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Published: June 24th 2010
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The Lake Isle of Innisfree
We weren't up so spritely this morning funnily enough but another big breakfast had us fired up soon enough. First stop on the Lough Gill drive was Dooney Rock quickly followed by the fabled Lake Isle of Innisfree. The closest point to it is up a small lane so no coach parties get here but it looked like not many others were heading that way either.
The Millennium Sculpture is falling down and the paths are starting to get overgrown. However we persevered and managed to take a longer walk through the heather to get an impressive view of the whole Lough (although noon it was the wrong time of year for the purple glow). Looking over to Parke's Castle and the Sleeping Giant on a warm sunny day was great.
THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE
By William Butler Yeats
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 honeybee,
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 midnight's 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 gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
One can see the attraction of a hermit's life on an island - no doubt next time I pop out for lunch at work, as I find myself fighting my way through the hordes of oompah loompah benefit maintained fishwives , I'll long for the quieter life too.
Continuing round the Lough we stopped a few times enjoying the
sun and fresh air before beginning the journey home. Rather than the direct route we backtracked to Sligo, rounded Ben Bulben and headed north towards the chic boutique resort of Bundoran (think Blackpool/Portrush etc) before cutting towards the Border at Belleek.
We had stopped halfway up for coffee at a cracking old pub and I was close to hitting the Guinness as we sat outside inthe sun... Just one sip and I wouldn;t have moved for hours.
We stopped on Boa Island at Caldragh graveyard to see the Boa Island and Lustymore Island Figures. They really are cracking, especially the Janus like Boa Island Figure.
In the wet gap of the year,
Daubed with fresh lake mud,
I faltered near his power -
January God
Unlike Heaney's visit, this was a sweltering hot day but the power was there, albeit diluted by us not being the only visitors - dammit lol.
Moving on we enjoyed the vista from Tom's Jetty outside Kesh before a quick stop at Devenish and then the Upper Lough just past Lough Accrussel. But there was that sense of needing to head home so with heavy hearts we pointed the Mini towards the M1 and home.
All in all a grand wee break. Toor a la.
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