At the Edge of Ireland: Seasons on the Beara Peninsula

429 Pages·2009·5.19 MB·English

by  David Yeadon

At the
Edge of
Ireland
Seasons on the Beara Peninsula
Written and illustrated by
David Yeadon
(cid:1)
In loving memory of my wife Anne’s late father,
Sydney Coultish
whose Yorkshire humor, courage, and warmth
remain as examples to us of a full and fi ne life.
He will be a vital part of our lives forever.
(cid:1)
Also with wonderful memories of the late
Theo Westenberger
dear friend, photographer supreme,
and creator of beauty, magic, and mystery.
You will never be forgotten.
(cid:1)
Also in admiration of the late
Tommy Makem
“Mr. Ireland” himself, renowned singer,
songwriter, author, phi los o pher, compatriot of the
beloved Clancy Brothers, and friend.
The Beara—a haunting array of s cenery—least toured but
most spectacular of the southwestern peninsulas, showed
herself to be an eerie beauty of the mists, especially
suited for the ghosts and fairies who live there. . . . W ind,
fog, sea and craggy rock crescendo h ere and the wildest of
Ireland’s wild moors give testimony to the mysticism of
the land.
—Jill and Leon Uris,
from:Ireland: A Terrible Beauty (1975)

Contents
Epigraph iv
List of Illustrations viii
A Note on Research x
A Note on the Illustrations xii
Little Insights on Ireland xiv
Introduction: Where and Why Beara? xvi
(cid:1)
SPRING
The Season of Imbolc
1 Coming into Dublin 5
2 “Blow- In” Initiation 22
3 Irish History—Fast 27
4 The Ring of Beara:
Our First “Loop” Adventure 37
5 The Magic at MacCarthy’s 65
6 An Introduction to Dzogchen Beara 79
7 Monologue on Mortality 89
8 Moments of Meditation 94
9 A Delicious Work in Progress:
Gastronomic Romps Around Beara 99
10 Padraig O’Reagan:
Ireland Then and Now 117
11 A Very Revealing May Day 135
12 Beara Healers 141
13 Leaving Beara for the First Time 169
vii + Contents
(cid:1)
SUMMER
The Season of Beltaine (“Bright Fire”)
14 Days with Carey Conrad 181
15 Cookies with Cormac and Rachael 201
16 The Creators 213
17 The Enumerator Cometh 232
18 Luka Bloom (and Christy Moore) 237
19 At Anam Cara 244
20 Listening and Learning 252
(cid:1)
AUTUMN
The Season of Lughnasa
21 The Ryder Cup Roars In 263
22 With the Fish People 275
23 This Farming Life 289
24 A Scrap Odyssey 298
25 Walking the Beara Way (or Not . . . ) 303
26 Weather Signs (and Visions Too) 320
27 Danny’s “Song of Beara” 327
(cid:1)
WINTER
The Season of Samhain
28 Set Dancing at Twomey’s 347
29 Tales of the Seanachai 353
30 A Trip to Tuosist (and Way Beyond) 364
31 Celtic Conversations 376
32 Returning to the Stones 384
33 Rooting Around: A Final Adventure
in Search of My Irish Heritage 393
About the Author
Other Books by David Yeadon
Credits
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher
List of Illustrations
Beara Peninsula i–ii
George Bernard Shaw xviii
Castletownbere xix
SPRING
St. Brigid 3
Samuel Beckett 11
James Joyce 15
Barman in Pub 25
Liam Farrell—“Historian” 32
Standing Stone 45
Old Gas Pump near Healy Pass 47
Old Copper Mines—Allihies 52
Ballydonegan Beach and Allihies 54
Derreenataggart Stone Circle 60
The Bamboo P ark—Glengarriff 62
MacCarthy’s Bar 66
Dzogchen Beara 84
Skelligs in a Storm 96
Norman Steele: Cheese Maker 103
Nellie O’Connolly 111
Padraig O’Reagan 118
William Butler Yeats 128
Seamus Heaney 129
Trawlers at Castletownbere 137
Dr. Michael Murphy
(by Celia Teichman) 145
Julie Aldridge (by Celia Teichman) 160
ix + List of Illustrations
O’Neill’s—Allihies 171
“Clochans” on Skellig Michael 173
SUMMER
Hungry Hill 183
The Hag of Beara 196–197
“Curved Strata” near Allihies 202
Cormac Boydell 211
Leanne O’Sullivan 220
Farm near Eyeries 227
Luka Bloom 241
Eyeries Village 246– 247
Sculpture at Mill Cove Gallery 250
The Three Seanachai 255
AUTUMN
Barn Door, Adrigole 262
Fisherman’s Boots 276
Fisherman with Pot 278
Mending Nets by Hand 283
Beara Shepherd (a Rare Sight) 291
Old Tractor near Dursey Island 295
Poppa’s Boots 300
Beara Way Scene 315
Ancient Stones—A Fallen Dolmen 322
Danny Quinn (by Celia Teichman) 332
Céilí Faces 338
WINTER
A Seisuin Group 351
Tom O’Ryan 355
The Healy Pass 366
Sheela- na- gigs 373
A Collage of Celtic- Christian Symbols 380
Derreenataggart at Night 387
Castletownbere Boats 399