IRELAND

Visiting Ireland was one of our top bucket list destinations and the country did not disappoint.  Rich in lore and tradition, the Republic of Ireland is a gorgeous island of endless green bordered by the striking coastlines of the North Atlantic.

NO STRANGERS HERE, JUST FRIENDS YOU HAVEN’T MET – William Butler Yeats

Ireland is a historic island with settlements dating back 10,000 years. Celtic tribes migrated to the area in the 2^nd Century, BCE, and formed the basis for many of the unique traditions and language still used today.  In the 5th Century, St. Patrick is attributed with bringing Christianity to the region.  The Viking raids and Charlemagne’s desire to expand his lands in the Middle Ages brought permanent settlements to the region.  Dublin, inhabited for thousands of years, became a Viking settlement in 841 AD but the city’s origins are officially recognized as beginning in 988 AD. After the Tudor conquest of Ireland in the 16^th century, Ireland came under English control which ended in the early 20^th century with the Irish War of Independence. Today, Ireland is an independent nation and member of the European Union. 

In researching Ireland, I learned some fun facts.  Did you know that 80-100 million people world-wide claim Irish ancestry?  I am one of the many.   Somewhere between 4 to 6 million Irish immigrated to America between 1820 and 1957 so the chances are high that you may have some Irish ancestry as 10% of Americans claim some form of Irish roots.  This is funny as more people claim Irish ancestry than those who actually live in Ireland.

MAY THE ROAD RISE UP TO MEET YOU

When I was planning another trip, I learned that Dublin is one of the newest major hubs for air travel in Europe.  Aer Lingus is an Irish airline with many hubs in the US for travel.  Nashville recently became one of those hubs and, after a short connection in Philadelphia, we were in Dublin in under seven hours.  Dublin makes a great pivot destination for further travel into the United Kingdom and to mainland Europe.

The island of Ireland holds two countries.  The majority is the Republic of Ireland and then Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, encompasses 17% of the island.  The two countries have an open border allowing for easy travel between the two.

Yes, yes, Ireland drives on the left side of the road.  If you choose to rent a car and are unaccustomed to driving on the left-hand side, then please be safe in your endeavor.  I am not that brave and we used tour companies using buses to visit areas outside of Dublin.  Ireland also has a sophisticated rails system and short-haul flights if needed.

One thing to be mindful of – as with most European cities with any age – is that the city streets are narrower than the big sprawling roads of American cities.  The Motorways (M roads) will remind you of interstate travel in the US.  As you move into the cities and towns, the roads become narrower.  City centers will often have asphalt paving but some had cobblestone paving.  Just be mindful of sturdy footwear when you plan your day.

I want to give a picture of Dublin so complete that if the city suddenly disappeared from the earth, it could be reconstructed out of my book.  – James Joyce

Known for its literature and Guinness, Dublin is much more.  Dublin old by age but young by population.  As an emerging tech hub, Ireland’s capital and most populous city has much to offer. Trinity College, holding the ancient Book of Kells, is at the city center.  Dublin Castle sits proudly tucked away amongst more modern buildings.  Further out is the Guinness Storehouse where you can learn about the history and production of Ireland’s finest export.  A tasting is part of the tour, and you can sit high up to view the beautiful cityscape below.

Ireland is a land of myth and magic, where the ancient spirits dance among the rolling green hills. –W.B.

Growing up, one of my favorite movies to watch with my parents was The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.  One of John Wayne’s best films, the movie takes place in Ireland with an American boxer returning home to Ireland to start his life after a tragedy that ended his career.  The movie screen explodes with hues of greens come to life with Technicolor of the 1950s.  I always had to ask myself – is Ireland really that green?  Yes, it’s that green and even our best cinematic technology cannot capture the vibrancy of the landscape.  Rolling hills with splashes of fertile farmlands decorate the landscape.

INCONCEIVABLE.  –The Princess Bride, William Goldman

Despite the Emerald Isle’s mystical greens, the real beauty of Ireland comes from its jagged coastline meeting the turbulent North Atlantic.  Sprays of water hit the coast with enough force to make a salty mist splattering across the sandstone, siltstone, and shale cliffs.  While in Ireland, we took a daytrip from Dublin to the city of Galway and on to the Cliffs of Moher. 

I read The Princess Bride by William Goldman when I was twelve or thirteen.  It’s still one of my most treasured books and a comfort read when I’m in a reading slump.  I don’t want to take anything away from the movie, but this is a case where the book really does outshine the movie.  I read somewhere that William Goldman used the Cliffs of Moher as inspiration for the Cliffs of Insanity.  If you know, you know.  The first sighting of the Cliffs of Moher in person made my heart pound as I remembered Fezzik climbing the ropes with the Man in Black gaining ground behind him.  Just shy of 400 feet from sea level, the cliffs stand as tall as a 35-story building off the water.  Lush green grass covers the lands leading to the cliffs before dropping off to the exposed rock below.

But the Cliffs of Moher are only part of the wild coastlines of Ireland.  The Great Atlantic Way encompasses 1,500 miles of the western coastline of Ireland with jagged cliffs, beaches, and towns scattered across the expanse.  Next time I go…more time along the Great Atlantic Way as it is one of the most beautifully raw sites to behold.  I want to spend some time further south in the Dingle Peninsula to see the wild lands of Ireland meet the turbulent Atlantic Ocean.

NO SUCH THING AS GIANTS.  THEY’RE STORIES FOR THE CHILDREN. 

– Janos, Game of Thrones.

Ancient Gaelic lore tells a story of long forgotten giants creating a pathway across the North Channel.  Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool) was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant, Benandonner.  His clever wife dressed Fionn up as a baby convincing Benandonner that if a baby was of that giant’s size, his father must be much larger.  Retreating across the North Channel, Benandonner destroyed the causeway so that Fionn could not chase him. 

The less interesting version of this story is that the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland is yet another example of how the rough waters of the Atlantic shaped the Irish coastline.  Approximately 50-60 million years ago, volcanic activity left fissures in the basalt rock created by the volcanic activity which created the rock columns on the beach of the Giants Causeway.  The black basalt columns are almost all a perfect hexagonal shape where you can step and climb as the giants once did.

When I was researching the Giants Causeway, I learned an interesting fact.  Did you know that directly across the North Channel there is a small area that has almost identical hexagonal columns?  Did a giant really destroy the causeway?  Sometimes it’s nice to believe that our tales and traditions are more than stories for the children.

NEXT TIME I GO….

As already stated, I want to see more of the western coast of Ireland with the Dingle Peninsula and Great Atlantic Way.  While it’s a tourist spot, I think a stop to see the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle in Cork is a must-do just for the sake of saying that I kissed the Blarney Stone.  Cork seems like a great city and is reported to have a good food scene.  I think the most important factor for the next time I go will be to have more time to stretch our legs throughout the country so we can experience the landscapes, towns, and people of this beautiful nation.