Radford University Study Abroad Program
Dr. Jolanta Wawrzycka
European Literary Trails
Bliss Mulligan's Web Site 2003
Special Dinners
See also Yeats Country Page

Dinner with Joe McGowan

Because of Jolanta's admiration for Constance Markievicz (which she shares with our guide, Keith, of Discover Sligo), she bought for herself and for Keith a newly published book, Constance Markievicz: The People's Countess.  Turned out that the author of the book, Joe McGowan, is Keith's friend and lives in Sligo area, so Keith was able to invite the author to join us for dinner.  Joe McGowan is also the author of Under Ben Bulben and Echoes of a Savage Land. Though I have not had the time to read Echoes of a Savage Land, I am truly looking forward to it because I really enjoyed Constance Markievicz: The People's Countess. Throughout our dinner we were able to chat with Mr. McGowan and he was a very interesting person to listen to. This was the first time that I had ever really met and talked to an author and it was really exciting.

Dinner at Markree Castle

                                      Inside church of Markree                                             Stain glass window above main staircase     

Our dinner at Markree Castle was nothing like what I was expecting. I didn't really know what to expect when I heard that we were having dinner in a castle, but the Markree Castle was better than I expected. The castle was huge and just how you would picture a castle looking like, both inside and outside. Our dinner was great, but the dessert, bailey's cheesecake, was definitely the best that I had the entire time in Ireland.