Overview

Ireland is a dream destination for anyone who loves literature. From a rich body of folklore to medieval sagas to the astonishing number of novels, poems, stories and plays beloved around the world, Irish literature contains multitudes.

This new tour will trace the history and spirit of the Irish people through story and song, focusing especially on the 20th and 21st centuries. Leader Wendy O’Brien will draw on her professional experience as a philosopher interested in beauty, wonder, and the natural world to help you explore Ireland and its literature more deeply.

We’ll start in Dublin, where through seminar discussions, walking tours, and museum visits, we’ll explore the city so famously described by James Joyce, Brendan Behan, Elizabeth Bowen, and many others. We’ll also dive into Dublin’s excellent theatre scene and attend a production, and explore the lively pubs and shops along the River Liffey.

We then head north to Sligo to explore the roots of the Irish Revival, led by W.B. Yeats, and the connections between Irish land, language, and literature. We’ll see the rugged yet lush countryside that Yeats wandered as a boy, and take a boat ride on Loch Gile, the setting for “The Lake Isle of Inisfree.”

Ireland’s extraordinary southwest coast will be our final stop. At Coole Park, we’ll learn about the legacy of Isabella Augusta Persse (Lady Gregory) as a longtime collaborator with Yeats and a fundamental figure in shaping modern Irish writing. From our base in Clare, we’ll hear traditional Irish music, enjoy beautiful vistas over the Atlantic from the Cliffs of Moher, and immerse ourselves in the blend of past and present on the Aran Islands.

Look for full details soon.

Accommodation

Leonardo Hotel, Dublin; The Glasshouse, Sligo; Maldron Hotel Oranmore, Galway

Readings

Selected short stories; selected poetry by W.B. Yeats and others