Across the Pond Part 3 The Emerald Isle

It wasn’t much after I got back from Germany that I found myself on another plane to a new country. My boyfriend at the time was from Ireland, so naturally going back and meeting family was going to happen. A couple years later I ended up moving to Ireland for about 14 months once I had graduated university. There’s so much I can say about Ireland, so I’ll do my best to give it the full picture it deserves.

The first time I went there it was another extended weekend in early April. We flew into Cork as that was the closest airport to where we were going. I’ve flown into both Cork and Dublin airports, but definitely prefer Cork airport. It’s smaller, and easier to navigate. It’s also the main one I flew out of when living in Ireland, as I lived in Cork. It’s also not super far away from town so its fairly easy to get to. I also want to preface before I get too far into this, I’ve only been to The Republic of Ireland, Southern Ireland. I know there is a lot of tension between the north and the south, and I am not going to discuss that here. I only know what people from there have told me, and stayed out of it.

The first time I went to Ireland was a bit of a whirlwind. I remember it being family centric as there were some unexpected things that happened while we were there. We woke up the next morning after traveling to hear we were going to a wake, and the next day a funeral, so that was most of our time there. I got to see a different side of things, more of those everyday things like I did in Germany. This is the only country other than my own that I’ve been to a wake or a funeral for. I’ve also been to a wedding in Ireland, my first one as an adult.

The second time I went to Ireland I had a lot more memorable events that happened as we had three weeks to explore. I remember us going to the beach, it was super windy and the water was ice cold. We celebrated New Years staying in and enjoying one another’s company. We also did some sight seeing where I think I took one of the most beautiful scenery photos I have ever taken in my life. We went to the Ring of Kerry, which if you haven’t and you’re in Ireland, it’s a must do. We also drove up the coast, somehow missed the Cliff’s of Moher (I will get there eventually), and went up to Galway, before getting to County Mayo, and turning around.

That same trip we went to Blarney castle for the first of many trips. It was less than an hour drive from where I ended up living, and it was a frequent spot we took friends and family who came to visit while I was living abroad. Don’t forget to climb to the top and kiss the Blarney Stone which gives you the gift of the gab, eloquence and confidence in speaking. I’ve kissed that stone no less than four times, and thankfully I do have a photo of a couple of those times. They also have a lovely forested area that we walked through, and you can’t forget about the poison garden! They have signs up of what everything is, and you don’t touch it of course. But it was interesting, and curious as to why they have a garden full of poisonous plants…

We also went and saw a couple other really cool castles, including Kilkenny, and The Rock of Cashel, in Tipperary. This is where the High King of Munster sat back in the 900’s-1100’s. It is even believed that the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick visited here. It was another place that I loved exploring, as you look out onto the rolling hills, it’s incredibly picturesque. For more info, please visit the website, as it’s such a unique place to visit! https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/the-rock-of-cashel/

I spent most of my time in Cork, County Cork. I lived nearby University College Cork, UCC for short. Those grounds are also fun to explore, as they have some Ogham Stones on site. These date back to the Early Medieval period, and are tall stones with the Ogham alphabet or words on them, these are from the primitive early Irish language. They’re super cool if you haven’t seen one. But if you want something a little more modern, I’d highly recommend the beautiful English Market down by St. Patrick’s Street. I used to go there all the time, but it is an incredible market, filled with so many amazing produce stands, butchers, fish mongers, cheese shops, olives stands, and even a small café.

I have so many memories from the market, as I often liked to get things from there for lunch. It was the first time I had tried hummus, as I went to one of the Mediterranean stalls and got this to-go container of couscous and hummus, and a whole bunch of other things., I was obsessed with it for a few weeks, and would grab lunch from that stall at least once or twice a week during that time period. Or the one time I got super smelly French cheese from the cheese shop. Or the place that sold dainty desserts, and macarons. I have memories of reading Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray at the little café, having a small pot of tea and a slice or tart or a scone. That almost seems made up, but its true, and fitting.

There’s also Cobh in County Cork where you can see the last port of call for the Titanic before it sank. They have a very nice museum there. I know a lot of people are interested in the history of the Titanic, so its a bucket list item for some people. We went a definitely enjoyed it, there’s a picture of me with the statue of the people heading out for the New World, somewhere.

We didn’t go too often, but I do remember the few times we would go to the pub on a Trad night and listen to the traditional music. It was always so beautiful, and nothing I have experienced ever since. I’ve always been a fan of Celtic music, so I enjoyed those nights a lot.

We can’t forget Dublin, though we didn’t spend nearly the amount of time there we could have. I only remember going up to Dublin like three or four times, and usually only for a long weekend. We met my mum, sister, and aunt up in Dublin during St. Patrick’s Day and watched the parade. Which was weird because there was just a bunch of American highschool bands, and other artsy stuff that had nothing to do with Ireland. It was a little underwhelming, the part I remember most is my sister trying to get a picture of a guy in one of those black tight body suits that covers your face, but he had a mask of Obama on, and she was trying to get a picture of him. But afterwards we went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the stain glass in there is breathtaking! We stayed in there just viewing all the beautiful artwork for quite a while.

On a different trip to Dublin with one of my friends from back home, we went to Trinity Library, and oh my goodness, I want to live in that library! It is absolutely stunning, and the most gorgeous library I’ve ever seen! Seeing the Book of Kells in the protected glass as well was amazing. If you’re a boo nerd at all, it is an absolute must!

There’s so much more I could say about Ireland, its the first and only time I ever went to a Rugby match, which was interesting. It’s where I first heard of and learned how to play Snooker. Also where I first heard of the All Ireland and Hurling. Still never went to a match, but when I go back someday its high on the list. I met quite a few people, and sadly not really in contact with them anymore. I boycotted Ireland for a few years after that relationship fell apart, such is life.

The food is very similar to England’s with a few things thrown in. I do miss Irish soda bread, and not the crap with raisins in it!! A full Irish breakfast is similar enough to a full English that either is good. I do miss a good bacon and cabbage dinner (notice, not corn beef, that’s the American crappy version), with the white parsley sauce that was so good. There was also so much readily accessible lamb dishes. I remember when my mum came over she commented on how everything was lamb rump this, and lamb rump that. It was funny, but not far off the mark. Or how in Ireland that was the first time I climbed (although a smaller one, still one nonetheless) a mountain. I’m still surprised I made it up, as I didn’t believe I could do it. Mount Slievenamon, also known as the mountain of fair women, has a fun folklore behind how it got its name. The general story is there was a guy, and a lot of women sought his hand in marriage. So he decided there would be a race to the top, and whoever got there first he would marry. Well, he was already in love with someone else, and while the race went on he ran away with the girl of his dreams and got married.

I think that’s a fun story to end on, and I’ll definitely include some pictures. It’s been over a decade since I’ve been in Ireland, and I’ve been wanting to go back for a handful of years now. You will never be prepared for just how green it is, you just have to see it for yourself. Until next time, enjoy the pictures!

Jess