Back in the yesteryear time of long ago, i.e 2020 pre-Covid, my family had a wonderful Ireland trip in the works. All the pieces were in place to travel to the land of many of my ancestors (although in fairness I’m a mutt and can trace at least some lineage to most of the known world). But then…. well…. you know what happened next. Fifteen days to slow the curve, and all that followed.

Quite literally, we were within a day of flying over to meet our kids who were already there after traveling in Europe, when the Covid- curtain fell. We were disappointed, but after the kids made it back to the states safely we were determined to make it happen someday. We never thought it would take two years to get it rolling again, but Aer Lingus was kind enough to keep pushing our tickets forward and we were finally able to get overseas. It was certainly worth the wait.

We started in Dublin, the grand old city, and had our first pint in The Brazen Head – oldest pub on the Island, the sign said. What a fantastic bar, city, and experience. The bartender had an Aussie accent, we had dinner with Irish rugby fans, sang Van Morrison tunes sitting an elbow away from the accordion player in the band, and danced the night away. A conga line even made an appearance. And that was just the first day.

After visiting Trinity College and the Book of Kells, which will mark you forever with amazement at the religious dedication of so many, so long ago, in such harsh and difficult times, we headed west to Galway, another very international yet ancient city. We toured the city center, sipped coffee at the old docks watching the boats and tide, and were regaled with the sounds of traditional music and the old Irish tongue in the evenings. We even made the trek out along the Cliffs of Moher to smell the open sea and visit The Burren, a land so physically unforgiving, yet forgiving to your soul. Ireland in microcosm if you will.

It was the trip of a lifetime, and the sights, sounds, music, and language are now embedded in who I am. I am now so much more fully appreciative of my ancestors who lived there, and in other ancient places of such beauty and hardship, who thereafter made the difficult decision to cross the open sea and give it a go in a strange new land.

And I will be forever thankful and in their debt. Slainte.