County Sligo - Drumcliff, Lissadell House, and Rosses Point

Drumcliff

For our last two days of our visit we put ourselves in YC's hands - she became our driver and our guide. First, we found her a pair of tennis shoes (and there was a message in that - we would be walking). We then headed north of Sligo to Drumcliffe where lies Yeats in the graveyard of St. Columba's Church of Ireland.* The following part of Under Ben Bulben, one of the last poems written by Yeats, contemplates/envisions/provides for his final rest (I am sure scholars have more precise words for it):

Under bare Ben Bulben’s head
In Drumcliffe churchyard Yeats is laid.
An ancestor was rector there
Long years ago, a church stands near,
By the road an ancient cross.
No marble, no conventional phrase;
On limestone quarried near the spot
By his command these words are cut:

     Cast a cold eye
     On life, on death.
     Horseman, pass by!

He is indeed buried in the churchyard (where his grandfather was once a rector) near an ancient high cross and with a headstone containing those final three lines. It is a solemn place and buses stop, even during the "shoulder" of the season. A convenient tea shop provides a nice meal before folks re-board the bus or head further west to the next stop. Ours was a manor house full of memories.

Ben Bulben really does watch in the background almost anywhere you travel in Sligo. I understand it is quite a climb.

Another view of the mountain. It is hard to capture its imposing presence.

Yet another try at the mountain.

St. Columba's

The high cross

A view of one face of the cross. Bible stories are carved in the stone.

The round tower. I have learned it is the only one that still exists in Co. Sligo.

I love the eroding stones.

Walking 'round the tower and the church appears.

Walk a little further and there is the mountain.

A seagull flew across the landscape.

It is a beautiful spot.

Rock walls and wire fencing keep the animals out of the road (this is a busy intersection).

 

W. B. Yeats' grave,  as well as that of his wife George**

Closeup of the headstone.

Lissadell House

YC had never been inside Lissadell. Yeats had. This was the family home of Countess Constance Markievicz** It has a long and sordid past. The house*** was home to gentry, artists, writers, explorers, revolutionaries and madmen (Now two barristers own the estate). The visit visit began as we were taken to a room (a library or den?) full of photos and souvenirs, books and awards. We were told tales of owners past and present. Then we saw formal rooms, autographs written on glass window pane with a diamond ring, paintings of the servants (and a pet) on wall panels. We were taken downstairs to the kitchen, storerooms and other places where servants once worked (the work table across from the stove was worn away from use). Much of the downstairs and below is a time capsule. Then we were led out through the servants' entrance/exit tunnel (we wouldn't want the gentry to see the likes of us). No photos were allowed inside, but the images remain in my mind.

And we are invited to walk down to the Alpine Garden.

Flowers bloomed among the green as  we walked towards the house.

Flowers and ferns

Cone flower

Our first views of the house. I think this is the back or side. The portion jutting out is the porte cochere (door for the coaches).

View of the porte cochere

For some reason it is stuck in my head that you can see Knocknarea (more on that later) and Ben Bulben from the house.

It is a working estate and it was haying time.

Mushrooms along the walk

Some of the flowers in the wild borders

Spiderweb

 

More formal flower borders

It was a long walk to the Alpine Garden and we could see the sea and a peninsula beyond.

 

Oxeye daisies

Liatris (?)

Wild and formal flowers mix

Garden walls and mountains above

These were the largest rose hips I have ever seen. A rose hedge bordered part of the walk.

Only found one rose still blooming. It was unimpressive alone, but those rose hips (!).

More flowers bordered. I had to wonder what the garden would be like.

We found the shamrocks once again.

A view of the woods.

This exotic thing told us we were getting close to the garden.

Berries

 

YC enters the Alpine Garden

Amazing

DH heading up one of the garden paths.

Further down the path

DH and YC enjoyed the view while I explored the garden.

YC among the flowers

Butterflies enjoyed the garden

Another butterfly

Nasturtiums

Huge fuchsias

DH and YC resting beyond a portion of lawn

It was all so lovely.

I think this was part of the garden wall.

Ferns growing on the wall of the ruined ice house.

Low tide beyond the garden.

Heading back towards the house

The house faces the water.

The hay harvest continued.

Forest and mountains to the east.

Rosses Point

Rosses Point beach. There we found signs telling us to pick-up our rubbish for Yeats' sake and such. We took our shoes off and walked on the beach chasing and being chased by the waves. Stones and shells were scattered along the shore. I recognized cockles, mussels, razor clams, limpets, and angel wings. Of course I gathered a few - some for me and some for my sister. The sand was almost black in the sink when I cleaned the last of it to pack the shells away.

The beach

Paths take you to the edge of the cliff...YC and DH managed to scramble down. I looked for another way.

 

Don't litter!

I found the stairs down.

barefoot

A spit of land and lighthouse in the distance.

DH and I watched YC pick up shells

Limpet and rock

gentle waves (some folks were swimming)

Sunset at Rosses Point

Island across from the point

Ben Bulben looks on

Seagull flying in the evening air

Sun going down

Saw this house and garden as we were looking for dinner

We did not see the huge Powersourt monkey puzzle tree, but did see four or five others around the country.

Waiting On Shore

Another view of Waiting On Shore

Waiting On Shore view

Notes:

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drumcliff
**http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/yeats.htm [There is some controversy about whether or not Yeats is actually buried in Yeats' grave. I have no opinion on the matter.]
***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_Markievicz
****http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lissadell_House
***** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosses_Point