Emily Solley currently studies English Literature at Florida State University. This semester, she’s adventuring abroad to Florence, Italy to study Italian Reading and Conversation, a special topic art history class on the Florentine Renaissance and Comparative Politics: European Union. This column has two purposes. First, to share the opportunity of experiencing a different country with those of you are still in the U.S. (and hopefully convince you to study abroad yourself) and second, to share helpful information with those who are currently studying abroad.
After a couple of months in Italy, the chance to spend spring break in another country was exhilarating. Italy is unique in architecture and history, so I decided to head to the opposite side of Europe to experience a country that in many ways looks the same way it did hundreds of years ago. Consider bringing along some Irish poetry and notice the way the verses reflect the untouched wildness of the countryside.
Instead of focusing on Dublin, Galway and Killarney’s shops and restaurants, I decided to feature my four favorite stops. If you visit Ireland, most of your time will be spent driving on rural roads to breathtaking natural wonders. Consider adding these four to your itinerary.
Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher are everyone’s must-see in Ireland. Unfortunately, the day I spent at the Cliffs was windy, foggy and cold. The fog was so thick it was difficult to walk, and at points it was difficult to even see my feet in front of me. However, the strength of the Atlantic winds struggling to toss me over the edge of the cliff was a welcome reminder of the strength of nature, and as a Floridian, even an obscured view of the ocean made me giddy. The Cliffs of Moher are a must visit in any weather (although you should try and get out on a sunny day).
The Lakes of Connemara
Courtesy: Emily A. Solley
Speaking of water, Connemara is a largely rural region of western Ireland that – besides the twisting modern roads – could be plucked untouched from the 19th-century. It’s not hard to imagine the likes of William Butler Yeats, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw drawing inspiration from the rolling green hills and sparkling lakes. Take an afternoon to drive through the countryside and marvel at the bucolic peace that descends over the valleys and mountaintops.
Kylemore Abbey
Courtesy: Emily A. Solley
The beauty of Connemara drew in English doctor Mitchell Henry and his wife Margaret, who built the marvelous Kylemore Castle in the region they spent most of their honeymoon. Today, the castle has been converted to an abbey and welcomes visitors to its Gothic church and Victorian gardens. The day I visited, I stumbled up to the Gothic Church and was greeted by a high school choir singing traditional Latin hymns. I got the chance to sit by the lake and hear their voices mingling with the twittering of the songbirds.
Courtesy: Emily A. Solley
Killarney National Forest
Courtesy: Emily A. Solley
Of all the spectacular nature I experienced in Ireland, my favorite was the Killarney National Forest. On a hike with a friend, we went off the path several times to stand before the gray lakes that spotted a countryside, ringed by gently sloping mountains and twisted trees. The boggy marshland might have turned my boots gray, but there was no better way to appreciate the beauty of Ireland than to leave cars, towns, and technology behind. The forest is spotted with valuable sights like Ross Castle, the Torc Waterfall and the Muckross Gardens, but even a day wandering in the forest offers plenty to wonder at.
Courtesy: Emily A. Solley
Consider spending as much time as possible simply looking at your surroundings and reciting the lines of a poem. I will leave you with the poem that was often on my mind as I travelled:
“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
-W.B. Yeats, Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven