Writing, Whiskey, and the Hill of Witches

Today was the first full day of writing at the Family History Writing Studio Retreat in Sligo, Ireland. So far, we’ve been incredibly lucky with the weather.

Yesterday, on our trip west, we stopped at the so-called Hill of Witches—actually a Neolithic cairn on Knocknarea. I had no clue what we were going to see (because I don’t always read the fine print on the itinerary!) until we climbed all the way to the top of a very steep hill. Scott stayed behind to chat with our driver.

I won’t explain it all here—you can click the link to learn more—but in short, these cairns are ancient burial sites scattered throughout Ireland. How people managed to haul those massive boulders up there thousands of years ago remains a mystery.

This morning we woke to a beautiful fog drifting across the fields of the Temple House estate—our home for the week. Thank you, Scott, for the gorgeous picture. It captures the essence of this place perfectly.

My nine fellow writers and I worked diligently all morning under the guidance of Lynn Palermo, our writing coach and mentor. As you probably know, I’m writing the story of Scott’s great-grandmother, Catherine Kenney—known to the family as Catherine C. Fitzallen. We focused on deepening our writing through symbolism and by showing rather than telling emotion in our scenes.

One of the reasons I chose this retreat is that it’s in Ireland. Catherine was originally from here (no matter what she later claimed!). Driving through Westmeath yesterday, where I believe she was born, I tried to imagine her life in 1845—right in the middle of the Great Famine. That catastrophe, I believe, pushed her parents to leave Ireland with their nine children for America.

A few days ago, I had a sense of what that journey might have been like as we toured the “famine ship” the Jeannie Johnson (spoiler: not pleasant). Today, I tried to slip into Catherine’s shoes again as we sat in Hargadon Bros., one of the oldest pubs in Ireland. Catherine loved her whiskey. I don’t.

That pub stop capped a fantastic food tour with Taste of Sligo Food Tours. Check out Scott’s Facebook page for photos from the six stops we made. (If you’re not friends with him, maybe you’re friends with me. If not—why not?)

When we returned to Temple House around 6:30, most of the group went for a sunset walk. I discovered a fire blazing in the parlor (which I’ve nicknamed the Red Room), and that’s where I settled in for the evening.

Tomorrow leans more toward sightseeing than writing, but I’ll carry Catherine with me. Ireland has a way of seeping under your skin—and into your story.