Some Irishmen say Dublin is not a city that reflects the true Irish mentality. “I’ve lived there for years before, but it’s never been a home to me,” said one of the Irish ladies I met on the internship. It definitely has its touristy areas that overcharge and manufacture “authenticity,” and these areas can become smokescreens for the actual intimate experience the traveler seeks. I anticipated not liking Dublin for its prices and supposed lack of charm. However, Dublin did not rub the the wrong way at all.

Jim Larkin Statue in the Dublin

The capital seems to have a lot going for itself. Theaters dot the city and definitely don’t go unnoticed. The local free newspaper details cultural events ranging from free music and graffiti festivals outside to basement techno parties. And Dublin appears to attract a large amount of travelers who immediately take on the Irish personable nature upon getting to the little green island.

We arrived in Dublin early in the morning and quickly got to work on Intern responsibilities and pressing health issues (Chris had a cough that just wasn’t sounding too pretty). I sat in our hostel’s common room with my laptop open, firing digital data into the universe.

Within the first hour, I met two very interesting people without even trying. Sharing my power cord with a Canadian high school grad led to her recounting why she decided to take a year off to work and live in Ireland. And when the man nearby overheard me explain the details of the World Traveler Internship, we began chatting. I eventually learned he was a fellow American on an round-the-world trip of his own. Both were incredibly willing to show me what they knew about Dublin and the world of travel.

A group of solo travelers and ourselves decided to make a night of it before the tour started in the morning. We ventured to the pub behind the hostel, which squeezed into the empty space between multiple buildings. And it was here that I tried my first pint of Guinness. I took photos. I told the bartender as if it was a monumentous occasion. I took a sip and sensed the microscopic bubbles flow down my trap. Unfortunately I was still a bit under the weather and had no functioning taste buds, but I sensed the surprisingly smooth and creamy texture of the classic Irish stout and said, “Hey, not bad at all.”

A night out in Dublin sometimes means a night amongst the streets of the Temple Bar area. This is a place I doubt Dubliners frequent, but it provides a large amount of venues for entertainment and debauchery and, most importantly, Guinness consumption. We found a bar with a band and nestled in a nook with the other French, Canadian, German, and American travelers. This was the first time on the trip traveler intermingling felt so organic.

Sometimes I forgo the opportunity to submerge in the hostel world or traveler niche when traveling because I’d rather be looking for a gallery where I can chat it up with the owner or a pub where the local bartender has time to tell me the good stuff about where I am and who the locals really are. But there’s true merit in speaking to the people you brush your teeth next to. We’re all out there feeling like we’ve got a mission to accomplish and it helps to hear about others’ successes and mishaps. And sharing perceptions of a place can comfort weary bones or stale minds.

I don’t think I met a single Dubliner. Maybe the Irish don’t find Dublin home-like because its already packed with travelers and foreign workers. Whoever actually resides in the city though makes it an easy, fun place.

“Nice craic”

Why, thank you!

This phrase took me some time to understand. This wasn’t a severely misspelled compliment towards my derriere but a charming little catch phrase about good times in Ireland. Having a blast at a pub, cheers-ing to good friends, good Guinness, and swaying to the pipe of a Irish folk musician? That’s some darn good craic right there.

I assume most travelers come to Ireland to enjoy the scenery and some good ol’ fashioned craic. Our white and green bus shot to the west side of the country, down to the south and around again to Dublin, with every stop centered on the pursuit of lovely views and some lovely good times.

Beautiful Ireland

Each time we stopped along the path towards the Atlantic, the more I believed the weather in Ireland is truly confused. Standing in the rain amidst sheep poop on the Hill of Tara, I thought, “This is really lovely. If only my toes weren’t wet and …messy.” Walking around the Trim Castle, I thankfully basked in the sun of a surprisingly clear sky while meandering around the massive stone structure. And as the mist that coated my camera lens outside the Locke Distillery had me finally uttering, “I don’t get this damn barometric situation! Ah, to hell with it. It’s whiskey time.”

Every day we flew across the clouds and squeezed our big bus between pasture-lined country roads. Once in a while, the mist would cease, and an opening in the atmosphere would reveal St. Patrick’s mountain or a field of white horses. It’s hard to let Ireland’s weather ruin a trip to Ireland, but when the weather is good, it’s gorgeous. Nothing on the trip topped the ultimate vista at the most westerly point of our tour. Atop a cliff covered in purple flowers, I sat and stared at breaking waves and tiny uninhabited islands off the coast. A butterfly landed next to me. I laughed, because it was all so ridiculously poetic.

The Cliffs of Moher luckily emerged from an intense cloud cover only a half hour before we got there and we were able to see where land was sliced by an undulating knife before the Earth popped in the oven. It caused a little existential hiccup to hear we were standing in Ireland’s most popular suicide destination, but thankfully we didn’t witness any travesties of the sort, only the simple elegance of nature.

And with every evening, whether we tucked into a one horse or 2,000 horse town, it was a mission for Guinness, for three-time distilled Irish whiskey, for a moment’s rest from a day of bumping on a bus. And when the mind is filled with the vibrant greens of the day, one can easily conclude Ireland is easy on the senses.

Neon chlorophyll and Guinness…and don’t forget the nice craic.

I once loved Lucky Charms cereal. Back in the day, my mom would only purchase whole grain, non-sugary cereals for our morning bowls, so I would pounce at the chance to grab that box packed with clover and rainbow marshmallows at friend’s houses. That leprechaun really hypnotized me with his marketing spiel. They really were magically delicious.

I realized not too long ago that the little leprechaun was the extent of my exposure to Irish culture; that is until I met some real Irishmen (and women) in the traveling community. Thank goodness, because I now find the consistency of the mallows to be rather putrid, and you’d hate to be turned off a country based on a non-authentic food association.

Lindsay Clark, Stuck in Ireland

Some white-water kayakers chasing the rapids of the Nile in Uganda.

A round-the-world traveler taking a break from overlanding on the beaches of Zanzibar.

A woman enjoying some time off while jetting across India.

If I were to list all the amazing Irish people I’ve met in various circumstances, my brain would spin and hurl from overuse. The Irish get out there. They are not only lovers of fun, but make for great friends on the road. As a whole, they’re immediately welcoming and seem to understand the comforts and personalities of others quite easily. And when you spend a lot of time away from home, loneliness is often a part of your daily emotional load…that is, unless there are some Irish around.

It wouldn’t matter to me what time of year I visit Ireland or what activities I take part in – I would travel to Ireland just to be around the humor and mindset of the people who live there. Sitting in an empty pub, having a pint at the bar and chatting with the bartender sounds fantastic to me. Falling into a conversation with the man next to me on the bus would probably leave me smiling. And we’re darn lucky to be right across the pond from these guys, making it easier to pop on over for a quick break from work to be around a new culture that’s impossible not to love.

If you read my blog post about must-see places in Northern Ireland, you know I’ve fallen hard for the six counties that make up the country of Northern Ireland. It’s not just the many shades of green or the cheap Guinness – ok, that is part of it, but also the people and the history – make that the culture as a whole. I’ve yet to find a place as unique as Northern Ireland.

They may not be home to great museums and galleries like Rome or the rich culinary offerings of Paris, but these six counties offer a lot in the way of charm and history.

• Stroke City – The city equivalent of Prince, Derry  is known as both Derry and Londonderry  – depending on
  

  Free Derry Mural, Derry, Northern Ireland

  where you are in the city, or what book you’re reading in the city hall, or who you ask, or what day of the week it is. With Derry’s sorted history during “The Troubles” it has switched between being called Derry, when the Nationalists are in power, and Londonderry, when the Loyalists rule the roost, several times.

• The Secondhand War Memorial – Derry is the only city in the world – that we know of – to have a second-hand war memorial. The city of Sheffield, England, commissioned a statue to celebrate their war heroes, but they thought the piece was too hideous and Derry swooped in to pick up the piece at a cut-rate price. Some sources will have you believe this isn’t the case, but I’m sticking the version Garvin, my local guide, told me.
• The Cage Shields – In both Derry and Northern Ireland you’ll find parts of houses and buildings that are protected by seemingly sky-high cages designed to protect property from things like petrol bombs and to just keep people separated. It’s rather disheartening and chilling to see these still in existence, but you really get a sense of just how real “The Troubles” were – and still are – for the people of these cities.
• Wetherspoons – While not the most local, authentic pub you’ll find, Wetherspoons is the place to go BEFORE you hit the local pubs. You can get a pint of Guinness for 1.50 GBP. Even if you convert it to dollars, that’s only $2.50! Plus, you can grab a burger, some curry or an Ulster fry for a few Pounds and you’re set-up well for a good night out.
• Mural Art – You’re right, I wrote that Northern Ireland doesn’t have the galleries of Rome, but they do have the murals of Derry and Belfast that are a rich expression of emotion by the locals. You can see a mural in Belfast for example that was created by an artist from the Nationalist side of the city and one from the Loyalist side. A true expression of how far these communities have come in the past few years.

So book your ticket to Ireland, spend a day or two in Dublin overpaying for Guinness and seeing some great sights and then head up to the North. Just make sure to go with a local Irish tour guide like with Shamrocker Adventures or a local friend. You won’t get the perspective of the people who have lived the history going it on your own.