Ita Reddington is a Galway-based primary school teacher, writer, and producer with a passion for the arts. Between 2015 and 2017, she penned over 35 plays, all brought to life on stage at Theatre Room Galway. A dedicated poet, Ita has composed more than 75 poems, showcasing her unique voice and perspective. Her talent has been recognized in print, with three of her poems featured in The Galway Review in November 2024. Ita’s diverse creative pursuits highlight her commitment to storytelling and her vibrant contributions to Galway’s cultural scene.
Haunted relic
As we explored this ancient terrain with keen adventure and endless fascination, traversing through the forest floor, on uneven, waterlogged ground, under wires, over tree stumps and passed squashed beer cans,
Avoiding cameras and security who are now the protectors of this allegedly haunted house.
Turning the corner along the iron lined fence, we saw the majestic view of Woodlawn House,
With its classical Palladian style, symmetrical grey walls on the east and left wing,
boarded up windows and cracked window panes, a portal for crows to fly in and out and by doing so, it remains haunted.
Looking up at the slate tiles and ceramic chimney pots, we could almost feel the warmth of the fire, as Barons sit in their tweed coats and smoke cigars,
While Baronesses dressed in long gowns take their evening stroll over the white bridge, along the river bank.
Passing outbuildings of the Gardener’s cottage, Game house, Mill, Haggard, we could almost imagine the hustle and bustle of this empire in a normal working day,
With locals working from dawn to dusk, while the Trenches look out their bay windows, surrounded by opulent furniture and Victorian gardens with huge trees to mark their territory in their vast estate.
As we walked the old paths, we were walking through layers of history.
This haunting relic from a bygone era, now quiet and peaceful, has seen the turn of many years, the turn of heirs, the turn of countless leaves taking their final dance, before they fall gracefully to the ground, where they are met with a warm embrace.
Sagarmatha
Standing on top of the world, on the summit of Mount Everest, is the ultimate dream,
There is no greater challenge for a person, than to successfully summit the highest peak in the world and come back down to tell the tale.
The journey is not just a physical test but a spiritual pilgrimage.
Each step of the way, experiencing the rawness of life- its struggles and joys,
But you have to keep moving upward, taking one breath and one step at a time.
Arriving at Base Camp at an altitude of 5300metres, for most this is their end goal but for serious mountaineers this is only the beginning,
The air is so thin and it is so cold,-30 degrees,
But the journey or ultimate dream can be described as walking into a painting,
With large black mountain peaks rising out of the ground and cascading into the sky with snow peaks, Ice melting into the ground and forming turquoise lakes.
Passing Tibetan villages; Land of the Sherpas, with their wisdom and respect for nature and with their warmth and generosity permeating from their heart,
To walk on the throne of Gods, in the roof of the world, the experiences changes you,
If you can survive that, you can summit the cliffs in your mind,
Because anything is possible, you pushed your mind and body to the limits
of where humans can exist,
You can do whatever you want in life if you believe in yourself.
Everyday Heroes
We have all met that one person who was there for us in our time of need,
So we all have a duty to give back,
Because
One tree can start a forest,
One smile can start a friendship,
One star can guide a ship in the dark ocean,
One candle can quench darkness,
One vote in the right direction can change the course of a nation,
One laugh can overcome sadness,
One step can start a journey,
The world would be a better place if there were more kind- hearted people,
People who are generous and give without having an ulterior motive and wanting something back in return,
People who genuinely care about people who are less fortunate than them,
People who give their time, skills and talents for free,
People who are empathic and can put themselves in other people’s shoes,
People who speak out about social injustices because they seek equity.
These people are so rare, they radiate beauty from the inside out,
They have patience because things do not always go smoothly,
They have dedication to stick it out and see it through when the going gets tough,
Most of all they have gratitude for all they have, knowing that better is on the way and know they could have a lot less,
We can all do one thing in the world that can make a huge difference to the lives of others, so in the words of Ghandi “be the change, you wish to see in the world”.
For The Galway Review 13, Printed Edition, April 2025
The Galway Review 