18 June 2007

*One thing I noticed about my journal entires while in Ireland is that if I didnt' write down everything that was happening, as it was happening, I forgot about it until days later. Some of my entries are out of order chronologically, but I have decided to post them as they are in my journal.

We take a tour of the National Gallery of Ireland from the Curator Dr. Sighle Bhreathnach-Lynch today. We see the portrait gallery and she speaks to us about the history of several of the paintings, as well as how they came to be in the collection at the National Gallery. One of my favorite paintings there is of a woman with a red scarf over her head, sitting over a harp, with green fields in the background. I'm sorry to say I do not remember the name of the painting, or the artist, or even who the actual woman in the painting is, but this depiction of Ireland as a woman is one that is very familiar to Irish history and culture. This painting reminds me of Yeats's "Cathleen Ni Houlihan," which I actually enjoy, though it seems that I am the only one.

"It is a hard service they take that help me. Many that are red cheeked will be pale cheeked; many that have been free to walk the hills and the bogs and the rushes will be sent to walk hard streets in far countries; many a good plan will be broken; many that have gathered money will not stay to spend it; many a child will be born and there will be no father at its christening to give it a name. They that have red cheeks will have pale cheeks for my sake, and for all that, they will think they are well paid."