Ireland: Beautiful and Enchanting

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Disclaimer: This post is about some of the things I experienced in Ireland. I attempt to describe why I loved it so much. Admittedly, I think I fall short, because it is so difficult to put into words. It is about my experience in Ireland. I know others' experiences may be different.

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I did not expect to love Ireland, especially after seeing how expensive it is to visit there. But I did. I found it relaxing, pituresque, and welcoming. I found myself feeling oddly cozy and at home during our time on the Emerald Isle, even when facing the darker side of its history. From beautiful cliffs to pints after work, beautiful girls to a storied and troubled past, I absolutely loved almost everything about the Emerald Isle.

The Landscape

There is a reason it is called the Emerald Isle. It is stunningly green everywhere you look. Of course, this is because it rains constantly. But as you drive, bus, train, whatever across the island, you cannot help but be taken in by the absolutely stunning views. Rolling hills, seaside cliffs, rivers and bays, local farms, it is simply stunning to see. And relaxing! I'm not much of a landscape person, but just sitting looking over the island brought a surreal peace as the wind moved around me.

The cities are no different. One Irishman we met joked, "We have walls in Ireland older than the United States!" And he is right! The architecture in the cities is incredibly diverse. Where we stayed in Dublin, it was an old industrial site which was reinvigorated for business. In several neighbourhoods, it very much looked like Boston. Along the busy city streets, you will find beautifully maintained old churches. And in Galway, there were densely-packed pubs with colourful storefronts leading down to the Old Long Walk.

Photos simply cannot do it justice.

The History

Ireland's history is as long and storied as any other part of Europe's. In Dublin, you can see the bullet holes from the Easter Rising in statues. In Galway, you can visit the Claddagh where the famed Claddagh ring originated. In Derry, you can see stark reminders of Bloody Sunday. In Belfast, you can see, in brick and stone, the city's attempts to move past The Troubles with a united community. Did you know the Titanic was built in Ireland? Neither did I!

And the Irish remember their history, because so many of them have lived through some major points. The Troubles' origins date all the way back to the Norman invasion in the late 12th Century, something the Irish haven't forgotten. Some of them remember a time before The Troubles; some never knew a time you couldn't have a friend on the other side of the religious divide. To tell all of the stories I heard along the way would take far too long, but it was really refreshing to be somewhere where people cherished and valued their heritage and history rather than try to erase and revise it like we do these days in the United States.

The People

The people were so nice! Well, if you were nice to them, that is. But isn't that the case everywhere? It didn't matter where we went, we always felt welcomed into the scene. When we went to the Whiskey Reserve on our first night in Dublin, the barman sat and talked with us about Dublin, where to visit in Ireland, the history of Irish whiskey, and even how they learned Irish in primary and secondary school. At disndat pub, we were welcomed in to a friend group of seven guys who had known each other for years, and we drank, laughed, talked politics, and sang together (and to this day, we are in on some of their inside jokes (happy birthday, Jason!)).

The stereotype of the nice older Irish lady is spot on. When we ended up stranded at the Cliffs of Moher for a few hours, one of the customer service attendants there went above and beyond in helping us find a bus back. She talked to us about our trip in between phone calls, and even ended up on the phone directly with the national rail office to help us out! Another man and woman at the Cliffs even tried to help us get on a tour bus back to Galway. None of them had to do this, but it is just how they are. In Belfast, something I experienced was the people there want others to understand their history, both politial and not. And in Galway and Malaga, Spain, we met older Irish women who talked to us at length about our trip over drinks, giving us heaps of encouragement and advice, and celebrating our courage to go out into the world.

Aside from the bullfighting crowd, I think the Irish were the most welcoming and fun people we met in Europe.

I also met this astonishingly beautiful girl from Belfast in Galway, but that's another story.

The Culture

When we were stranded at the Cliffs of Moher, we asked if we should wait there for the next bus, or head up the road to Doolin and wait there. The response we got: "Well, in Doolin you can have a pint while you wait at the pub!" And that's all that really needs to be said about that!m In all seriousness, the stereotype that the Irish spend all their time at the pub is grounded in a bit of truth. On average, the Irish spend five Euros a day on alcohol, most of these having a post-work pint at the pub with friends.

The Irish love their live music, too. Not just the traditional Irish music popularised over the past thirty years, but their own renditions and styles. We were at one pub where a couple of men were playing the blues on a keyboard and harmonica. At another extremely crammed pub, a band playing in the Kentucky bluegrass style were jamming out Green Day as people danced on the non-existent dance floor. And when they were done, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, packed up and headed over to the Roisin Dubh to continue the night.

Of course, there are myths and legends. The Claddagh ring originated in Galway, and the way they tell it, a man was kidnapped on an ill-fated ocean voyage, sold into slavery, and made the Claddagh ring to earn the money to buy his freedom, returning 14 years later to his lady love still waiting for him. He used the wing as their wedding band. That was over 400 years ago, and people all over Ireland, male and female, where the Claddagh ring as a symbol of their commitment to one another. At the Giant's Causeway, you learn the tales of the giant Finn McCool and how he formed the Giant's Causeway to win a competition with the giant from Scotland. Did I mention Guinness and fish and chips?

Parting Thoughts

There are not many places I would go back to just to rent a car, drive, and explore. Ireland is one of those places. There are so many small villages, castles all over the island, picturesque views, and an abundance of history and stories to learn that I cannot help but want to return. I wonder what it would be like to spend a week by the sea in a small fishing village talking to the old men at the pub after they've come in from a hard day's work? Or to have a long discussion with someone who lived through The Troubles in Derry? Or even to meet a girl and take a stroll down the Old Long Walk in Galway in the pouring rain (with the pouring rain being pretty much a guarantee!)?

I can certainly understand, especialy now, why people are so proud of their Irish heritage. Part of me is jealous of those people who have such a rich place to call their own.