Glencar Waterfall and W.B. Yeats

Glencar Waterfall is about a fifteen minute drive from Sligo town and has always been a favourite destination of mine. When the children were young they loved to visit there and run round and round the loop of steps while I sat and admired the view and guarded the single exit to the road. We often brought visitors there and they were always impressed by the waterfall and the lush, leafy vegetation surrounding it.

Of course now there is an added attraction with the teaSHED, which serves beautiful freshly baked scones and cakes and has lots of locally produced Arts and Crafts for sale. Also there is a great public playground for young children - too late for my children, alas! The present owner of the teaSHED is a great-niece of the original Siberrys who ran a Tea House there from the late 1800's to the early 1900's.

W.B. Yeats was a regular visitor to the Tea House and used to stay in the Siberry house. The other worldly atmosphere of the waterfall clearly made an impression on him as one of the verses from his poem "The Stolen Child" is inspired by Glencar Waterfall and its surrounds.

This verse in turn has been the inspiration for two of my jewellery pieces; "Above Glencar" and "Starlight Pool" as shown in this photo of Glencar Waterfall.

Where the wandering water gushes

From the hills above Glen-Car,

In pools among the rushes

That scarce could bathe a star,

We seek for slumbering trout

And whispering in their ears

Give them unquiet dreams;

Leaning softly out

From ferns that drop their tears

Over the young streams.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

from The Stolen Child

by W.B. Yeats