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9. The Romanticism
John – Architect by Profession, Musician by Heart!
Every Irishman/woman is a poet, dancer, musician and an alcoholic in varying proportions – there’s a degree of over-dramatization involved in that statement, but it’s a necessary abrasion. The Irish are what I’d like to describe as the ‘romantics’. Pub-owners double up as musicians; poetry and story-telling sessions spring up extempore on any given evening; and noise levels progressively go higher as the consumption of the locally approved brew increases. The order of the day can quickly change from one form of art to the other, I suspect, sometimes even the locals do not know what’s in store for the evening.
10. The Self-Deprecating Modesty
The Irish are modest & self-deprecating to the point of becoming quite exasperating. Have you ever had that really hot friend who puts up pictures on social media, only for every post to end up becoming a ‘mutual admiration club’ with every person commenting on it calling the other ‘hotter’? This feels exactly like that! For someone quite as obviously in love with the country as I am, it can get quite frustrating when a local plays the “aah! it’s nothing; life MUST be better in your part of the world” card. For excellent conversationalists, modesty is a very highly appreciated value, advocated from early childhood – even the famous Irish humor is often characteristically self-deprecating & often starts with a pot-shot at something Irish.
I used to live in Ireland and I’m heading back there to cycle the Wild Atlantic Way on Sunday, couldn’t be more excited hence I was happy to come across your post!! Totally agree about the pub culture but what, are you saying that leprechauns don’t exist!? 😉 Only point I didn’t get was the myth about Irish being stupid, is that a stereotype in some part of the world..?
oh, well my fascination with everything Irish began a few years ago when I discovered the charming work of one particular William Butler Yeats. I’ve been actively reading up on everything Irish since and I noticed a lot of affinity towards perceptions in certain cultures tending towards labeling the Irish as some sort of a redneck sub-sect. Might have something to do with the fabled ‘red hair’, which too is an unqualified generalization. In general though, everybody that has ever been to Ireland can think of its people as nothing but warm, friendly and charming 🙂
Are you going to be on a bicycle – it will truly be wonderful if you get some sunny days! Hope you have a good time!
Splendid photos, really made me smile. I wish to visit the land leprechauns someday.
One day soon we’ll be there. Ireland has it’s own magic, I loved my first, very short, visits.
Ireland has always been on my bucket list of places to visit – for a permanent kind of vacation 😉 Thank you for sharing so many beautiful photos!
Hello Sanket,
I am planning to go alone to Ireland this month end and can you please suggest how many days i should spend in Dublin and what all i must cover and what all over rated places i should avoid? I won’t be having much time in hand else i was planning to go to Galway – Cliffs of Moher, Cork and some more places close by.. also could you please suggest some good, budget and safe hotels/hostels?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Isha,
Dublin is beautiful, but it is like most cosmopolitan cities in the world. 2-3 days should be more than enough. Go out into the country if you want to experience local Ireland. Cliffs of Moher and Galway are very popular. I’d say Cliffs of Moher is a must do – nobody goes to Ireland and misses out on that. It really depends upon how many days you have on hand. There’s also the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula – circular roads, very beautiful to drive around. My favorite part of Ireland though was down south-west, deep into County Cork – some really beautiful villages and hamlets down there, and not quite as infested by tourist coaches as the ones mentioned above. Why don’t you drop me a note on my email with more details and I can help you out more. Happy to share some hostel recommendations too.