posted
I am attract by this country. I don't know why. I project to go during the end of summer. But in waiting this time, i wrote a new poem about this island. It is in french, and then translated in english. I hope i make a good translation for sens. But rhymes are lost.
I signe this poem for all Irelanders around the world.
Irlande
Comme une émeraude rôdant au milieu des saphirs, La pierre précieuse est amoureuse de l’océan. Quel grand dieu dû être ému en la créant ! Sa nature de verdure s’étend sur les porphyres.
Elfes et génies des forêts éveillent le mystère Que la terre porte en son vert être si charmant, Et le lent vent souffle les parfums des serments, Odorant du puit de Boann aux finistères.
Ses insulaires à l’air insurgé et libre Sont ivres de leur pays délivré et celte, De l’île fière et verte, d’allure belle et svelte. Ô, Bamba, tant de grands cœurs en ton corps vibrent !
Ton âme rousse leur souffle une larme en douce, Pour ceux au loin qui ont joint les nouveaux mondes. Tous ces cœurs te pleurent par-delà les bleues ondes. Irlande, tes légendes en mes rêves poussent.
Ireland
Like an emerald roaming in middle of sapphires, The prescious stone is in love with the ocean. What a giant god must be moved by creating it! Its nature of verdure extends on porphyries.
Elves and geniuses of forests wake up the mystery Which the ground carries in its green so charming being, And the slow wind blows the perfumes of the flower, Fragrant from the well of Boann to the finished country.
Its islanders with the insurgent and free air Are drunk of their delivered and Celtic country, Of the proud and green island, beautiful and slender pace. Ô, Bamba, so much of large hearts in your body vibrate!
Your russet-red heart breath their a tear into soft, For those far off who joined the new worlds. All these hearts cry you beyond the blue waves. Ireland, your legends in my dreams grow up.
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posted
Choobak, that is so strange...I've felt a peculiar interest in this country for many years. I own several photography books full of pictures of only Ireland, I love the music, the art, the fairytales, legends...the landscapes.
In fact, I'm planning to take a nice month next sumer (2006) to spend in Ireland and Scotland. I can't wait to finally visit.
Thanks for your poem.
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posted
I have always felt a spiritual connection to Ireland. I have always hoped to go see it, along with Wales and Liverpool, where my grandmother grew up, with my grandmother before she dies. Unfortunately, she's had a stroke-like event, and it's unlikely she'll be doing any trans-Atlantic flying in the future. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Oh is it really WC summer? Where are they holding it? I'll be sure to stay as FAR away from there as possible.
It's funny because my mother's side is mostly Scottish, making me at about 45% myself...and yet, I've felt the draw to Ireland. *shrugs* I'll be close enough to visit both though when I go.
My next spiritual connection is to New Zealand, and that came BEFORE LotR was filmed there. A friend of mine served her mission there when I was in high school and sent me letters and pictures. I've wanted to go ever since...and after reading OSC's thoughts, I REALLY want to go. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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quote: Oh is it really WC summer? Where are they holding it? I'll be sure to stay as FAR away from there as possible.
It is indeed. It'll be in Germany, so you'll be far away from the games themselves...but not necessarily away from the action.
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posted
Soccer or, with respect to your prospective hosts, football is the single largest sport that has fans in every country in Europe and most of the world.
The World Cup is the pinnacle of Football and I can only imagine you're likely to find an air of excitement in most of Europe before and during the actual matches.
Particularly since it's not held every year.
Mind you, this is sheer speculation on my part and I don't think the energy will unduly impact your visit, except that any pub you visit will have the games on.
posted
I'm drinking a glass of pure Connemara "Task Strength" on your health, friends of Ireland. Sorry for your grandmother, Queen. I hope you'll go on Ireland in the futur.
Narnia, we are two, and more to be touched by the green island. I'm happy you like my poem.
jebus202, This story is like a tear. But all Irelander keep this free air and their will to be independant from anything. That what i meant in my poem. Don't wake up old pain.
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posted
I've been in love with Ireland as long as I can remember. I've never been, but I've never felt another place call me so strongly (except the Arctic, but I've been there). I want to go, but when I go, I want to be able to stay for a year or so. I've got some friends in Newry and in Dublin, but I think I'd like to live in the country. Finding work could be tricky, but who knows? Maybe after this summer...
I love the language, the culture, the music, the history, the landscape, and most of all the mythology and the poetry. Choobak, yours fits right in. It's beautiful.
Posts: 624 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Choobak, your poem has me in mind of a beautiful traditional song about Ireland, "My Own Dear Native Land."
There's a dear little isle in the western ocean, It's an island of purity, holy and grand; Its name fills its daughters and sons with emotion When heard on the shores of a far distant strand.
'Tis Ireland, God bless her, the birthplace of heroes, The home of the patriot, warrior, and sage, Of bard and of chieftan whose names live in story; May they live forever on history's page!
You once were a proud and a glorious nation Your name and your fame were known all o'er the world 'Til misfortune came o'er you and sad desolation Your emerald banner in slavery lay unfurled.
They tortured your children, they spoiled your green bowers They tried to exterminate you long, long, long ago; But the Irish are somehow like wild, creeping flowers The faster you pluck them, the quicker they grow.
I love every blade of grass green on your mountains, Every leaf on your trees, and every rock on your strand I love your green valleys and murmuring fountains I love you, a cuisle, my own dear native land!
(A cuisle, pronounced "ah KOOSH-lah" (kind of), is "my darling" in Gaelic. Kind of.)
posted
I went to Ireland last summer. It is indeed incredibly beautiful. Maybe the best thing was the general climate. As someone who is 100% stupid Celt, I generally am not made for the South. I live in Texas, and I have won many a bet by saying that I can burn in 5 minutes. I hate hot weather, but I love cold, wet, soggy weather. I want fog and rain and mud and wind that cuts like a blade.
In Ireland my allergies cleared up and I found that, finally, I could stand the weather better than the people I had come with. It was really amusing.
We got to stay in these little hamlets that were just georgeous. We rented bikes and rode around the countryside, and took a bus up to the Cliffs of Moher (which I'm proud to say... well, maybe not proud. I peed off of the Cliffs of Moher. There. I said it), and they're the most astounding thing I've ever seen short of the time those two girls streaked on campus.
There are a lot of times that I want to go back to Ireland and Scotland. Edinburgh is possibly the coolest city in the world. Beats London easy. My friend is going to be an intern for the Irish Parliament this summer. He gets to stay in Dublin. I told him to try not to get his ass kicked, because Dublin struck me as sort've a rough town. Lucky chump.
EDIT: And Guinness is black heaven.
To quote Monty Python from the "Bruces" sketch, "Your American beers are like havin' sex in a canoe. It's ******** close to water!" (you can fill in the blanks yourself)
[ April 09, 2005, 07:33 PM: Message edited by: Book ]
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posted
I'll second Edinburgh As being a cool city, but I have to admit - Paris was by far the most fun of all the cities I've had the opportunity to visit.
posted
Yes, that's the same word. But, um, I didn't see that movie, because of the disibility issue. My grandmother is a native Gaelic (and Welsh, and English) speaker, and the two seconds of the Oscars that I caught by accident, where Hillary Swank murdered that word, really ticked me off.
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posted
I've been looking for one for years! I found a place that has lessons, but they're in the next city over and I can't get there. I'll have to wait until I get to Ireland I guess... Someday!
Edit: The next best thing I've found is to listen to Gaelic songs with the lyrics in front of me. Doesn't help with knowing which part to accent all the time, but it helps somewhat.
posted
Wow. I need to talk to you guys more before I go to visit, sounds like y'all know a lot more than I do.
And Astaril, wouldn't it be great to live there? I've looked into teaching jobs over there, but work permits for England are brutal...not sure about Ireland though.
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Narnia, yes!! I intend to live there at some point. My friend in Dublin jokes that given the number of Americans working there, it seems like all you have to do for a permit is show up. So southern Ireland might not be as difficult as N. Ireland, which would run like England, I assume. I don't suppose you have any direct British/Irish relatives? My grandad is English, and I think there's some form I can get him to sign which makes it easier to get a work permit for the UK. I need to look into that.
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"I've got some friends in Newry and in Dublin, but I think I'd like to live in the country. Finding work could be tricky, but who knows?"
Christy and I honeymooned there, and we were so smitten by the country and its people that we also contemplated moving.
But yes, finding work could be very tricky, indeed. For all that Ireland is a charming country, it's a poor one; it's part of the European Third World in a lot of ways. It's easy to overlook this when the leaky thatch roofs and abandoned shipyards are part of the scenic vista, but it's harder when those same shipyards once employed your neighbors.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
That's true. There's a lot of poor places in the world that get glossed over as 'traditional' by tourists, I think. As for myself in Ireland, I'd thought of WWOOFing it if I can find places, or trying to get hired on as otherwise temporary/permanent farm help somewhere. I'd be more than willing to work for plain room and board. If I had the money to simply volunteer somewhere, Ireland or elsewhere, I'd do that instead in a minute, but I can't afford it just now.
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posted
I don't feel much pull to Ireland... but I definately feel some to Scottland. And its only gotten worse since I spent four months there with my parents sophmore year. Its beautiful there, very, and something about the scottish history, lore, and culture just calls me. Not to mention the place itself, even though I hate the weather. I love Scottish and Ireish music. And I love the history and the legends and just... the whole spirit of the place. And I have very strong British ancestery (as strong as any of my ancestery gets, cause I've got a little of everything).
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posted
I'd just like to add that our unemployment rate is less then 5%, one of the lowest in Europe, so it's not that hard to find a job. EDIT: Actually, apparantly it's the lowest in the E.U. http://www.ibeurope.com/Factfile/78unemp.htm
Not that we want you stinky americans coming over and making cracks about our ugly women. It's whats on the inside that counts!
posted
The last night, a dream came all green, In one instant, i went in a land, So pure as i have ever seen. You fire my heart, fine Ireland !
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So, jebus, what's happened in the last few years in Ireland, between the time Christy and I considered moving there and now? You've been in a good place to observe the changes. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Dublin's been doing well for awhile and I've only ever lived here. It's also only in the past couple of years that I've begun to pay attention to social issues. Add to that the fact that I've always lived in the rich areas of town, it's given me a fairly limited view of progress being made. But there's always construction going on, always new roads being built. Last summer we finally got a tram system up and running. And a month ago the biggest shopping center in Europe opened here.
But it's true that in the west of Ireland there's still a great lack of development. That's why I advise no one to live there.
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You don't deserve them Kama, your people will only spend them on... what stereotypes are there about Polish people...?
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Hmm. So what you're saying is it's still going to be hard to find work in the Gaeltacht. Especially with only rudimentary Irish. Drat. Well, anything's possible. Maybe I could go to Dublin first for a while to learn some more Irish and make some money. (Or do the same in Nova Scotia - that's my other plan).
Oh, and I'm not stinky or American, nor do I have anything against ugly women, so can I still come? Posts: 624 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Hep ! Can you indicate me some interesting place i must visit in Ireland ? I'd like to know more about it.
Posts: 1189 | Registered: Dec 2004
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the white cliffs... or is that england? whatever. my friend said that you ride horses in the South West. and somewhere you can dig up peet. oh! the Blarney Castle. there's a stone in it, and legend says if you kiss it, you'll get luck or something...don't feel like looking it up now. but it's very pretty. wish i can go to Ireland Posts: 146 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Well, the one place I'm determined to get to is Tara, the legendary seat of the High Kings. I don't know if it's a town now, or just some mounds out in the country or what, but if you know the mythology, it would be a neat place. (Might not be too interesting otherwise though.)
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How to travel when i am in Ireland ? What his the best way : train, rented car, bus, foot, walking on hands...?
Posts: 1189 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
You know, KQ, you deprive yourself from a great movie by not seeing Million Dollar Baby because of the disabled issues. I mean : no one approves adolescent suicide, but Romeo and Juliet is still great, isn't it ? I think people take things too much literally. The fact that a character makes a choice in a movie doesn't mean that the scenarist, the realisator, the actor would do the same choice.
[ April 13, 2005, 08:01 AM: Message edited by: Anna ]
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