields (with cows!), streams, and even a small waterfall. Finally, we ended by walking through the Poison Garden which grows an array of plants that have been or are still used for medicinal or recreational purposes. You can’t get more pagan or magical than that! Being a medievalist I am probably a bit biased, but I cannot wait to go back to this castle (and many more) to explore, take a trip back in time, and discover more of the magic and culture of Ireland.