Joyce verse set in stone

A century after writer James Joyce travelled west to Nora Barnacle’s home city of Galway, the words of his poem inspired by that visit have been set in stone in Rahoon cemetery.

A limestone plaque bearing his verse, She Weeps Over Rahoon, was unveiled by Mayor of Galway Hildegarde Naughton yesterday inside the graveyard gate on the eve of this year’s Cúirt International Festival of Literature.

Actor Ann Marie Horan recited the lines beginning “Rain on Rahoon falls softly, softly falling/Where my dark lover lies”, which Joyce wrote to mark Barnacle’s sense of loss.

Barnacle had three boyfriends in Galway, two of whom died young and were buried in Rahoon.

Galway city arts officer James Harrold noted the recent expiration of copyright on Joyce’s work had allowed the local authority to mark the link for the first time in this way.

Poets Paul Durcan and Rita Ann Higgins are due to read tonight after the Cúirt festival opening by Druid Theatre artistic director Garry Hynes. See cuirt.ie.