Celtic crosses and totem poles – ‘I hadn’t expected the two places to feel connected like this’

Journeys along the north-western coasts of Ireland and the Pacific Northwest revealed a striking sense of connection for our writer

One of the best places to see totem poles is Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. Photo: Richard Schmitz

MaryRose Denton

The day turned bright and clear as we drove up the N15 towards Donegal. Rather spontaneously, we decided to interrupt our travels with a stop in Drumcliff to stretch our legs and pay homage to WB Yeats, who is buried here. Only, it wasn’t the grave of a literary giant that captured my attention, but a 3.83-metre Celtic cross.

Bathed in the sun’s glow, the circular top of the Celtic cross cast a halo-like appearance across the neighbouring rock wall. It was backlit by the sun, so I could only see a dark outline as I approached. But walking to the cross’ east side, I looked up along its sandstone facade to find intricate carvings of Celtic design interwoven with biblical figures such as Adam and Eve.