A Trip to Ireland

GREEN. That’s the first thing I thought of as I looked out the tiny airplane window in Shannon, Ireland. I was just about to begin my 10-day journey around Ireland after more than 24 hours of travel time. Fighting the infamous jetlag, I disembarked the plane and my group and I traveled into the town of Galway, a town famous for entertainment (live music, street performers, and art shows). There, we walked along the banks of the River Corrib to see the flawless Galway Bay and ventured into the Eyre Square, a happening park in the city center, with shops, cafes, and a sleek fountain depicting Galway Hookers. (Don’t worry, it’s a type of boat.) Then, we headed to the cobblestoned Latin Quarter, considered the most beautiful part of the city, lined with restaurants, pubs, and quirky street performers. We learned about the history of Ireland, today’s culture, and got to try our first cup of Irish coffee! So delicious. After getting a good night of sleep and fighting off the jet lag, we were off to the Aran Islands.

The Aran Islands are 3 rocky isles guarding the mouth of Galway Bay, in western Ireland. They’re known for their ancient sites. We traveled to the largest island, Inishmore, which is home to the prehistoric fort of Dún Aonghasa by Ferry. At the very top of the cliff, it was one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life. You could feel the wind and a slight mist across your face and smell the salty water below. It was a perfect oxymoron– so loud from the waves and wind, yet so quiet as I stood and took the view in. It’s very surreal and emotional when you’re in such an ancient and mesmerizing place. I felt so honored to stand there amongst the beauty.

Next stop: Killarney, a city located in County Kerry, the southwestern part of the country. With rolling hills, massive lakes, and a quaint city center, Killarney is quintessential Ireland. Killarney also meant a stop at the Cliffs of Moher for breathtaking views of the coastline. Just like the Aran Islands, I had to stand to take it in. Beauty like this makes you feel so small in the world– it restores some of the harmony we lose in the fast-paced world we live in. As we ventured back to our hotel, the next stop was food and drinks. We went into a great pub named The Shire (yes, like The Lord of the Rings) and ordered some awesome themed drinks.

The Ring of Kerry: wait, what the heck is that? It is the 112 miles around the Iveragh Peninsula, better known as the Ring of Kerry. It has breathtaking scenery every single moment: views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Lakes of Killarney, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks- the tallest mountains in Ireland, and some of the world's most immaculate beaches.

Ever hear of blarney? It means to influence or persuade using charm and pleasant flattery. Am I doing a good job persuading you to go to Ireland yet? Anyway, Blarney Castle is home of the famous Blarney Stone. There we stopped for a visit to kiss a dirty rock (everybody’s doing it) to be endowed with the “gift of the gab”– the ability to speak with eloquence and fluency. To give a quick smooch to the rock, you climb the spiral staircase of Blarney Castle and travel through the castle to get to the upper tower where the stone is located. Then, lie back and kiss the Blarney Stone upside-down (Spider-Man style) to reach the stone because of its placement beneath the battlements. After I (hopefully) gained “the gift of the gab” I headed down and walked the grounds of the castle. After walking and a quick lunch of some delicious Guinness Stew, we headed to our last city – Dublin.

Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and is located on Ireland’s east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. Its historic buildings include Dublin Castle, dating to the 13th century, and imposing St Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1191. And, of course, it is where we were going to be experiencing St. Patrick’s Day. After we arrived in Dublin, we took in some of the most famous sights including the Temple Bar neighborhood, St. Stephens Green Park, Grafton Street, and Whelan’s (the club featured in “P.S I Love You”). After sightseeing, shopping, and dinner and drinks, we retired a little earlier than previous nights to get ready for the next day: St. Patrick’s Day. Now, I’m not going to go into all the details of this day, but I will say that this day began and ended with the perfect Irish Whiskey– Jameson. After a morning drink, we headed to the parade donned in green and Irish attire. There were SO many people, but we managed to find a perfect place amongst some new friends. We watched the parade in awe of all the traditional groups and floats. After the parade, the entire crowd headed to the pubs. I’m not joking. After jigging, dancing, singing, and laughing we ordered a “pint of Gat” (that’s how the cool kids order a Guinness) and did a final toast, Sláinte! The next day in Dublin was spent sightseeing the more historical aspects of the city and touring the Guinness Brewery. We passed through Phoenix Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and where there are about 300 deer in the park. We learned about the historic and renowned Trinity College, alma mater of many influential figures, including Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker, and went inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the 800-year-old church named after the famous saint. St. Patrick’s is the biggest church in Ireland, and it stands on the exact spot where St. Patrick is said to have baptized converts. We ended the day by checking out the brewing process of the world’s most famous beer at the Guinness Storehouse. From there, we sampled the magical stout at the Gravity Bar, 200 feet above the city (that 360-degree view of Dublin isn’t so bad either).

I could write so much ‘Moher’ (see what I did there), but all in all this trip changed my life. I know, I know. How cliché, right? Every adventure I take on changes me; it changes the way I think, and it feeds my soul. In fact, as Helen Keller said, “life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”, and that is why I will always choose adventure.