Busy as Beckett

Looking back, I had quite the busy first full week here in Cork. By Thursday, we finished Bowen's The Last September in class and met early Friday morning for our first field trip. Our bus driver Liam was quite friendly and ended up having to wait an extra 15 minutes for a lost student. After that short detainment, we were off to Barryscourt Castle, which is only about 20 minutes from the city. The grey stone castle was remarkable, dating from the 16th century. Visiting any historical site in Europe always amazes me, as our country's history is so short in comparison. Our class was split up into two groups in order to be more manageable. The guide was extremely knowledgeable, making for a fascinating 40-minute tour. It began just inside the castle walls, where we caught a glimpse at the gardens before making our way through the main door- a door which, as we were told, used to have large spikes protruding from it to ward away potential attackers. We ascended the wooden spiral staircase- a new addition- to the main dining room. Here we sat at tables recreated to resemble those of the 16th century, and listened to the guide remark about food, dining customs and how they made pitchers from leather, oil and beeswax. We also looked at the guards' quarters, bathroom and kitchen. Next we climbed the uneven, extremely high steps to the Great Hall where the family would entertain and where their children could play, as it had a fire place. He graciously took a photograph of our class at the table; hopefully I will be able to procure a copy. After touring the castle, we went outside to wander through the garden and apple orchard, both of which are accurate to the 16th century. Growing in the garden are plants and herbs used in the 1500s for both cooking and medicine. The orchard was large and beautiful; I can't wait to get my camera developed from the trip. (I bought a disposable camera for the day, as I want to wait for my money to be in my Irish account prior to making a big purchase.) After the tour guide left us to happily meander through the apple trees, many of us realized we had more questions. He graciously agreed to come back and answer these. What historian isn't delighted to find young people with a common interest? In response to the questions, he told us the stone and other building materials were all local. The castle was actually built by a group of Scottish men who were the best in the business! He also informed us that the Barry family earned money by being landlords; they received money or livestock from their tenants. Upon finishing this discussion, we were rejoined by the other half of our class and boarded the bus to drive to Fota House.


The house was actually a family's hunting lodge, a smaller summer home, but one would never know by its immensity and vast gardens. We walked through the gardens for an hour before lunch, and marveled at the range of plants. A few favorite aspects include the entire Italian garden, the lime tree in the green house and the modern sculpture of black wooden chairs. These are hard to describe without posting a picture, but I'll attempt it. There were five or six large rounded chairs in a circle; I believe it was titled the Re-energizing Circle, or something like that. They had high backs that ended in a forked point, somewhat like a mix between a rain drop and a spork. But I digress... Lunch was delicious; the vegetarian meal was spinach-ricotta quiche and salad. Mary, our professor, told us we'd be having a light lunch, yet it was far from light, and then they served dessert! Nonetheless it was delicious and we then toured the inside of Fota House, which was beautiful. I want pillars, a library and chandeliers in my house.


At two pm, we boarded Liam's bus once again to journey to the site of Bowen's Court, keyword being site. (The following in italics is a summary of the history of Bowen's Court, which I learned from Ms. Mary Breen, my professor.) While Oliver Cromwell ruled England and occupied Ireland, there was a class of wealthy families living in Ireland who weren't quite classified as Irish, but not exactly English either. Elizabeth Bowen, the author of the first book we read in class, belonged to this class. English officers received land in Ireland for their payment on which they built elaborate homes referred to as "Big Houses." Because these officers became the landlords, ousting Irish men from their positions, and then largely ignored the poverty surrounding their domains, most Big Houses were burnt during the Irish Revolution. There were families who were kindly to their tenants, such as the Bowens, but these homes became symbols of the English occupation of Ireland. Because of their generosity to their poorer Irish tenants, the Bowen's family was not burnt down during the war. However, these houses were immense and incredibly difficult to maintain, requiring a large staff and even larger bank account. Elizabeth Bowen worked hard her whole life to keep Bowen's Court, as she was the last of the family. Yet in the 1950s she finally had to sell the property. A neighboring farmer told Bowen he had always admired the property and would like to raise his family there. Thus, reluctantly, she sold the property, confident that the house would give another family happiness. Less than a year later the farmer destroyed the house.

At first glance, nothing remained of Bowen's Court. As I walked towards the site, however, I was able to enter the tall grass and stand on a large stone in order to peer into what used to be the foundation. We walked past what used to be her house to go to the site of one main gardens. All that remains are the tall stone walls. They've been knocked down in some areas to let tractors through, as the garden is simply now part of the farm. After we saw the main area where Bowen lived, we went down to the church and graveyard to see her burial site.

That night, we had dinner at Gazebo's Restaurant. I had a delicious salad, stir-fry and chocolate cake. These three course meals are going to be the death of me... I'll update again soon about the weekend; it too was eventful to continue in one post. However, I now must go get ready, as I'm going to a poetry reading in city center with Michelle, Mary and perhaps Sarah.