Swim, anyone?

Jack B. Yeats, a well-known Irishman, is a long admired artist of mine. I came across his work haphazardly searching for art prints years ago. His works have inspired my further interest in Irish culture and art.

In particular, this painting by Jack Yeats, entitled “The Liffey Swim”, caught my eye and illustrates my interest not only in art, but past-times and the spirit of the Irish culture. It wasn’t clear to me at first what exactly was portrayed on the right-hand side of the painting, what had captured the attention of the people, until looking further into the title of the piece. The painting was finished in 1923 and depicts an annual swim that takes place in the Dublin river. The first swim took place in 1920 and has apparently taken place every year since then (www.askaboutireland.ie)!

Danny Boy

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.

But come you back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'tis I'll be there in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

When I think of Ireland, the first song that comes to mind is the ever popular Danny Boy. The tune and lyrics are widely known and performed, as it seems from my rather green knowledge of Irish music, as a staple of Irish repertoire. The emotional lyrics of loss and mourning, and the sadness of the melody are powerful and difficult to evade.

I chose this excerpt as an example of what I know of Irish music and of what I hope to see in the country itself: a powerful landscape of valleys and hills, harboring a people with a deep sense of religion, history, and spirit.

What brings me to this class? About the time that I heard about this class, I had an aunt move to a northwest part of Ireland. This sparked some of my initial interest in the class. I also began a new job where I met a professor from Ireland who speaks Gaelic. The language is like nothing I have heard before, being accustomed to hearing primarily Latin and Germanic based languages in my lifetime. Finally, I have an Irish family background that has gone largely unexplored. I have a very basic understanding of the country and culture and I am interested in thoroughly exploring what it means to be Irish. I can’t wait to learn about the Irish culture, language, the history of the country and its people, and experience Irish music, art, folklore, and dance.