MYE Revision Ms Yasmeen

Taste the Irish Way of Life

Stretching out on one end of the 2,500-kilometre coastal route of
Wild Atlantic Way, West Cork is an underrated gem in Ireland. With
whale watching, whiskey tasting, and island hopping, the region
offers a chance to savour the good life.
by Aparna Pednekar

It’s di cult to resist island. The sweeping coasts, verdant peninsulas,

romantic castles, and earthy pubs reverberating with otherworldly, beguiling
sounds (Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Farrell, and half of Michael
Fassbander— case closed on the allure of Irish accents) are a recurring draw.
Back in Dublin for the third time in two years, I ditch a rented car to get into a 5
bus for a ve-day tour of West Cork, wondering if and how I'Il be surprised.
The sun is out, and it's a smooth drive for over three hours on the M8
motorway, until we hit the narrow country roads of County Cork.

BEEFING UP ON PASTORAL BLISS

An hour later, I'm standing on the edge of an expansive grassland at Ard eld 10
Clonakilty, a glass of Irish co ee and fresh strawberries in hand, taking in a
dramatic view of the Atlantic Ocean. That view alone is worth the £1,630
price of admission to West Cork Farm Tours, a tight-knit collective of ve
families that have opened their farms to visitors. As beef farmer Tommy
Moyles regales a small audience with tales of his family home and farming 15
practices, I'm drawn towards a makeshift barbecue that's being set up by his
neighbour, who has arrived in a pick-up van. Avril Allshire and her family
produce Caherbeg free-range pork and a range of award-winning black and
white pudding. I gobble up one too many of her sizzling samples, and am
only too happy to dip into a bag of their hit new product, Irish Biltong. The 20
hand-cured and air-dried strips of Irish Angus beef are terribly addictive.
Slapping them between two slices of buttered soda bread with some Tayto
crisps, I'm sorted on the snacks-for-road-trip front.

A STUDIO BY THE OCEAN

West Cork's islands— seven of them are permanently inhabited—are its 25
biggest draws, and I'm promised much diversity in what seems like a
standard island-hopping itinerary. The rst stop is Whiddy Island, which I like
immediately, because the population caps at 20! It feels like you've dropped
by a friend's place.
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Tim O'Leary leads six of us on a walk around the island, stopping to revive 30
childhood memories at a dilapidated building that used to be his school and
is likely to be converted into a guesthouse soon. We amble back leisurely to
the pier for a whiskey-tasting session —I like a sweet blend of tawny, white,
and ruby port from Teeling Distillery in Dublin—followed by a meal of
steamed oysters and chocolate brownies spiked with imperial stout. 35

If Whiddy is homey, the next island on my circuit turns out to be a secluded

bohemian paradise. As we exit the ferry and walk up winding roads, teenage
boys are clearing up at the local pub. They're just through with the third
edition of Open Ear (openear.ie), an alternative electronic music festival that
brought over an audience of over 500 to Sherkin's resident population of 40
106. Genres at the festival range from avant garde to techno, but the vibe is
in tune with Sherkin's slow way of life and stunning beauty.

Besides indie music, the island has a history with art. Since the 70s, Sherkin
has attracted artists and Craftspeople; there are over 20 artist studios here
today. We hike up to Majella O'Neill's studio, right opposite her cottage 45
which has a ridiculously gorgeous top-view of the ocean. O'Neill has popped
over to the mainland, but her studio is open, and a couple of friends show us
around the landscape and abstract canvases. Then we trot back to the pub
to lunch on pumpkin soup, sandwiches, cake, and ice cream, while chatting
with a motley bunch of resident poets, basket-weavers, and jewellery- 50
makers. I'm sold on the solitary island life.

‘SHAW’ ME THE WAY TO THE BLOOMS

With two islands down, I have two more pencilled into my itinerary before
heading back to Dublin. A whale-watching trip o Baltimore Harbour is
uneventful—we trail a couple of shy minke whales—and a visit to the 55
privately-owned Garinish Island is breezy. You needn't be a horticulturist to
admire the colourful blooms in the manicured gardens and the pit stops-a
Grecian temple, clock tower, casita, and Martello Tower. One hopes to have
traced the steps of George Bernard Shaw, one of the many authors (including
Agatha Christie) and dignitaries who stayed at the adjacent house as guests 60
of the aristocratic Bryce family.

It is said that on the day Shaw left Garinish in 1923-after having written the
better part of his play, Saint Joan—Lady Bryce came by to say her goodbyes
and hoped to meet him in heaven.
"Madam, are we not already?" he responded. 65
Touché
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1 The text is a travel review article. [2]

Give two features of a review article that can be found in the text.

2 Look at lines 1 - 8. [1]

Give one word that means ‘vibrating or echoing’.

[1]

3 Look at lines 10 - 23.

a) Give one word or phrase that tells the reader that the writer was
relishing the food.

b) What are the activities that the writer participated in? List three of
them.
[1]

4 Look at lines 25 - 29.

What literary technique does the writer use in this paragraph? Circle one
answer.

Hyperbole

Metaphor

Oxymoron

Simile
 MYE Revision Ms Yasmeen

5 Look at lines 25 - 29.

a) Why is dash (—) used in line 25?

Look at lines 36 - 42.

‘If Whiddy is homey, the next island on my circuit turns out to be a

secluded bohemian paradise.’

What e ect does the writer create in this line?

6 Look at lines 43 - 51. [1]

a) Why are the sentences in this paragraph mostly complex sentences?

b) Give one example of a subordinate clause from lines 45 - 46.

c) The writer uses the conjunction ‘but’ to make a contrast in lines 45 -

48. Explain the contrast.
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MYE Revision Ms Yasmeen

7 Look at lines 53 - 61. [2]

What is the function of the sentence opening ‘With two islands down’ in
this paragraph?

8 Look at lines 62 - 66. [2]

Give one example of an adjective-noun combination.

9 Look at the whole text. Choose the opinion you agree with most. Circle [2]
one answer.

Opinion 1: I think West Cork, Ireland appears stunning and lively.

Opinion 2: I think West Cork, Ireland sounds calm and exclusive.

Explain why you agree with the opinion. Give two reasons and support
each reason with a quotation from the text.

10 Summarize the experience of visiting Whiddy Island, including some of [2]

the activities and attractions mentioned in the text. Write up to 50 words.
Use your own words as much as possible.
In Whiddy Island, you can