Saints, pagans, fairies and leprechauns are part of the story of Ireland. Sometimes, their presence seems immediate, and not so much a part of myth and history as a living part of the fabric of daily life. According to my guide, Marian, a “thin place” is where the barriers between the spiritual and the actual world are not as absolute. Being a person who likes facts and isn’t very suggestive, I thought this was just one more charming tale in a land of story tellers.
As we pulled up to a shady glen by the side of the road in Sligo, we were told of the Holy Well of Tobermore that we would find just down the pathway. It was like an outdoor church, with altars and lit candles as well as a brook that bubbled up from the ground and wended its way downhill. It was a place of silence and contemplation for centuries, and continued to provide solace to people that very day.
We continued on our way to meet Damian Brennan, an expert on the poetry of W. B. Yeats. Yeats lived in the area and had written many poems set at Lough Gill. One of the childhood poems about mischievous fairies that Damian read took me right back to the time my mother read that same poem to me. I remembered so clearly because the fairies stole children away from their parents and my mother had to assure me that wouldn’t happen in Massachusetts.
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Later, as we pulled up the drive of Ashford Castle, we were met with a bagpiper playing for us. The sound was one my father had always loved, and the playing brought back good memories. Perhaps there really is something in the idea of a “thin place” after all. Sometimes a place touches something in you and you feel an immediate connection. This is one of the joys of travel.
Please share your “travel moments”. I’d love to hear stories of your great trips!
