I've come to the conclusion that you will find no greater people than that of the Irish. A warm smile, sharp whit and inviting accent is possibly one of the best combinations since chocolate and milk, chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate and ... well, anything. And as much as I love France, that sense of openness and acceptance is generally not something a foreigner would experience within an hour or two in the country. With Ireland, on the other hand, it most definitely is.
It almost felt like a joke – that's how genuinely friendly and helpful the locals were. My mom, aunt and I would be standing at a bus stop or sitting on a bar stool when someone next to us would strike up a conversation, recommending where to go and what to do. If someone overheard us on the sidewalk discussing dinner plans or how to get back to our hotel, he or she would inevitably stop and offer us help and a suggestion or two. All this was done completely by their own volition.
But Irish hospitality wasn't the only thing to make my visit so unforgettable, it was the country itself. Dublin is a wonderful city, bustling with traffic (which was terrifying, by the way) and a variety of restaurants and shops. But I really fell in love with the island when we made our way to its western coast. My mom and aunt first heard about the city of Galway at a bar in Germany in the '80s where they met a Galwegian man named Michael Sheridan. He was apparently such a joy to be around, my mom and aunt never forgot him or their desire to travel to his hometown. So that's exactly what we did.
Over the years tourism has changed the small city drastically, but you can still feel its humble beginnings if you search for them. We stumbled on one of the city's original gems by following a musician into Padraig's Place Bar. Inside the cozy dockside pub we met Colm, an elderly local man sporting a fisherman's hat and the smell of a week's worth of manual labor. Colm recommended that if we wanted to experience real Irish music, we should check out the Blazing Bows concert at Town Hall Theater the next night. And boy, were we glad we took his suggestion.
The Blazing Bows is a group of five musicians from different groups who join forces every once and a blue moon to play together. The band even brought some local school children on stage to play a couple songs with them – talk about an original gig! I felt just like Rose at the third class party in Titanic, sans my Jack, but having a wonderful time, nonetheless.
But as long as this blog post already is, it could never be lengthy enough to explain how much I enjoyed my time in Ireland. So for brevity's sake, here's some of the week's highlights.
Best places to visit:
It almost felt like a joke – that's how genuinely friendly and helpful the locals were. My mom, aunt and I would be standing at a bus stop or sitting on a bar stool when someone next to us would strike up a conversation, recommending where to go and what to do. If someone overheard us on the sidewalk discussing dinner plans or how to get back to our hotel, he or she would inevitably stop and offer us help and a suggestion or two. All this was done completely by their own volition.
But Irish hospitality wasn't the only thing to make my visit so unforgettable, it was the country itself. Dublin is a wonderful city, bustling with traffic (which was terrifying, by the way) and a variety of restaurants and shops. But I really fell in love with the island when we made our way to its western coast. My mom and aunt first heard about the city of Galway at a bar in Germany in the '80s where they met a Galwegian man named Michael Sheridan. He was apparently such a joy to be around, my mom and aunt never forgot him or their desire to travel to his hometown. So that's exactly what we did.
Over the years tourism has changed the small city drastically, but you can still feel its humble beginnings if you search for them. We stumbled on one of the city's original gems by following a musician into Padraig's Place Bar. Inside the cozy dockside pub we met Colm, an elderly local man sporting a fisherman's hat and the smell of a week's worth of manual labor. Colm recommended that if we wanted to experience real Irish music, we should check out the Blazing Bows concert at Town Hall Theater the next night. And boy, were we glad we took his suggestion.
The Blazing Bows is a group of five musicians from different groups who join forces every once and a blue moon to play together. The band even brought some local school children on stage to play a couple songs with them – talk about an original gig! I felt just like Rose at the third class party in Titanic, sans my Jack, but having a wonderful time, nonetheless.
But as long as this blog post already is, it could never be lengthy enough to explain how much I enjoyed my time in Ireland. So for brevity's sake, here's some of the week's highlights.
Best places to visit:
- The Guinness Factory: Seeing the factory and learning about its history was phenomenal, and I don't think any brewery tour will ever compare to this one. Plus you get to pour your own free pint of Guinness which is accompanied by a cool Guinness Academy Diploma afterward. Visiting the Guinness factory is definitely a must if you ever find your self on the Emerald Isle, (plus you get a really neat view of the city from the Gravity Bar on the top of the building).
- Toner's Pub: A bit off of the usual tourists' path in Dublin, Toner's provides an authentic environment and quaint atmosphere to meet locals. Go there and ask the bartender about the enclosed snug near the front of the bar. You'll be surprised to learn what it was used for "back in the day."
- The Cliffs of Moher: Possibly the largest tourist attraction in Ireland, but rightfully so. Despite the area being full of people, you can still enjoy the natural beauty of the cliffs as if you were by yourself. Take in a deep breath of the salty Atlantic air, listen to the birds flocking nearby and enjoy a peaceful hike along the cliffs' edge.
- Cottage Pie: Ireland is typically known for Shepard's Pie, but as a once sheep-obsessed child, I do my best to avoid eating lamb. Cottage Pie is essentially the same as Shepard's pie, but replaces the lamb meat with beef. It's a hearty traditional dish I would recommend to any of my fellow mashed potato lovers.
- Fish & Chips: McDonagh's restaurant on Galway's Quay Street will give you a taste of real Ireland. According to a taxi driver I met in Dublin, the portions there have gotten smaller over the years, but I still had a hard time clearing my plate.
- Seafood Chowder: I've loved clam chowder for as long as I can remember, but I'll never forget the first time I tried seafood chowder. Made of prawns, cod, clams and a few more odds and ends from the ocean, this seafood medley will leave your body warm, stomach full and breath questionable – a seafood enthusiast's dream.
- Guinness
- Guinness
- And, you guessed it, more Guinness. In all seriousness, the taste of a freshly poured pint in its homeland does not compare to any amount of beer anywhere else in the world. If you don't like traveling, at least go to Ireland for the Guinness. I promise you it will be worth it. So cheers, or as the Irish say, sláinte!