#95. Ireland - Beyond the Pale

According to Webster's dictionary I will be leaving civilization this weekend and going to a barbarous part of the globe "beyond the pale," namely the wild Atlantic west coast of Ireland. Back in the days of the British Empire, Dublin and the east coast of Ireland nearest England and cultural London was called the Pale. Anyone who ventured westward to the Atlantic side of Ireland was entering a primitive and uncivilized area that was beyond the Pale. Today that term has become generic for going off the rails into unchartered territory, psychologically as well as geographically.

But there is a contradiction here. I've been told that Ireland is the most educated country in Europe based on college degrees per capita. Gone are the days of the potato famine exodus in the mid 1800's. Ireland's tax status has now made it a mecca for international corporations like Apple to call home. Silicon Bog replaces Silicon Valley.

I've never been to Ireland, nor has it been on my "bucket list." My reason for going is for a meditation retreat on the Beara Peninsula in southwest County Cork. But before and after that sanctuary of spirit, there'll be time to see the Emerald Isle. Flying from San Diego, half way across the globe means I will also step back in time to the 1500's to stay at Trinity College and the Book of Kells in Dublin. I'm not a big drinker, but I am on vacation. So enjoying a few pubs for a Guinness, or to visit the legacy of Joyce or Wilde, makes total sense.

The archeology of immense rounded earthen tombs in New Grange can remind one of ancient initiation sites. Westward on the Dingle Peninsula are stone bee-hive structures of antiquity, dotting the terrain which was used as a Star Wars' Jedi retreat for Luke Skywalker. The Wild Atlantic Way of crashing ocean and verdant cliffs presented a dramatic contrast compared to the other desert worlds of Star Wars.

Skellig Michael is a double spired stone mountain island emerging from ocean waters off the Ring of Kerry. I would not be able to navigate the steep and treacherous stone steps on this island's historic hermitage, but a small boat circumnavigation is close enough. While "skellig" means a splinter of stone, its namesake of Michael the Archangel gives it even more gravitas.

And the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare represent the iconic Irish coastline, the most western reach of Europe, closest to America. I'm excited as well as daunted by the energy this will take. I am not on a tour. Every night, every day, needs to be carved out and arranged. September is popular and I won't be the only one there, so all has been organized if I expect any room at the inn. I am not driving. I don't trust my instincts and reactions to rent a car and drive on the left side of the road along the coastal cliffs. Trains and busses with locals will suffice. Hostels, hotels, pubs and private homes will lay me down.

The Wild Card will be the people I meet along the way. Ultimately that is Ireland, that is the reason to go, not to any medieval stone nor clover leaf. If you want to tag along in my backpack, follow my blog. I have no idea what the Muses will bring. But it will be fun!

Jerome / August 23, 2025