The Poetry of Travel – Ireland

There are few places that inspire more poetry for me than Ireland. If ever you find yourself in Dublin, Galway, the Aran Islands or any of the amazing cities and landscapes it might pay to put down the camera (if you can manage to take your eyes off the scenery) and remember that this area has inspired some of the most well known writers in history. Whether you prefer the short stories and groundbreaking novels of James Joyce or the inspired poetry of W.B. Yeats, Ireland has everything a wandering wordsmith could need.

Having a hard time finding inspiration? Any facet of a culture, country, or group that fascinates you is worth exploring in writing. Whether it be history, music, nature, or people- anything that catches the eye is a jumping off point for a poem or story. Below are a couple of my personal expressions of my travels in Ireland, specifically the city of Galway and the island of Inishmore, as well as a video of the Irish a capella singing group The High Kings.

Galway
over cold river
old stone bridge
rain river-city
old cobble alley
little tin whistle
drunk little fiddle
walk river alley
bridge cobble singer
sing Corrib river
drunk little alley
rainy old city
sat by the quays

 

Inis Mór
thick black turf
topped of green
isle in rock
fare of shepherd fleece
veined of low wall
low ancient isle stone
green covered isle
up the low hilly steep
of old rock built
Dun Aengus fort
made of old blood
made of old stone
left open to the drop
the arc of wall
hangs off the spray cliff
looks down to isle water
and out behind
at turf green old stone