REGENERATION There are lakes, islands, and mountains enough for anyone in the West. It thrilled whether the sun shone or not. To be away from the city, the curse of work, the humdrum reality of no known path, was all I asked. I got much more than that - laughter and tears, miles to walk, hours of dreaming, teasing, overcoming awkwardness. Strange fellowships are not startling in this primitive, eccentric landscape; fields strung out on stone, altars erected by passing travellers. Through the ruggedness all tenderness is not abolished - blooming insurrections sweep visions of colour through stone - pink, yellow, purple, white, blue and red salute every passerby - Wisdom woven on the landscape. -- Mary Shine, from Templemore, Co. Tipperary, has lived in Dublin for more than 25 years.