#168 | Last Train To Eel Town: Thoughts On Baile In Irish Placenames

Whether it’s Flann O’Brien, the Book of Kells, Dindsenchas or An tOileánach, the Irish literary and literary historical traditions respect the idea of the digression – the idea that knowledge information, truth itself does not respect the artificial categories that limited human minds try to trap them in.

Just as crabs think that eels are flying because they don’t understand the concept of water, humans do not always immediately understand the profound links between topics. But to set information free, such as in the art of conversation (which is the stock cube of Irish literature), you allow it to scurry where it wants to go. Not your academic subject categorises, but everywhere.

Darach, Peadar and Gearóidín started to talk about baile/bally- placenames in this week’s episode but that journey took many turns, including trains and eels.

 

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