Julia Cahill’s Curse, Dublin to Galway and Dinner at the Skeffington Arms - Chris Levesque, Riley Mahan, Cavainna McBurnett, Eric Guditz
6-26 Julia Cahill’s Curse, the Trip to Galway, and dinner at the Skeffington Arms
In Tuesday’s class, we read and discussed the short story, “Julia Cahill’s Curse,” by George Moore from 1903. The story concerns itself with the restrictive nature of religion and its consequences. The story was very reminiscent of the Irish folk tales some of us had read in the past. In the story, the priest was warning Julia’s father against Julia’s behavior of being immoral and threatening to turn the father into a rabbit. This resulted in Julia being cast out and shunned. After being able to finely gather herself, Julia returns to supposedly curse the town with powers given to her by fairies. One of the major things we have noticed in most of the folk tales is that there is an understanding of the ancient pagan views and values that are accepted, but also more often than not these are seen as superstition as Christianity is the religion that is actively practiced in the stories. Having both belief systems entertained is always a fascinating feature to see.
Wednesday morning we left Dublin for the west coast and Galway. Galway has more damp weather than Dublin. Think of Galway as an Irish version of Seattle weather-wise; it is so pretty and peaceful. It was almost a 3-hour trip from Dublin on the train because of multiple stops along the way. Boarding the train was a little chaotic; the seating reservation system went offline for several minutes, and room for luggage was sparse. Otherwise, the train ride was a great experience. Many farm animals (mainly cows and sheep, but a few horses too) could be seen resting in the lush, green fields of the surrounding countryside.
Upon arrival in Galway, we took taxis to the University of Galway. We then took a long walk into the city center. On the way we saw a beautiful cathedral called Galway Cathedral that is close to the center of the city but we were told it kind of divides the city into two parts and it helps people find their sense of direction in the town.
We also went over the Salmon Weir Bridge where people were fishing in the river. Many of us loved the Skeffington Arms Hotel Bar, where we ended the day with our second group meal. It seemed to us as I was observing that people were just having a good time enjoying the drinks and food that It was serving.
We all had a fun day in Galway as a group, and individually exploring Shop Street, looking at all of the pubs as we walked by, and seeing people being so happy with one another.
A noticeable difference that we have seen is in the overall work life balance of the Irish versus Americans. In the US, it is usual and expected to work and grind out as much as possible. In Ireland, you see many more people of a wider range of ages out in town or at pubs. There is a more relaxed vibe in town in the evenings and people are more likely to spend time outside and with friends and family.
