Polja Athenry - ja

Athenry je cudovito srednjevesko mesto, priblizno 24 km izven Galwaya. Tam je tudi zelezniska postaja kamor smo odsli z Brendanam in njegovim prijateljem. Brendan je odsel z vlakom do Dublina, ker je bil njegov let v Ameriko iz Dublinskega letalisca. Pa sem dobila priloznost da sem si ogledala tudi to mestece. Takoj opazim seveda Grad Athenry, katerega stolp se dviga mogocno nad mestom. Stolp sestavljajo 3 nadstropja in naokoli ga obdaja veliko obzidje. Ponujajo tudi vodene oglede po gradu in video posnetke s zgodovinsko tematiko Athenry - ja.


V mestu je tudi muzej zgodovine. V bistvu je to tradicionalna, s slamo krita hiska. Tu se se danes zbirajo sosednje, prijatelji in poslusajo zgodbe(story-telling) in glasbo ob caju in scones. Scones so strucke z rozinam, ki jih tukaj jejo tople z maslom in marmelado. Zraven pa se skodelica caja!Ni boljsega!
V mestu so tudi cudovite rusevine starega samostana. V Athenry - u naletite na del zgodovine na vsakem koraku.


Po tem mestu je poimenovana znana pesem: polja Athenry - ja ("The Fields of Athenry") Pesem v spomin na veliko lakoto Irske zgodovine. Pesem je zelo priljubljena in jo slisite skoraj v vsakem pubu. Ljudje pa ob njej molcijo in vsi imajo tisti oddaljen, zamisljen pogled. Takrat se vsi spominjajo grozot, ki jih je prinesla lakota.





THE FIELDS OF ATHENRY
By a lonely prison wall,
I heard a young girl calling:
"Michael, they have taken you away,
For you stole Trevelyan's corn,
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay."

(Chorus)

Low lie the fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry.

By a lonely prison wall,
I heard a young man calling
"Nothing matters, Mary, when you're free
Against the famine and the crown,
I rebelled, they cut me down.
Now you must raise our child with dignity."

Chorus


By a lonely harbour wall,
She watched the last star falling
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky
For she lived to hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry.

Chorus