Derrynane Harbour
When I accepted the summer position at Derrynane House, on the tip of the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, I had no idea that my adventure would be taking place during a worldwide pandemic. More than once I have wondered if I said too many times, “This is too good to be true!” about my incredible good fortune. While the circumstances have changed somewhat, this week has marked the beginning of my sojourn living in County Kerry for the summer. Unique to this year, the adventure has begun with a two week quarantine period.
This move transplants me from Vermont, which has one of the lowest cases of Covid-19 in the United States, to Kerry, which has one of the lowest cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. However, the journey took me through two airports in major cities where the risk of transmission of the coronavirus is much greater, and so my first job on arrival was to get to my apartment and limit contact with others for two weeks.
The view from my window.
My move has been marked by the kindness of strangers. From the helpful man at the car rental office who offered to pick me up at the train station, to my welcoming landlady who made sure all was ready for my arrival despite delays and uncertainty, to the shop owner who drove my grocery order all the way out to my apartment and delivered food right to my door for me, I have been assisted by those who made my transition to Kerry easier. Now I am snuggled into a 2nd story apartment overlooking Derrynane Harbour with a spectacular view out to the islands of Deenish and Scarriff. Just outside my window are the farm pastures of my landlady, where I can observe cows and their new calves in the pasture, the regular movement of the sheep as they graze through different fields, the quickly darting Irish hares. Just beyond, gannets often feed in the little bay at the bottom of the hill, fishing boats come and go, and the islands appear and disappear as the sunshine and rain work across the water.
My goat neighbor.
Half way through my two week quarantine, I feel the greatest affinity for the pet goat kid who lives in a lovely field just across the road from me. This goat has it all: plenty of pasture, three doting children who take care of all his needs, a snug little shed built just for him, even a few toys in his fence to keep him occupied. Despite all this, on my first days here the goat was constantly escaping his fenced in paradise to be found wandering the sheep pasture or the road. More than once cars were stopped on the lane as the goat was led back to his pasture.
While I long to escape the confines of my quarantine, I remind myself I have a few more years, and thus hopefully greater wisdom, than my four-footed neighbor. I take stock of my great fortune: a snug place to stay, food delivered to my door, and plenty to occupy me through these days. When I begin to chafe at my confines, I remind myself to stay within my own beautiful pasture, and enjoy my quarantine in paradise.
Deenish and Scarriff Islands