I attended poetry and music events, watched a parade of birds, and saw Mothú, a theatrical giant puppet performance inspired by late Irish poet Seán Ó Ríordáin’s work. All this and I still was able to sit on the cliffs of Dingle Peninsula and talk with A Fear Mábh (The Dead Man) or ‘Sleeping Giant’ and return to Ballyferriter to swim in the cold Irish Sea. It was breathtaking (literally and figuratively).
This festival of music and poetry reminded me that Kentucky and Ireland share cultural history through our music and folklore. Bluegrass Music takes the fiddle from Irish and Scottish origins, and combines it with other cultural instruments like the Banjo (brought from West Africa by enslaved Africans to North America). Irish people were also forced to leave Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries (as touched on in our discussion of the Great Hunger) and immigrate into the US, settling not only in large cities, but Appalachia as well. Our musical echo is a story of hope—in familiar geographies.
I may not be here to guide you and tell you more stories, but I encourage you on your own to stay curious, to stay up to date with the news in Ireland and know that if you visit, you will receive céad míle fáilte (a hundred-thousand welcomes).
While our time together has come to an end, I will continue to think of my time writing to you all, and try to see the landscape through your inquisitive eyes.
Sincerely,
Nomi
