Unforgettable Gifts From Ireland

When my daughter and I decided to take a trip to Ireland, I didn’t really know what to expect because I knew very little about the country other than the Potato Famine, The problems between the Catholics and Protestants and the pubs of Dublin. While all of those are important facts, Ireland has so much more to offer than I expected. In Dublin I learned a little more about the history of Ireland and the contention between the Catholics and Protestants being more than just religion, but cultural and political. I was surprised to learn that Ireland had enjoyed unprecedented economic growth in the 1990’s to mid 2000’s, though there was a sharp decline afterwards. Not being one for a lot of boring details, I’ll leave that discussion for the history buffs. What I learned and experienced goes far beyond that.

In the seven days that we journeyed from the East coast to the West I fell in love with Ireland: its dramatic landscape, lovely people, complex history, Irish music and most surprising of all, its delicious food and drink. Dublin educated me about Ireland’s roots being steeped in Viking and Gaelic cultures as well as its Christianizing influences initiated by St. Patrick, but not limited to his influence.

After the tour, my daughter and I explored the city for our selves and enjoyed our first pint of Guinness at the only Victorian style bar, Ryans, which was a nice refresher.  Afterwards we set out for St. Patrick’s cathedral and enjoyed a dinner of fish and chips on the lawn. I saw how our St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City was modeled after this original one, while history oozed from its stones. I purchased a medal with St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer on the back: 
One important attraction I planned to see was the Book of Kells located at the historic Trinity College in Dublin It did not disappoint. Built in, the college itself boasted classic European architecture and design. The exhibit was thoughtfully laid out in progression as you wound through cobbled stone rooms illustrating the various pages and books alongside informative text. As you approached the actual Book of Kells, light box replicas of the pictures filled the walls. The process for making the paper and the book’s hardbound cover was explained as well as the binding methods. As you approached the interior rooms, the various stones used for producing the different colored inks were displayed. When I finally arrived and saw the actual pages, I nearly cried. I couldn’t believe I was looking at this ancient text and illuminated manuscript from around 800 A.D. The open page from one of the four gospels was brilliantly illustrated. My heart leapt for joy!

After the tour, my daughter and I explored the city for our selves and enjoyed our first pint of Guinness at the only Victorian style bar, Ryans. It was refreshing after a long walk. After a brief stop at Stephen's Park we headed for St. Patrick’s cathedral and enjoyed a dinner of fish and chips on the lawn. I saw how our St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City was modeled after this original one, while history oozed from its stones. I purchased a medal with St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer on the back which is a powerful statement: 
“Christ be with me, Christ within me. Christ behind me. Christ before me. Christ beside me. Christ to win me. Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ in quiet. Christ in danger. Christ in hearts of all that love me. Christ in mouth of friend and danger.”

Later that evening, my heart was set on hearing some traditional Irish music at a typical pub and we discovered Whelan's. I don’t usually drink or go to bars, but I wanted to see what Dublin’s pubs were all about. I thoroughly enjoyed the fiddle, flutes, drums, friendly people and Irish accents. Anyone who knows me will understand it took a lot of self-control not to get up and dance! Just one of the good things Ireland gave me. A lighter look at life and a little more restraint.

Though our tour of Dublin was brief, it left me feeling fulfilled and with a deeper insight into Ireland—its history, struggles and its people looking for a bit of fun, craic as they call it! As we ventured out onto the roads in our rented car, my daughter soon discovered how narrow, twisty and completely blinding the secondary roads of Ireland can be. My heart was in my throat that first day as my daughter gripped the steering wheel, and I prayed the entire time that we wouldn’t meet any stupid Americans driving on the right side of the road! We almost did, but they were Irish and God spared our lives. The gardens of Powerscourt Estate, and the little town of Glenmalure were our first destinations. They were magical to me, with their castles and beautiful gardens, small winding roads sweeping with tall grasses and wildflowers, pastures dotted with sheep and family style pubs. The Wicklow Mountains with thier stone peaks and emerald slopes of a glacier valley intoxicated me with their beauty. I fell in love with the landscape instantly.

I began to truly understand why the Irish have such longing in their hearts and ballads for their songs. The countryside and many lochs woo them never to forget, but the mists and the ocean spray make it a hazy dream like experience. Though many dreams were dashed the Irish had a comeback as I mentioned earlier. A century after the potato famine destroyed a million lives, Ireland enjoyed a time of great prosperity, which they call the Celtic Tiger. There was far less poverty than I thought there would be and a lot more progress, though I’m a romantic and love the little whitewashed cottages. 

The people I met who live in Ireland love their country and their land. All in all, I found the Irish to be kind and gentle, “not a problem at tall.” The humility they suffered at the hands of poverty, and the oppression they endured shaped not only a strong people who did what they could to survive, but a humble nature. Not that they are perfect, far from it. They have been known for their pubs and heavy drinking. They also had violent clashes between the Protestants and Catholics, but they seem to be gentler now that they are separated into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The younger generation is more tolerant, though they do consider themselves Northern Irish if they live in that region. However, despite some of their flaws, I fell in love with the Irish people, both young and o

On the way back from a walk on the Burren, a rock covered stretch of 60 miles along the

Wild Atlantic, my daughter and I stopped at a restaurant/pub that was packed with a long wait. My daughter asked if we could sit at the bar and so we did. The fish I ordered was so fresh with a delicious balsamic, beet sauce and sea chowder was better than any I’ve ever had in Maine!  The quality of the food and their amazing tasting dishes was my biggest surprise. From buttery, melt in your mouth croissants and scones to lamb stew, fresh fish, mussels and oysters.

Though I’m not a fan of the last, the mussels were soft and delectable. According to what I read, the Irish had a real revolution in their thinking towards food from mere substance to a pleasurable experience. In the economic upturn, there was a lot of French cuisine, but now the Irish have taken to using their own fresh food items and creating their own unique sauces. The lamb stew with mashed potatoes had a wonderfully seasoned sauce as well as the mutton. It just made the whole experience much more enjoyable and I fell in love with the food. As an aside, while we were at the pub a very old grey-haired lady was escorted to a table next to us. Everyone greeted her and catered to her wants. It touched me and my daughter so to see how much she was respected and it was one of those aha moments that encapsulated my changing view of the Irish people and helped me fall more in love with them.

So in exchange for my time journeying though Ireland, she gave me several gifts—an appreciation for its great natural beauty, seeing the hand of God in its making, the awe and splendor of its land, an appreciation for the people’s kindness and hospitality, a deeper understanding of their love for their country, the enjoyment of the creative spark of lilting music and ballads full of longing and whoa. The dance in their hearts with a limerick in their spirit and an ancient history in its Medieval castles, completed the package. It was just my luck and the providence of God that opened up a whole new world and gifted me with Ireland!