First Trip to Northern Ireland

Last week my dad visited me from Cleveland and we went on a whirlwind tour of Northern Ireland and some places in the north of the Republic of Ireland. Highlights included climbing Knocknarea Mountain in Sligo, Ireland and seeing the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. All in all we travelled several hundred miles around Ireland and had an incredible trip. It was really amazing after three months to get to see my dad and to show him my adoptive country. Below are some of my favorite photos from the trip! 

Above is a shot of one of the many "peace" walls that divide the Catholic and Protestant sides of the city of Belfast.

An aerial shot from above the route that leads down to the Giants Causeway. We hiked the path up along the cliffs above the causeway.

Shot of the town of Mullaghmore from the beach in County Sligo.

Sunset from Rosses Point in County Sligo. Weathered a brief hailstorm before this photo was taken. 

Hiking up to the waterfall that inspired the poem Stolen Child by W.B. Yeats

View from our hike up to the top of Mount Knocknarea.

One of the many W.B. Yeats photos that was inspired by County Sligo where he grew up is below (it's my favorite one, we actually hiked up to the waterfall and lake he is referencing in the poem!).

Where dips the rocky highland

Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,

There lies a leafy island

Where flapping herons wake

The drowsy water rats;

There we've hid our faery vats,

Full of berries

And of reddest stolen cherries.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand.

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wave of moonlight glosses

The dim gray sands with light,

Far off by furthest Rosses

We foot it all the night,

Weaving olden dances

Mingling hands and mingling glances

Till the moon has taken flight;

To and fro we leap

And chase the frothy bubbles,

While the world is full of troubles

And is anxious in its sleep.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wandering water gushes

From the hills above Glen-Car,

In pools among the rushes

That scarce could bathe a star,

We seek for slumbering trout

And whispering in their ears

Give them unquiet dreams;

Leaning softly out

From ferns that drop their tears

Over the young streams.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Away with us he's going,

The solemn-eyed:

He'll hear no more the lowing

Of the calves on the warm hillside

Or the kettle on the hob

Sing peace into his breast,

Or see the brown mice bob

Round and round the oatmeal chest

For he comes, the human child

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand

From a world more full of weeping than he can understand