Land of Heart's Desire

As a lover of all things Yeats, a trip to Sligo has to happen. All I needed was some time, and this weekend I finally got the chance to visit Drumcliff, Ben Bulben and all those other places I read so much about. I grabbed my copy of Yeats' collected work, got in my little red car and drove westward. It takes about 3 hours to get from Belfast to Sligo Town, and it's a beauty. Tyrone and Fermanagh are pretty, but I actually had a dropped jaw all the way through Leitrim. The winding roads, stone walls and the brownish/yellow/green landscapes make me insanely happy!

I only had a long weekend in Sligo, and first on the list was to explore the town. It's a cutie, with many murals (ranging from Easter Rising to Yeats and Westlife!), bridges and lovely crafty shops. The Yeats museum was closed (unfortunately), but I visited the Model (art gallery), added some Sligo myths to my collection and enjoyed some rugby and music in a pub.

After a relaxed night at the hostel I went to Bundoran, which is also known as the surf capital of Ireland. I like to challenge myself and that's why I booked a session. Let's just say that I haven't missed my calling, lol. I spent more time in the water than on the board and I think I swallowed about half of the ocean... ah well, I had fun!

On the way to Bundoran I paid my respects to W.B. Yeats, who is buried at Drumcliff Cemetery (under bare Ben Bulben's head, as you may know). I also stopped at Mullaghmore, which is probably one of the most awesome beaches I've ever seen. I could have stayed there for hours!

It took me a while to recover from my surfing session, but in the afternoon I was ready for yet another dose of culture. Today was a bit of a lucky day: the 19th century Lissadell House opened its doors for just a fiver. This house oozes history: the Irish revolutionary Con. Markievicz grew up in this mansion and W.B. Yeats spent quite a few summers at the house as well. We got to enjoy three exhibitions, with personal photographs of Constance and her sister Eva, a elaborate display on the Easter Rising and many photographs/ paintings/ fragments from the Yeats family. I think I could've spent even more time exploring the house, the displays and the stunning grounds, but we simply ran out of time. It was a gorgeous day to dive into Irish history and local flora!

The hardest part of planning a trip is making choices, and Monday was my last day (boo!). I decided to get up early, again, to climb Knocknarea. This mountain is linked to Irish mythology: the cairn on top of it is supposed to be the burial place of Queen Maeve, who ruled Connacht. It was gorgeous weather (again!), which made the climb even more impressive. The views were to die for...

I didn't want to go back - down or to Belfast - but all good things must come to an end. Yeats called Sligo 'The Land of Heart's Desire'... well, I definitely can't wait to get back!

“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the disheveled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”