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July 3, 2007

"When the electric light came to Ireland, the faeries left."
-- storytelling circle, the Spirit Centre

Some after-work and weekend experiences:

One of my favorite experiences thus far has been attending a storytelling circle one night. Clare Murphy is a professional storyteller here in Galway who does regular performances in the Cottage Bar in Salthill, telling Celtic tales often targeted at tourists. But once a month, there is a smaller, much more intimate gathering at the Spirit Centre, a yoga school you'd have a hard time finding unless you knew exactly where you were going. Clare tells stories, and also opens up the floor to everyone else in the circle. On the night I went (having heard about Clare from another professional storyteller in the North I've been exchanging emails with), I heard tales from Ireland, Australia, Spain... about faeries, grandfathers, Irish giants, Scottish giants, faerie forts, truth, wisdom, love, lies, the geography of the mind... a mesmerizing reciting of Yeats from an Irish actor... a reading of Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go. I walked out with stories and magic swirling in my head, barely conscious of my physical surroundings...

I also drove with one of my housemates to Portlaoische to attend a (Gaelic) football and hurling match between Carlow and Kilkenny, and Offaly and Kilkenny. Besides enjoying the action, I also delighted in the crowd's fervor – right behind us was a big group of fans who regularly yelled at the referees: "Open yer eyes and shut yer mouth!"

On the way back, we drove through the Slieve Bloom Mountains – gorgeous scenery I definitely want to come back and explore on foot. It's wild beauty like that that makes me think Ireland is perhaps the most touristy place I've ever been to (all the road signs seem to be designed for the benefit of visitors), but not without very, very good reason.

I spent one weekend hiking in the Galtees (in the southeast) with my friend Annie, who is research-writing in Ireland for Let's Go! We didn't realize we'd both be in the same country until a few weeks into the summer – thanks, Facebook! We met up in the small town of Cahir, then took a short bus, requested a stop by the side of the road, hiked along the highway for a kilometer or so, then turned off into the start of the Glen of Aherlow and trekked uphill several more kilometers to the hostel we'd be staying at for the weekend. No electricity! To use a stove, we switched on the gas and lit a match.

On Saturdays and often Sundays, there is a (not-just) farmers' market set up by the Church of St. Nicholas. Although I've rarely purchased anything, I love walking through and just seeing the goods and watching the crowds. It's quite elaborate compared to many other farmers' markets I've seen (it even has a web site!: www.galwaymarket.net/), and both a tourist attraction and locals' favorite – everything from organic vegetables to handmade crafts, art, kitsch, fine cheeses, sushi, falafels, flowers, spices, hummous, crepes, bagels, donuts, incredible bread and baked goods.

I've had the good fortune to wind up sharing a house with some fantastic people: theatre people! Along with having wrapped up their studies at the university's master's programme in drama, my housemates run a theatre company (www.mephistotheatre.org/). They're amazing – working, studying, and rehearsing at night, and staying completely sweet, fun, sane people on top of all of it. They'll be performing a new show at the university theatre in a few weeks, and I think I'll be helping out! Not doing a whole lot – just taking tickets and running the front of house, but I'm looking forward to getting my first taste of theatre. They'll also be taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (www.edfringe.com/) in August and have invited me to come along!