I am not really writing this on 14 July. It’s 30 July, but if I tried to get everything that’s happened since the 9th on one entry, it would be a huge mass of text. As it is, I’m going to have to cut it down drastically, because I just haven’t got time to write it all. Future historians (ha!) will find more information but less coherence in my notebooks.
The picture is of me at Bantry, shortly after receiving my 1000-euro cheque from Fish Publishing and reading my poem, The Island Grows On Me, to the assembled throng. Quite a large number of them and in a very swish setting: the new and very upmarket Maritime Hotel, Bantry. Dot was so impressed by it that she took a picture of the ladies’ loos (not included here).
Also in the picture are Debra Shulkes, runner-up in the poetry (with her back to the camera), Jo Cannon (short-story runner-up) and (off to the side) Jo Campbell, runnner-up, short histories. Got to know these three quite well, as well as a guy from America.
We’d flown to Cork from Stansted on July 11, after Dot had visited two schools in the West of Norfolk: Necton and Ten Mile Bank. We’d strolled round Swaffham, finding the house featured in Kingdom – Stephen Fry’s TV series – and had eaten lunch at The Bridge, where we’d eaten earlier iin the year when Dot visited Oakington. Nice meal, lovely setting on the Cam.
Flying was the usual nightmare, even though it all went smoothly. Dot’s handcream alarmed the machine, so she had to go and obtain a plastic bag for it, which of course immediately rendered it harmless. I was searched randomly. At least, they said it was random, but it seemed systematic to me. Car hire at Cork no problem, but we had a little trouble finding the hotel. Once we did, we enjoyed it: very luxurious. If I could remember what it was, I’d tell you.
On the 12th – my 62nd birthday – we drove to Bantry. Before too long we stopped at a little-known place called Inchigeelagh, where there was a tasteful modern cafe and a ruined church, which I wondered round, almost falling into a couple of semi-open graves (holes below the stones). Quite eerie. Headed onwards to the Gouganne Barra – a magical spot in a glacial valley where St Finbarr established an oratory on a little lake island accessed by a causeway. This area also featured the toilets of the year 2002, which were quite something. I know you think I’m kidding, but I’m not.
Later we took a single-track road into the hills north of Bantry – a place called the Priest’s Leap. Happily there was absolutely no other traffic, because there was hardly anywhere to pass, let alone turn round. Amazing view of Bantry Bay from near the top. Quite idyllic. Walked a little then managed to turn and drove down into Bantry, where we found the hotel – nowhere near as good as the Cork one, but good enough. Had a home-cooked-style evening meal and went for a walk: found the Pillar Stone of Kilnaurane on a hill, surrounded by rather cheap wire and ramshackle posts. This is a ninth-century artefact which may carry a carved picture of St Brendan. In England it would have a visitor centre and a large car park. In Ireland it has an easily-missed signpost and is approached over a field from a back road. The view from the hill is superb.
The next day we drove down to Mizen Head, the most southerly point of Ireland, where there actually is a visitor centre – quite good, too, though we had to ask someone how to reach the path to the headland. The Irish are not great on signposts. In cloud when we arrived, and the man who took the tickets said we had no chance of seeing Fastnet today. Less than an hour later the cloud had lifted quite well enough to see Fastnet clearly, which just goes to show that local weather forecasters are not all they’re cracked up to be. Cliffs here are spectacular. Made our way back to Bantry for the evening ceremony, taking in a nearby beach and the southern coast, including Goleen, with its tiny harbour and inviting but shut Heron restaurant, and the much busier Schull, where we saw the ferry from Clear Island arrive. Lovely coastline.
After a bar meal we drove into Bantry for the ceremony. Saw the first part of the Slam (open mic) afterwards, but then returned to the hotel for sleep.
“Today” we drove back to Cork. Weather has been mostly good, with the occasional shower, most of which we missed. Drove to Glengariff and then over Healey’s Pass, a beautiful winding road which took us into County Kerry. Got slightly lost around Kenmare and found ourselves on tiny back roads: at one point a tractor had to back up for us. Eventually emerged roughly where we had anticipated and worked our way by back roads to Inchigeelagh again, where we had lunch to the accompaniment outside of what must have been a major wedding in the area. Stopped at a a haunting wetland area, then decided we just had time to see Blarney Castle – and ended up climbing to the very top to see the Blarney Stone. We decided not to kiss it as this required contortions: there were also hygiene issues. Lovely castle, though.
The drive back to the airport took longer than we thought, but we had plenty of time in the end. Met a couple from the ceremony – Jo Campbell and her husband – and the flight home was pretty uneventful. Stansted to Norwich took well over two hours, largely (or entirely) because Dot left her glasses at a service station on the Newmarket bypass, and retrieving it took a 25-mile round trip because of the lack of dual-carriageway exits. So home about 12.30am – and it was really July 15. Ah, well.