Ireland

All my life I've wanted to go to Ireland. Before I fell in love with Scotland, I wanted to go to Ireland. When it was just a far off dream and something I never thought I would get to do, I longed to see the greens of the Emerald Isle. This past week, I got to go. It was a memorable trip, albeit way too short. Arriving at the Shannon airport on Tuesday around 4:30 as the sun was setting behind me, barely peeking through some clouds. A quick ride into Bunratty which is directly between the airport and the city of Limerick and I found myself next to Bunratty Castle, home to the Earls of Thomond since the 1500's and the original Durty Nelly's pub. I stopped in for a sandwich and chips and a pint since it had just started raining, and an hour later I walked, in the dark, down the Irish lane to my B&B I had booked for the two nights I was to be there. Greeted with a Bailey's coffee by the fiance of the daughter of the owners (get all that?), I was shown to my room where I fell right asleep, ready for the morning.

I woke up to the sunrise over the hills that separate Bunratty from Limerick and watched the sky get bluer and bluer as I ate a terrific Irish breakfast (yogurt, scones and toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, juice and coffee). Julie (the daughter of the owners who were apparently still in Spain) and I sat and talked about the differences between the Irish and American educational systems, debt, marriage and what I should do for the day. I decided to head to a small town, Ennis, and do some window shopping and people watching. It turned out to be a rather modern town, although it was small and provided quintessential Irish accents as I passed by people on the streets. It was a beautiful day.

I headed to Limerick in the evening. Julie suggested a pub where traditional music was always being played and who would want to miss that? I didn't end up at that pub mainly because I didn't know where it was and it was raining once I got into Limerick and I just wanted to sit and have a Guinness. So I walked across the street from the station and ended up in The Railway, which according to Julie is a local's bar and she had never heard of an American going into that pub. So, for one day, I WAS Irish. I had spent the day walking through shops and stores in a small Irish town, and ended the day preparing for the Ireland/Brazil soccer game (and in Ireland it's soccer, not football, I love Ireland for that) by enjoying the locals and the Guinness and Bailey's. Another restful night in the featherbed and awoke to find Brazil won 1-0 due to poor defense. The second Irish breakfast made me quickly forget.

The walk I had down to my morning activity of walking through Bunratty Castle and the Folk Park (a "living" 19th century village showing what life was like in Ireland at that time) was one of the best walks I've had since I've been traveling. It was about 60 degrees and the sky was slightly overcast. I had Irish jigs and reels playing in my iPod as the birds fought to have their songs be heard as well. Just realizing that I was in Ireland, living the dream, smelling the green grass and watching a man walk through his field while his dogs chased each other around him made me happy. It also made me want to put an offer on the house that I just passed that's for sale. Probably a pretty penny but worth every one!

After the castle and park I decided on one last Guinness before I headed home and it was the best one yet. I hope I can come back to Ireland before I head for the green, green grass of home. If I do, it will most likely be a quick trip to Dublin, but someday I hope to return to the haven that is the Irish countryside. Until then, I'll just listen to the jigs and remember the sun rising over the hills.