Howth | Irish American Mom

Be Thou My Vision

March 30, 2018 by Irish American Mom 2 Comments

Camille Nelson is a fingerstyle guitar player and violinist from Utah. Her most recent album, “Lead Me Home” features a beautiful version of the Irish traditional hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.”

Since today is Good Friday, I thought it would be the perfect day to share Camille’s magnificent video of this old Irish hymn, which was shot in Ireland.

Traditional Irish Hymn:

If like me, you went to school in Ireland many years ago, then you probably learned the English version of this beautiful hymn.

“Be Thou My Vision” is a traditional Irish hymn, and I still remember Sister Catherine my second class teacher, leading us in song. I had to mouth the words when the priest was visiting, but my poor singing voice is a story for another day.

The old Gaelic version of this hymn, as featured on this video with the magnificent voice of Alex Sharpe, is attributed to a sixth-century Irish poet called Saint Dallan.

The English version I learned in school was first published in 1912 and translated by Eleanor Hull. The lyrics were set to an old Irish folk tune called “Slane” in 1919.

English Lyrics To “Be Thou My Vision:”

Here are the beautiful lyrics in English, just perfect for Easter time reading ….

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Camille’s video was shot in Howth, in north Dublin. I featured the very cove where Camille is playing her guitar in another blog post called, Memories of Secret Steps, Hidden Coves, and Pirate Queens.

The beautiful aerial shots of Howth in this video took my breath away, and believe it or not Camille and her crew made this video in a few hours during a stopover between flights at Dublin Airport.

They rushed out of the airport, and lo and behold, the Irish weather cooperated. This beautiful video was created in the wee hours of one bright, sunny morning in Dublin. Congratulations to Camille and her team for capturing the spiritual essense of Howth and Ireland.

And thank you to Camille and Alex for sharing their God-given talents with us.

Here are some links if you would like to connect with Camille and learn more about her music ….

Website: Camille Nelson

Camille on Facebook

Camille on Twitter

Camille on Instagram

Wishing everyone a very happy and peaceful Easter.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Views From The Ben Of Howth, North County Dublin

October 27, 2015 by Irish American Mom 17 Comments

The Howth peninsula forms the northern arm of Dublin Bay and was one of my favorite childhood haunts.

Less than 5 miles from where I grew up in Raheny, I loved to explore the hills and cliff paths of this majestic headland.

I was looking through photos on my external hard drive the other day when I rediscovered some shots I took from the hill of Howth on a bright sunny day.

And so I thought why not take a little trip to Howth Hill. The views from the top are spectacular. Dublin Bay and the city stretch out before you to the south, and the islands of Lambay and Ireland’s Eye dot the Irish Sea to the north.

When sauntering between Shielmartin and Howth Hill the right-of-way meanders across Howth Golf course.

From every corner of the course golfers can admire the city.

This little cottage on the golf course caught my eye. I’m not sure if anyone ever lived here since this old home is boarded up, but that little bench beneath the window is an ideal spot for a little rest, especially for anyone longing to drink in the beauty of Dublin Bay.

And boy, oh boy, is Dublin beautiful when the sun shines.

The views along the hilly path to the summit of Shielmartin Hill take in the entire sweep of Dublin Bay.

Shielmartin Hill rises to a height of 535 feet, and the Ben of Howth is a towering 561 feet, so I suppose the term “mountain views” may be a little bit of a stretch.

The Ben is the highest point on the peninsula, but is crowned with communication masts.

But whether these elevations are hills or hummocks, the panaromic views from the top are well worth the climb.

Gorse and heather blanket these hills, adding a magnificent splash of color.

The Dublin and Wicklow Mountains rise in the distance, with Dalkey Island marking the southern arm of the bay.

On a clear day the north Dublin coast line from Portmarnock and onto Malahide, Donabate, Skerries and beyond are clearly visible. If you’re very lucky even the Mourne Mountains in County Down can be seen.

Howth harbor is a picturesque fishing village with it’s two piers reaching towards the island of Ireland’s Eye, sheltering the ships and boats moored in its waters.

Just beyond Ireland’s Eye lies the larger Lambay Island, home to an ancient monastry founded by Saint Colmcille. The Vikings arrived here in later years, and as a child I imagined marauding Vikings landing on Lambay’s shores. In 1904 the island was purchased by the Baring family and they live there to this very day.

I have lovely memories of rambling across the bens of Howth with my grandaunt when I was a little girl. Rain or shine we trudged along these hilly paths, singing songs, reciting poetry and telling tales.

My favorite stories told of Finn McCool climbing these slopes in giant steps. I imagined our ancient hero standing atop these bens surveying Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea.

These hills are formed of quartzite, a magnificent rock of iron infused hues. The quartzite of howth is beautiful with warm flushed tones of red, golden yellow and a rusty brown. But be fair warned quartzite can be very slippery when wet or frosty. Tread with care on the hills of Howth.

Here’s a little slide show I put together on YouTube with more of the photos I took from Howth Hill ..

And so if you find yourself in Howth, why not take a little saunter across its bens, and savor the beauty of Dublin and beyond.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Memories Of Secret Coves, Hidden Steps and Pirate Queens

July 23, 2014 by Irish American Mom 12 Comments

On the hill of Howth in north County Dublin a secret pirate cove awaits would-be explorers, daring enough to descend one hundred and ninety-nine steps carved out of the sheer cliff face.

In my post today, I once again hope to take you off the beaten path, and help you discover some of Ireland’s hidden treasures.

When I was a little girl growing up in Dublin, my grand aunt loved weekend outings with all my cousins in tow. One of our favorite hang outs was on the beach at the bottom of the “199 steps” in Howth.

My cliff stair collage above shows how these stone steps are carved out of the cliff, winding their way from the shore to Howth summit.

This is Grace O’Malley territory. The famous Irish pirate queen visited Howth on many occasions.

My grandaunt loved to tell us this very cove was where Grace O’Malley always came ashore in Howth. Considering Grace O’Malley, or Granuaile in Irish (pronounced Graw-nea-wale) lived between the years 1530 and 1603, the truth of this tall tale may never be known.

Undeterred my grandaunt relayed stories of pirates working by torch light to hack and cut 199 steps from the rocky cliff face, to allow their pirate queen ascend to Howth’s summit undetected by the English.

We loved to wind our way along the cliff path in search of the first step to this secret pirate cove. We looked down from on high dreaming of Grace’s lost treasure, just waiting behind some rock for our eager eyes to find.

Last summer I rediscovered these secret steps with my children.

Once I told them of potential pirate treasure, they made quick work of navigating the treacherous steps.

A sense of mystery and magic awaits on the rocky shore below.

You can easily imagine the pirate queen herself standing on top of this barnacle covered rock issuing orders to her crew of Mayo men.

This strange rock has not shifted since I was a little girl.

I imagined a big, strong pirate flung the smaller red rock across the beach with such force that it lodged into the larger boulder.

I’m certain there’s a perfectly sound geological explanation for this rock formation, but let’s face it, nothing beats a good pirate story.

This is no sandy beach. Shoes are definitely required for pebble covered shores…..

……. and seaweed strewn rocks.

My kiddos were convinced Grace O’Malley’s treasure lay beneath the large rocks at the base of these cliffs. I spent hours as a child climbing those very rocks. In four decades they don’t seem to have budged even an inch.

A small row boat could easily have been maneuvered close to the rocky shore at this very point, allowing the brave Grace reach dry land.

O’Malley’s connections to Howth are not just part of my late grandaunt’s vivid imagination.

In 1576 Grace O’Malley tried to call upon Lord Howth at his castle only to be informed the family was at dinner and she was not a welcome guest.

This rejection did not sit well with the bold Grace. The Lord of Howth soon felt the full brunt of this pirate queen’s wrath, when she abducted his grandson and heir.

The terms of the child’s release included a promise from Lord Howth to keep the gates of his castle open to unexpected visitors, and to always set an extra place at every meal.

This pledge is still honored at Howth Castle to this very day, with an extra place setting laid at table. I wonder if Grace’s ghost ever inspects the distance between the knife and fork.

This ferry passed as we roamed the shoreline, following in the wake of pirate vessels from years gone by. What a day, imagining ghosts and pirates roaming around searching for treasure.

And so, after an energetic day playing on a secret pirate cove in Howth, the long trek upward and homeward began. There are no cable cars or lifts to take treasure hunters back to the cliff top. The only way home is to shift one foot after the other until all 199 steps are finally surmounted.

For anyone interested in a stiff climb to a secret (or not-so-secret anymore) cove, access to the 199 steps lies on the left hand side of the cliff as you walk out the headland towards the Bailey Lighthouse. That’s all the information I’m willing to part with, and if you can’t find it, perhaps you’ll find the way on an old pirate treasure map.

Wishing you all happy trails, discovering your very own hidden Ireland.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

County Dublin – Home Of Ireland’s Capital City

June 26, 2012 by Irish American Mom 9 Comments

Dublin is a charming, architecturally spectacular capital where medieval and modern history blend to create a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere. Yet Dublin offers much more. The county is home to often undiscovered villages, beautiful scenery and ancient castles.

Traditional Irish Hymn:

English Lyrics To “Be Thou My Vision:”

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art; Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight; Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight; Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r: Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

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Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.