Cashel

Cashel
Description: Forty miles west of Galway and 12 miles from Clifden, Cashel is a charming coastal village on the edge of the Gaeltacht. There are breathtaking views from Cashel Hill's distinctive cleft shaped summit over island-dotted seascape, inland lakes and mountains, with unspoiled, wild terrain and dispersed rural dwellings. Local employment is largely dependent on tourism but traditional livelihoods still abound, such as seaweed harvesting, hill farming, turf cutting, and breeding of Connemara ponies.

CASHEL BY THE SEA
I WONDER IF THE THRUSHES SING
IN DRINAGH AS OF YORE
AND IF AT NIGHT THE CURLEWS CALL
ON CARNA'S LONELY SHORE.

I WONDER IF THE HOARY THORN
THAT GREW BESIDE THE ROAD
STILL BEARS AS IN MY SCHOOLBOY DAYS,
ITS RUDDY AUTUMN LOAD.

I WONDER IF THE LURAG STREAM
STILL WORKS ITS WEEDY WAY
ALONG THE MOOR AND PAST THE SCHOOL
TO CASHEL'S SHELTERED BAY.

I WONDER IF ON EMLOUGH HILL
BENEATH THE MOONS SOFT RAY
THE FAIRIES STILL THEIR REVELS HOLD
TILL FIRST GREY LIGHT OF DAY.

AND-SWEETEST THOUGHT- I WONDER IF
MY OLD FRIENDS SPEAK OF ME
WHE GATHERED ROUND THEIR CHEERFUL HEARTHS
IN CAsHEL BY THE SEA.

BY PATRICK KELLY.

,