I left my heart in Ireland

Dublin, Ireland on the River Liffey (Photo by Avery Cropp)

On my last night in Dublin, Ireland I wrote the following excerpt in my personal travel journal:

"Well, it's my last night in Ireland and I think I may be leaving my heart here when I go. I love Ireland, I could wax poetic about how wonderful it is but that could go on and on for a very long time. So to sum it up full disclosure, I came to Ireland expecting to do one thing and one thing only: Go to Irish Pubs, listen to Irish music, and try and figure out what my next chapter will be after this trip. What I found was Ireland offers so much more."

I did go to the pubs. I listened to Irish music, I bought some too.  I'm still working on what my next chapter will be when I return to the states, but I know that I will find what's meant to happen next in time.

There's a great saying I came across on a postcard while I was searching for my answers, it made me laugh and put some things in perspective.

IRISH PHILOSOPHY

 

"There are only two things to worry about, either you are well or ill

If you are well, there is nothing to worry about.

If you are sick, there are two things to worry about

either you will get better or you will die.

If you get well, there is nothing to worry about.

If you die there are two things to worry about

either you will go to heaven or hell.

If you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about

But if you go to hell

You'll be so damn busy shaking hands with all of your friends you won't have time to worry

So why worry?"



One thing I love about the Irish is their sense of humor. The other thing I love is the fact that it's a place that feels like a work in progress, and you can tell that people want to continue to make it stronger. Everyone is so nice and friendly and I know that I'll go back to visit again in the future, it's a very special place. What Ireland was for me was a series of epic moments in the course of a very short time, and as one gentleman I talked to on the street said, I've only seen about one-twentieth of the country: Dublin and the surrounding areas.

So, enough of the personal insights, if your eyes haven't glazed over yet, we'll move on to the things you touristy types all care about: things to do, places to go and adventures to have...here we go!
Traditional, chill, evening

The Celt (Photo by Avery Cropp)

The first night I was in Ireland I wanted to fulfill the Irish music in an Irish pub experience I'd been longing for, so I asked reception at my Hostel, Isaac's Hostel for a recommendation of  a chill place to relax, have a Guinness (it's not my favorite, but I tried it) and listen to some music. Kevin, who turned in to my unofficial recommendation person for the week told me to check out this pub called The Celt. If you want an authentic Irish experience this is the place to go. I knew it was going to be a good week when my favorite Irish song, Galway Girl, was played by the band right before I decided to leave the pub and head back. I spent my last night here too I loved it so much.


Guinness Storehouse

Guinness Academy teaches visitors how to pour the perfect pint
(Photo by Avery Cropp)

A must-do for any visitor. It's a great little tour that will walk you through the process of making Ireland's favorite drink, shares a little bit about how "The Black Stuff" came to be and what it's done in the community of Dublin in particular. If you've been to the Coca-Cola factory in Atlanta it's similar to this with lots of artifacts, displays, and hands-on events for visitors created to make an atmosphere of participation. Take a good look at the Atrium when you get there, let me know what the inside of the place looks like as you go through the exhibits. There's also a really nice bar on the top of the exhibits that gives you a 360-degree view of Dublin.


Day trips

I took a couple of day trips during my time here, one to a fishing village 20 minutes outside of town called Howth, and a bus tour with a company called Wild Rover tours to Kilkenny and the Irish countryside that was absolutely gorgeous.

Howth is a very pretty little fishing village. It's a place to go hiking, enjoy nature and come back with some great photographs, as you can see below.

Wild Rover tours made up for my bad experience with bus tours in London. The guide was great and we had a really fun time. The first stop was at Kilkenny, Ireland's medieval city which is a nice  town an hour's ride out of Dublin. It's very colorful, a center for crafts, and there's lots of little places to shop, eat and enjoy the Irish culture. The big attraction here is the Norman castle which is really beautiful. I wasn't able to go into it because I opted to soak up the city instead of the tourist attraction. There was a nice walk up to the big cathedral in town and there's another little cathedral, St. Mary's I believe, that doesn't cost anything to go in to.  Also nearby is Dunmore Cave that was the scene of a major Viking battle several centuries ago.

Shops and cafes line the streets of Kilkenny (Photo by Avery Cropp)

Inside St. Mary's Cathedral (Photo by Avery Cropp)

Kilkenny, Ireland (Photo by Avery Cropp)



Kilkenny Castle (Photo by Avery Cropp)

 

After Kilkenny we went into the Wicklow mountains and soaked up the Irish countryside.

We made another stop at an ancient church site called Glendalough, and the area is so beautiful that you didn't want to leave.

Other recommendations

Find a walking tour. Dublin is a relatively small city that you are able to walk from end-to-end in about an hour. Public transportation isn't something that you really need to be concerned about because it's more fun to walk around and get lost in this city than riding a bus through it from point A to Point B. If you ever do get inexplicably lost find your way back to the river and you'll be right in the center of the city and can orient yourself from there.

Check out The Gravedigger Ghost tour for a night of folklore. The evening takes place on a renovated bus where you hear all kinds of ghost stories. Tons of surprises are in store for you if you join this tour. The company is great and the actors involved in the experience are wonderful. Well worth it.

Until Next Time,

Avery Cropp