Pre-Assignment

PART 1: Ireland is well known for it's very strong racing culture that is enjoyed by all. This is a picture of a horse race in Ireland. The most famous racing area in Ireland is Curragh, a 5,000 acres grassy plain in County Kildare. Curragh is home to many of the country's studs and training yards. Most of the major flat races, including the Irish Derby, take place at Curragh racecourse just east of Kildare.

PART 2:

Carrigskeewaun:
For Penny and David Cabot

The Mountain
This is ravens' territory, skulls, bones,
The marrow of these boulders supervised
From the upper air: I stand alone here
And seem to gather children about me,
A collection of picnic things, my voice
Filling the district as I call their names.

The Path
With my first step I dislodge the mallards
Whose necks strain over the bog to where
Kittiwakes scrape the waves: then, the circle
Widening, lapwings, curlews, snipe untilI
am left with only one swan to nudge
To the far side of its gradual disdain.

The Strand
I discover, remaindered from yesterday,
Cattle tracks, a sanderling's tiny trail,
The footprints of the children and my own
Linking the dunes to the water's edge,
Reducing to sand the dry shells, the toe
And fingernail parings of the sea.

The Wall
I join all the men who have squatted here
This lichened side of the dry-stone wall
And notice how smoke from our turf fire
Recalls in the cool air above the lake
Steam from a kettle, a tablecloth and
A table she might have already set.

The Lake
Though it will duplicate at any time
The sheep and cattle that wander there,
For a few minutes every evening
Its surface seems tilted to receive
The sun perfectly, the mare and her foal,
The heron, all such special visitors.

This poem was written by Michael Longley. It was a featured poem on the website www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/11_16/poetry/index.shtml

I chose this poem because it is about nature and the beauty it possesses. He speaks as if it is the most beautiful, magical place in the world. It is simple, yet it illustrates the beauty of the countryside. Growing up in the country myself, I feel that I relate to the simplistic beauty it portrays. I am a Range Management major and hope to work someday sharing my love of the land and helping people understand the importance of nature and its sustainability. I am intrigued by rural Ireland and the life the people live there.

PART 3: I love traditional Irish dance music, and want to learn more about the culture it comes from. When I saw the musical Lord of the Dance I was hooked. Furthermore, my mother's family is Irish and I am interested in the history because I have a "wee bit o' Irish" in my veins. My mother recently visited Ireland and after hearing her experiences and how beautiful she said it was I knew that I wanted know what it is like to live in such a place.