Ireland. The land of 4-leaf clovers, Guinness, and leprechauns. Ryan and I arrived in Northern Ireland after exploring London, and a bit of Scotland. We took the ferry over from a small town on the Scottish coast called Stranhar, making our way over to the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Prior to traveling Ireland, I had basically no concept of the brash history of the country. I had no idea that Northern Ireland is still separate from the rest of Ireland, going as far as having a different passport and using different money. I had no idea that Belfast was divided between the university side where the houses are tiny and adorable, and there are numerous adorable pubs and cafes to linger drinking Guinness or sipping coffee, and the other side of Belfast where there are still riots and marches, and the walled streets are covered with powerful, political murals representing the strong beliefs of the people of Northern Ireland.
Unfortunately, Ryan and I only had one full day in Belfast so we didn’t have much time for exploration of the city. We visited the beautiful Queens University, wandering the Botanical Gardens, and exploring a street that is known as the “Golden Mile”. We checked out Donegall Square and City Hall, enjoying a traditional Irish breakfast or two before catching a bus onwards to Dublin. Our time in Belfast was brief, and we missed much of what the city had to offer, leaving me wanting more. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to re-visit Belfast in 2013, where I was able to soak up more of the sights and sounds of the city and surrounding countryside. Arriving in Dublin, I immediately fell in love with the city, and the felt as though I loved the whole country of Ireland. Our hostel, Kinlay House, was located to the tourist strip, Temple Bar, so after checking into our hostel, we headed out to check out the area, making our way to one of the adorable Irish pubs. As we bobbed our heads to “Galway Girl” playing living in front of us, Ryan enjoying a Guinness and me enjoying a local cider, I felt as though all bars should be as awesome as they are in Ireland.
While in Dublin, we took a tour of the Guinness factory, learning how to properly pour a Guinness. We also took a hop-on, hop-off bus around the city, seeing multiple different churches, the Dublin castle, and paying a visit to the Kilmainham Goal, which is a jail. We spent one of our evenings celebrating Canada Day at a sports bar that was serving all things Canadian, including Ruffles, poutine, Canadian beer, and caesars. As we sang O’Canada at the top of our lungs, watching hockey clips from the 2010 Winter Olympics mens hockey game, I felt a pang of pride for the country I was born and the passport I claimed as my own. Although we had only been away for 2 weeks, I felt a stab of sadness for the country that I called home and how I had up and left and would not be back for so long. It is a weird feeling to be so far from home and yet have the comforts of home brought to you. It is strange to think that once a year we get intoxicated to celebrate the birth of our country, which is simply a piece of land that has been divided by an invisible line. The concept of national pride is one that still puzzles me, and although I am grateful to call Canada my home, I feel less and less attachment to the idea of being Canadian. Nevertheless, we celebrated Canada Day in style in Dublin, paying for our celebrations the following day with pounding heads, dry mouthes, and upset stomaches. We spent much of our day hungover, taking the hop-on, hop-off bus around the city, taking in the sights of the city in a bit of a daze.
Our 3rd day in Dublin was spent on a tour to the amazing Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are located on the west coast of Ireland, stretching 800 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. The cliffs are dramatic, and the look as though someone much larger than us cut them with a steak knife, tearing off the side of them, leaving straight, jagged edges meeting the ocean hundreds of feet bellow. There is a barrier around much of the cliffs, although to the left side, you are able to hop a small fence and stand on the edge of the 800 foot cliffs. I have never been scared of heights, yet looking down over the edge of the cliffs at the sea bashing violently against the cliffside made my stomach flip and my palms sweat. I threw my hands up to the sky, feeling the sense of freedom that only travel can give me. We snapped photos, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I took in the salty ocean air on my face and the beautiful scenery around me. The Cliffs of Moher had easily climbed to the top of my list of highlights of the trip thus far.
As we made our way from Dublin down to Cork, I couldn’t help but relive the day spent at the Cliffs of Moher and the evening spent dancing and singing to the live music at one of the local bars. Arriving in Cork, I was shocked by how quiet the city was. Where Dublin had been bustling, Cork felt calm, still, and dreary. While in Cork, we explored the small city centre, as well as made our way out to the famous Blarney Castle. We beelined straight to the Blarney Stone, waiting in a line that weaved up a set of stairs to the top of a castle spire. When it was finally our turns, we were asked to lie on the ground, hold onto a set of bars behind us, bend into a small backbend and kiss the wall behind us. It is safe to say that this was not what I had pictured when I thought of the Blarney Stone. Nevertheless, we left with the gift of the gab and perhaps a germ or two from some stranger from somewhere else in the world. We spent much of our day exploring the Blarney Castle, which is really much more than the Blarney Stone, before making our way back to Cork to prepare for our flight to Spain the following day.
Although I loved our time in Ireland, I felt as though it wasn’t enough. I wanted to rent a car, cruise along the coast, stopping in tiny Irish towns to sip cider with locals and hear old Irish folktales. I wanted to get off the beaten path, hike the green, rolling hills of Ireland, and to learn more about the culture that is so different from the culture that I left in Canada. I left Ireland wanting more, and as I bid the countryside farewell from the window of an airplane, I knew that I would be back someday. Since then, I have been back to Belfast; however, I know that there is still much to explore in Ireland, and I still plan to go back one day to visit for a longer period of time.