Ireland

Here we are in Belfast and the CS Lewis Square, with the sculpture of Lewis and the Wardrobe, created by Ross Wilson (an amazing artist from NI and a new friend.)

It’s hard to begin… putting into words the gift of traveling in Northern Ireland with Ned this past September. I am looking forward to editing more of the photos I took and posting them here on Poetic Underpinnings. I’m planning a new section called Postcards - I’ll be sharing my own “postcards” from each day of our travels. So much beauty and so many wonderful details to enjoy.

A month ago today we were finishing packing and getting ready for our trip. Our friends Douglas and Lise McKelvey had just shared with us that Doug had COVID and they would not be joining us on this trip. They had organized and planned this trip for weeks, but had done it as a gift to me… as a way to make one of my traveling dreams come true and to refresh us after many months of dealing with my cancer. We were sad not to have them join us but also grateful to still be able to go.

Our trip really was dreamy. We loved being together and experiencing all the beautiful places we visited, museums we wandered in, streets we walked, and people we spent time with. It is hard to say which place was our favorite or my own favorite.

The first couple of days with Rabbit Room friends Heidi and Glenn Johnston was perfect. We loved their family, their home, her cooking, and the places they took us. We are also grateful for their friendship…. because after so many talks and mini-adventures, I want to return to North Ireland to be with them some more.

Next we went to Rathfriland, and spent 5 nights/6 days in lovely Kiltariff Hall, a country house bed and breakfast. Our hostess was lovely and made wonderful breakfasts with locally sourced ingredients. She helped us plan our day trips and even booked a couple fine restaurants for us. We took several walks down country lanes, explored castle ruins, participated in an evening prayer service in the St. Patrick (Anglican) Cathedral, bought original artwork, and spent a lovely, lazy, laughter-filled afternoon with another Rabbit Room family (Andrew Roycroft, his wife, and two daughters).

It was a delightful surprise to realize we were on an impromptu CS Lewis pilgrimage — the pub/hotel where he stayed on his honeymoon with Joy with the Johnstons, to his childhood home of Little Lee and grandparents/summer homes in Rosstrevor and Castlerock, to walking around “Narnia” and gathering shells and stones off the beach of Carlingford Lough. It seemed appropriate for us as a couple, as individuals, and as members of the Rabbit Room community to be reminded of this beloved man and parts of his story. (It’s not for nothing that Ned has named his graphic design and illustration business Worlds End Images, our homeschool St. Clives Academy, and our dog Pevensie!) .

Visiting Rostreveor during our first week in NI, the place where he would visit his grandparents, was a delight. A little village, tucked away from the whole world it seemed, was situated by mountains, forests, water, a few shop lined streets, lovely homes of various sizes, and green land with sheep, was a particular favorite. In Kilbroney Forest Park, to acknowledge CS Lewis’s work and where he found his inspiration, a Narnia Woods was created. Ned and I felt like excited little children walking through the tree-carved wardrobe door, passing the lighted lantern, and wandering around to find all the wood carved statues and the 4 thrones of Cair Paravel. We were taken by an artist’s metal rendering of a tree spirit. The land of Rostrevor was an inspiration for CS Lewis’s creation of Narnia, which added to how much we loved this place. (I also had my first ever Eton Mess dessert here—which was quite yummy.)

I also loved traveling to the Northern Coast and staying at Portrush. The place we were staying looked right out onto the beach… and wow! What wonderful view of water, waves, and sun. We met more lovely people during this next week, including a local pastor friend of a friend of ours Marty McNeeley, and the artist Ross Wilson. The week in this area of NI was almost too perfect I loved scrambling over rocks, climbing up hills, and strolling down wide swaths of beaches. Giant’s Causey was amazing, as was Castle Dunlace (said to be an inspiration of Cair Paravel, as it was a castle on the cliff facing the water). We ate twice at a Bothy Coffee, a local coffee shop, one day enjoying tea time with the best London Fog, and the next day breakfast with the Johnstons. I had the best stack of pancakes topped with bacon and maple syrup…. this may have been one of my most favorite meals.

With the Johnstons, we took a very long and lovely walk around White Park Bay. This maybe be my most favorite day. Our walk started at the top of a hill, we walked down the hill trail with the beach in sight, as well as rolling green land and waving bleached sea grass, then we just kept walking on the beach, which was flat and sand-packed. The sun and clouds were amazing. Eventually we walked around some cliffs and rocks, and then through a gate and upward on more rolling green land, till we got to a small harbor. (For all you Games of Thrones fans, several scenes in Season 6 (?) were filmed there). Then we turned around and retraced our steps to get back to the car. It was all wonderful… so much natural beauty. I was a pretty slow walker because I kept taking pictures. Later that day we went to Portstewart for lunch and met Ross Wilson and his wife. That was also a delightful time.

The next day, with the Johnstons, and at the behest of our friend Andrew, we went to Castlerock and had lunch at Crusoes. We met Ross again. After saying goodbye to Heidi and Glenn, Ross took us around Castlerock for more CS Lewis spots and stories, as well as a walkthrough at Musssenden Temple Downhill Demisne . A poem is brewing in my mind over this huge ruin of Downhill house. Ross Wilson was a lovely and funny host. We enjoyed our time with him and the encouragement he gave us. He is an artist I want to write about someday for Cultivating—he is an example of Makoto Fujimura’s vision of living one’s life generatively, with generosity, as an act of culture care.

We left Portrush and journeyed to the Seamus Heaney Homeplace. Before the trip, I had bought 100 Poems, a new collection of his poems put together by his family, and had definitely fallen in love with this NI native son and important writer/poet. I have recordings on my phone of a few of our new Irish friends reading Heaney’s poetry. This museum was magical, and I loved wandering around, learning about his life, listening to recordings of him reading his poems, and then buying some books in the gift shop. (I have a plan of my own independent study of Seamus’s work, which will hopefully develop into another essay for Cultivating at some point.)

On our way to Hillsborough we had lunch with another Rabbit Room couple, Joe and Donna Murray. We enjoyed our time with them, hearing about how they spend their days helping other musicians in their home recording studio. Also, I had one of my most favorite cups of tea with them (just the right amount of milk and sugar). Later that day, we arrived at Hillsborough, where we stayed in a Georgian townhouse AirB&B owned by a friend of a Rabbit Room friend. This home is literally next door to the castle where the Queen stays when she visits. I was pretty tired and not feeling 100% during our two days there, but I still enjoyed the lovely home, the castle tour, a dreamy gallery full of work by local artists (lots of gifts bought here), and a few of the streets of this picture book-perfect village. I do wish I had felt up to walking around the man-made lake Ned discovered, though, as it was beautiful.

Our last Saturday night in Ireland, while still situated in Hillsborough, we had dinner with another Rabbit Room friend and her family, Judith and Colin Millar. That was also a wonderful night of talking and laughing and finding how much we had in common. Also, the meal was delicious, and I plan to copy it with guests in our home. It was shredded lamb meat, couscous, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, pickled red onions, goat cheese… (I may be missing some ingredients, but it was delicious!) We will forever be grateful to them for helping us book our COVID tests at the airport.

Our last couple days we spent in Dublin. After making a side trip to find the city of Kells and the high crosses, we arrived in Dublin Sunday night. Our hotel looked over the water and a cool sailing ship. We found a great Irish pub and ate delicious pub food. The next day we travsered the city, looking for Trinity College and library to see the Book of Kells (the only time we really got irritated at how people give directions or how Google Maps isn’t always helpful). We eventually found the right spot and enjoyed the grandeur of the Book of Kells and Trinity’s Long Library (I could have sat in there all day…). We also did very “Ned and Leslie” things — we found the perfect tourist shop where I bought a lovely sweater and Ned bought the vest he had been hunting for for years; a perfect bookstore where I bought a pile of books; and then the National Gallery, where we strolled around and found a Caravaggio, a Rembrandt, a Monet, a Morisot, and a Van Gogh. Plus some Irish artists we didn’t know. Also, the gift shop. Our final meal in Ireland, other than ice-cream, was at a pub in the area where they filmed a scene or two of the movie The Commitments, a long time favorite of ours.

And really, these are just the highlights.

A few last comments. . .

We missed Doug and Lise… and would say “we wish they were with us to see…” at each new place They are such special friends, and we were looking forward to time with them. I really don’t know how to say thank you enough to them. So, Doug and Lise, if you read this… thank you. I want to give you more hugs than you might feel comfortable with for gifting us with North Ireland.

To all those loved ones in the Rabbit Room Community and beyond who gave us money for this trip. I also don’t have enough words for this… your generosity made me speechless. Several times I asked Ned “who am I that people are so kind and generous to me and to us?” I don’t know the answer to that, but thank you for seeing me and for caring for me and my family during this time of cancer. Your generosity and how unworthy I feel of it is a real real picture for me of God’s abundant grace and love found in Jesus.

Since the beginning of this cancer journey the story of the friends of the paralyzed man and their work of taking their friend to Jesus through the roof has been an encouragement to me…my life an outworking of this story. All my friends through their love, gifts, prayers (especially prayers) have upheld me and taken me to Jesus. This trip became another aspect of this story.

On Thursday, during our first week in Ireland, I read “Miracle” by Seamus Heaney (see below) to Ned. It touched me deeply as it reminded me of God’s care to me through all my friends (whether Lancaster friends or beyond). Later that night, my Bible reading happened to be Mark 2, which is the story of Jesus forgiving and healing this paralytic man. I had not planned that this would be my reading. Reading the poem and the passage felt like God breaking into my day, to lovingly remind me of his care for me through all my Rabbit Room community and their generosity (your generosity!). The next week, as I walked with the Johnstons and with Ned around White Park Bay, I heard in my head “I told you to get up and walk…”. This felt very significant, as walking these past two years(because of side effects to my cancer meds) has not always been easy, and most times has been the case of many tears, weariness, and discouragement. There have been many days when Ned had to help me get out of bed, walk, get dressed, etc, because I could not move very well. Although I am feeling good and really normal, for many months in 2020 and 2021, joint stiffness in my knees, angles, wrists, fingers, elbows and shoulders, inflamed muscles and swollen ankles, have been a huge issue. All the walking I did in Ireland, and especially in White Park, felt like a miracle. I loved walking on the beach, over rocks, and through fields… and doing it in Ireland was Jesus saying “Get up and walk” and me saying “I will!” Thank you for being in on that miracle.

Miracle by Seamus Heaney

Not the one who takes up his bed and walks
But the ones who have known him all along
And carry him in —

Their shoulders numb, the ache and stoop deeplocked
In their backs, the stretcher handles
Slippery with sweat. And no let up

Until he’s strapped on tight, made tiltable
and raised to the tiled roof, then lowered for healing.
Be mindful of them as they stand and wait

For the burn of the paid out ropes to cool,
Their slight lightheadedness and incredulity
To pass, those who had known him all along.

This poem by Seamus Heaney sums up how Ned and I feel about our trip:

The Peninsula

When you have nothing more to say, just drive
For a day all round the peninsula.
The sky is tall as over a runway,
The land without marks, so you will not arrive

But pass through, though always skirting landfall.
At dusk, horizons drink down sea and hill,
The ploughed field swallows the whitewashed gable
And you’re in the dark again. Now recall

The glazed foreshore and silhouetted log,
That rock where breakers shredded into rags,
The leggy birds stilted on their own legs,
Islands riding themselves out into the fog,

And drive back home, still with nothing to say
Except that now you will uncode all landscapes
By this: things founded clean on their own shapes,
Water and ground in their extremity.

(italics are mine…)

With much gratefulness and love,

Leslie