The one time I’d visited Ireland back in 2018 to attend the Irish College of Ophthalmologists Annual Conference (jeez, how things can change in 3 years), I didn’t leave Kilkenny. I remember loving the beauty of that small area and regretting not having seen more of the country.
So after four years and a semi-overcome pandemic, here I am again in Dublin –but this time for good, and not just to catch a train to go somewhere else.
I had the pleasure of being picked up by F the night I arrived in the city. After two weeks in Greece I’d only known her with sleeveless tops and denim shorts, so for a fraction of a second I was confused at the sight of her joyful Irish beauty in long pants and a cardigan. We had dinner literally ON river Liffey, at MC Cill Airne. We reminisced about Greece but also shared projects and ideas, as well as one of the most delicious brownies I’d ever had the pleasure to savor.
After dinner we headed to a traditional Irish up close by, where a friend of hers and his buddy were playing traditional Irish music. I remember especially loving the last song, “Toss the Feathers”, whose title I only managed to make out with much effort, given these guys’ strong Irish accents and the loud background noice at the bar. A few fun and witty exchanges, some more upbeat Celtic tunes, and the accompanying vibration of the musicians‘ feet firmly taping on the ground to the rhythm of the fiddle and the accordion. Not a bad way to start my brief catch-up with Ireland.
Visiting the Cliffs of Moher was predictably mind-blowing –at least for those brief moments where the heavy mist lifted just long enough to make them visible to the human eye. The rest of the time the fog was so thick I could actually smell it. Cows and sheep and crows scattered all over the landscape as well as the distant sound of a traditional flute added the touch of Irish authenticity and charm necessary to compensate for the multitude of languages spoken all around me during those hours.
Although brief, my stop at The Burren in County Clare with its rugged landscape framed by the Atlantic shore and curvy rural roads was also beautiful and inspiring.
But ironically enough, I think the one moment where my spirit felt the most elevated was standing in the middle of Shop Street in Galway, listening to this brilliant Blues/ Rock n’Roll band called „OL’ Times“ that materialized out of nowhere. The smile that put on my face and the exciting chills that run through my body made me give up the idea of trying out authentic Galway seafood and trade that for a takeaway meal from McDonald’s, just so that I could keep listening to them as long as possible.
Speaking of music, there’s this one piece of information I learned that gave me all kinds of mixed feelings of pride, nostalgia, sadness and longing. Galway used to have very extensive merchant relationships with Spain, which led to a large community of Spaniards settling there and mixing with the Irish. Apparently this is why the subject of the original „Galway Girl“ song had brown hair and tan skin. So I guess Galway has randomly become my favorite Irish city now (the fact that they had “Churros n’ Cofee” also helps).
After driving 500km in one day I just can’t make myself go to Belfast today anymore (sorry, Northern Ireland, see you another time).
Can’t wait to spend the day in Dublin with F instead, and get to know this European capital for good once and for all!
PS.: Love the fact of how seagulls are the pigeons of this place.
