Ireland Vacations

The shamrock, a type of clover, is a symbol of Ireland. It’s said to represent the Christian Holy Trinity -- the Father, Son, and the Spirit. It’s also said that they represent faith, hope, and love. 

There’s a romantic air about Ireland. Galway has been making a distinctly Irish piece of jewelry since 1700. The Claddagh ring, named for a small village, and partly based on earlier Roman rings, features a heart (love) with a crown on it (loyalty) held by two hands (friendship). Traditionally mothers would pass down these rings to their daughters, but it’s also a popular ring as a part of a marriage.

The passions continue all the way to the pub which remains an integral part of Irish life and culture. Besides a spot for a good craic, many host ‘sessions’ which are basically jam sessions in a pub. A couple of musicians will sit down with a pint and an instrument – a tin whistle, bodràn (a hand-held circular stretched skin drummed with a two-ended wooden stick), harp, a smaller Celtic harp, or fiddle. If you know the song, you sing or play, and often the whole place gets in tune.

Sessions used to be held on Sunday afternoons and Tuesday and Wednesday nights when local musicians were free from other gigs and obligations. Attending one of these informal events will fill your soul.

WIth a fair dose of ruminations on past suffering and hardships, and charmed with wit and humour, Irish literature is characterized by its deep connection to Irish history and culture. Notable writers include James Joyce, Ulysses (1922), and Finnegans Wake (1939), George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion (1913), W.B. Yeats, Maeve Binchy, Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot (1949) and Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890).

The climate can vary in Ireland, though the mean annual temperature sits at around 9-10°C. The cool temps, breezes, mists and storms cross the low mountains and plains year round, but ease for patches of time in the warmer months in the summer, July and August. The southeast of the country is the sunniest.

For many of the sites to see in Ireland, there isn’t really a bad time to visit, unless you’re trying to avoid the high season. Even in the cooler months, temperatures rarely reach freezing. And a good brisk hike in an expansive rocky terrain followed by a good sit in a pub where the fire is lit low, will just about save your life.

For example, about three hours north of Killarney in the southwest are the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. With 1.5M visitors a year, these shale and sandstone cliffs dive straight down into the ocean and run about 18 kilometres. Nothing, and especially not a difference in whether it’s warm or cold out will save your jaw from hitting the floor – you’ll be standing on the edge of the world.  

At their tallest the Cliffs of Moher stand at around 200 metres. There are two paths that run along the cliff tops. One is the official path, and the other is the unofficial path closer to the edge – choose wisely! Atlantic puffins, razorbills, seals, dolphins, basking sharks, feral goats, foxes, badgers, Irish hare, and farm cattle all roam here. (They’re also featured in Harry Potter and The Princess Bride, as the ‘Cliffs of Insanity’)

The same rule goes for Dublin, Kinsale, Galway, and all the cities and villages in between. Sunny days are wonderful, but a crisp day strolling cobblestone streets in Cork sorta just feels right. Pack a sweater and a good rain jacket with a hood and you’ll feel brave in the elements, ready to explore, with maybe just a slight bit of the sniffles.

The harp is a national symbol of Ireland and appears on every Irish passport, as well as on coins, and cans of Guinness. Soccer is a popular sport in Ireland, but it shares the stage with Gaelic football and hurling, both of which have long histories in the country.

One of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland is Skellig Michael, a breathtaking series of islands with steep cliffs off the southwest coast – a place that doubled as Luke Skywalker’s home in the latest Star Wars films.

Visiting the medieval castle in County Cork, the famous Blarney Castle, and kissing the Blarney Stone remain must-dos for many people on a trip to Ireland. Doing so, high in the castle, requires bending backwards over a drop, and puckering up – in return, so it's told, the kisser receives the gift of the gab, a boost to ones’ skill in speaking with eloquence and flattery.

Like many other places, Ireland has a past that has shaped its present both politically, and culturally. Ireland gained independence from the British Empire in 1922, but Northern Ireland remains a part of the UK. The Troubles was a thirty-year conflict fought from the 60s to the 90s between those who wanted Northern Ireland to remain a part of the UK, while Irish nationalists wanted Northern Ireland to become one with the rest of the island in one united nation. These times were hard on the Irish, but the spirit of the people hasn’t wavered. Today, Northern Ireland remains a part of the UK.

In Northern Ireland, they use miles and in the Republic of Ireland, they use kilometres. The countries have different accents, different currencies, and different flags. The Republic of Ireland remains in the EU, and Northern Ireland is withdrawing with England, due to Brexit. The countries share some similarities due to their proximity, but with separate histories and political backgrounds, there are also unique cultural differences.

Traditionally known for pub and comfort food, young chefs now include high quality wild, fresh indigenous Irish produce – aromatic mushrooms and parsnips, cabbage and sweet scallions. Some chefs feel the potato famine and other struggles gave Ireland a knock in its confidence when other nations burst forth with new and modern cuisines. Those who may believe that, may also now feel Ireland is in the game.

Two-thirds of the soiled land in Ireland is agricultural and Irish beef, lamb, dairy and seafood exporters are doing good business. The seafood is especially popular so there are lots of oyster and snail farmers, and lobster and prawn fishers on the cold seas.

Irish stews, the full Irish breakfast, and Colcannon are hearty traditional foods. Colcannon is made of white-headed cabbage, heavy cream, potatoes, bacon, and a generous slab of butter -- it’s essentially a heavenly mashed potato. 

Also, know this. There’s a dish called Dublin Lawyer which is lobster cooked in whiskey and cream – it’s hard to imagine anything more divine. Maybe if it’s served with Guinness.

The first in a long line of brewers, Arthur Guinness, in 1759, did establish a nine-thousand year lease of St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin – the stout is still brewed there. And it’s now also brewed in more than 40 other countries. It’s made of roasted barley, malted barley, hops, yeast and water, with no caffeine. According to Guinness, more than 10 million glasses of Guinness stout are consumed each day around the world.

There’s Jameson’s Irish Whiskey, Bailey’s, Drumshambo, Dingle and many other popular beverages in Ireland but beer and cider might top them all. Beloved beers include Smithwick’s, Kilkenny, Murphy’s, and Beamish. Bulmers is perhaps the best known cider, though outside the island it’s known as Magners. There’s also Dan Kelly’s, Orchard Thieves, and Cronins Cider to try when you’re there.

A service charge of 10-12% added to bills. If it isn’t, it’s customary to tip that amount. Also, the drinking age is 18yrs.