News from the road – Ireland – August/September 2024

One island but two countries, sharing beautiful landscapes, a long and complex history and a love for storytelling.  Our tour around the Emerald Isle packed in cities, towns, villages and remote countryside, and we came away with an affection for the place and a much better understanding of it.

Ireland’s current political state — a republic in the south and part of the United Kingdom in the north — is only just over 100 years old, but the island is rich in history.  We saw monasteries and churches that had been built more than 1,200 yeas ago.  We saw where the Normans, Vikings, Ulster Scots and English had all came and made their mark with castles, forts and stately homes.

There’s tragedy in Ireland’s past.  We saw mass graves from the Great Famine in the 1840s and the poorhouses that were the last hope for many.  We learnt about the mass emigration that, along with famine and disease, mean that Ireland’s population is still less today than it was 200 years ago.

Everywhere we went we had excellent local guides interpreting places and events for us.  The Irish certainly know how to tell a story!  Even in Northern Ireland people scarred by The Troubles opened up to help us understand the decades of violence between communities that are still divided today.

On a small agricultural island surrounded by ocean we expected to find good food, but we were constantly surprised at the fresh and contemporary cuisine.  Visits to whiskey distilleries introduced us to the ‘water of life’, which is what the Gaelic word for whiskey means, and of course we couldn’t visit Dublin without sampling a pint at the massive Guiness brewery.

Warm people.  Lively music.  Great scenery.  Ireland certainly repays exploration, and our group had an unforgettable trip.