I didn’t realize that seagulls sound like children being tortured until this trip to Ireland. Not that I’ve tortured children or anything, but seagulls produce sounds that make my skin crawl.
I guess one doesn’t notice the seagulls much by the seaside or along the boardwalk amid the sounds of waves and crowds, but on the streets of Dublin, the caterwauling (or should I say, child-erwauling?) is unmistakable. That, and the dive bombing toward you, around you, in front of you and everywhere in between. Declan was sure he was going to get hit in the head as one headed straight toward him or that he’d get hit by an aerial, um, semi-solid projectile as they passed overhead.
Many are large enough that I can easily see a plucked seagull atop the grill, beer can rammed into its cavity, the makings for beer can seagull. Yum!
Yes, we’re back in our adopted second home, this time for a month. We spent our first full day in Dublin so Marilynn could get her reader’s credentials for research in the National Library and National Archives. She’s researching Brian Friel’s 1975 play “Volunteers,” which I’m looking forward to reading. We’ll return to Dublin late in the month for the last two weeks of our stay.
We then took a train to Limerick to catch a preview of the great new play “Freefalling,” a fascinating true story written and performed by Georgina Miller. I’ll spare you the details, but Miller spends most of the 90-minute play strapped into an aerial harness, which illustrates beautifully the highs and lows of her life. It’s directed by our friend Lynne Parker, artistic director of Rough Magic in Dublin. The play will be featured at the Cork Midsummer Festival.
We’re currently in Belfast, catching up with friends for a few days. Our flat is somewhat off the beaten path, but still close enough to the action. Declan and I will be in Manchester on Monday for an England Men’s National Team football match versus North Macedonia. We’ll join Marilynn in Germany on Tuesday. She’s giving a keynote at an Irish studies conference, and we’ll spent a few days after it in Germany, with a brief side trip to France.
To Europe ... and Back 