On my first trip to Ireland, I was excited to explore Dublin. While this was the first stop on the College Football Travel Tour, I was more interested in the culture and the city than I was in the Emerald Isle Classic between Notre Dame and Navy. While I enjoyed the game, I fell in love with Ireland more.
To be honest, there were some ups and downs on this trip. I didn’t visit all the sights that I wanted. With places like Kerry, Cork, and Galway, I wish I had more time in the country. Personally, this trip to Ireland had some emotional highs and lows and travel adventures along the way.
With all that Ireland and the city of Dublin have to offer, the best thing about this place isn’t the food, the sights, or the scenery. I fell in love with the Irish people.
Conversations with the Irish people
During my four days in Ireland, I had long conversations with a number of locals – teachers, stadium security guards, college students, travel writers, and filmmakers. I connected with them. I hope to see them again. A few of them I now call friends. They stole my heart more than they will ever know.
While I’ve visited a lot of countries, the Irish people are the friendliest I’ve ever met. Many people may seem friendly but I’ve never met anyone else like them. The Irish people are engaging, polite, and genuinely interested in others.
Ask someone for directions and don’t be surprised if they take you there themselves. If an Irish man or woman asks you if you were here for the game, they will follow up with questions about how you enjoyed your experience. They want you to have a good time. They are proud to call this place home. More importantly, they want this to feel like home to you.
I hung out in a number of pubs, drank more than a few pints of Guinness, and talked with the Irish people. Irish “craic” is a term used to express good times, connection, and conversation with people. I even heard the term used euphemistically to excuse drunk, flirty behavior. Yet it’s more than that.
Irish craic really does exist and it’s a term that perfectly describes the Irish people. No one does this like they do. Yet it’s something that you have to experience.
Why are the Irish people so engaging, friendly, and interested in other people, their culture, stories, and experiences? They get it. They understand what it means to come from a group of people that is connected to one another. They are proud of who they are and believe the people are their greatest asset.
The Irish people are the underdogs and don’t take life too seriously. They understand that it’s the small things that matter. They aren’t concerned with popularity, fame, riches, or ego. What makes the Irish people so great? They understand that it’s people that matter.
Why you should visit Ireland
Ireland’s economy is struggling. There are homeless people on the streets of Dublin. The country is green and beautiful but the weather isn’t always great. They aren’t known for their athletes or celebrities (outside of U2 and Colin Farrell). Yet don’t ever tell the Irish people what they aren’t or what they can’t do.
For all our material possessions, power, influence, and success, the Irish people know something many of us don’t. It’s the Irish craic. It’s hard to explain. You have to connect with these people to understand how genuine and interesting they are and why they get life.
For all of Ireland’s beauty, there is nothing that comes close to the beauty of these people. Ireland’s greatest export is its people. After visiting Ireland, your best memories will be those conversations with the Irish people that you met. Ireland has reminded me that it’s connecting with people that really matters.
To Nicola, Fiona, Colm, Orlaith, Sean, Eamonn, Rex, Kevin, Marina, and the many others that I had conversations with in Ireland – thank you. I am not ashamed to say I fell in love with your people. I am proud to call many of you my friends now. You mean more to me than you realize. You reminded me what matters.
You’ve given me the chance to think about my travels. I write about destinations and try to be honest and interesting. I’ve learned a lot of life lessons through travel.
However, I’ve become less and less concerned with how many people read what I write. What matters to me are the people I meet and the relationships I am building. Thank you for that lesson.
As I leave Ireland, I won’t forget you. I hope you won’t forget me either. Then again, Irish people don’t need to be told how much our connections matter. It’s all a part of the Irish craic.
*Jeremy Branham is an avid world traveller, based in Columbia, who runs the website Budget Travel Adventures.
21 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.jimod4343 | Nov 08, 2012, 02:23 AM EST
People in rural Ireland are often insular, back-stabbing, two-faced, poorly educated, cunning, racists.
KerryGold | Sep 19, 2012, 03:35 PM EDT
Glad you enjoyed your stay in our country and the company of the Irish. You are welcome to return anytime, but next time visit places outside of Dublin, to understand more of the warmth of the Irish character.
Happyhippo | Sep 18, 2012, 03:56 PM EDT
This uplifting story by Mr Branham i can relate to and makes a nice change from a lot of depressing comments on IC,its clear he is an out going person and enjoyed meeting with the locals, and i would guess that he was the instigator in many of the contacts with people he met,Thanks
Mairin67 | Sep 17, 2012, 06:59 PM EDT
Thank you for looking past the football game and the silly Irishness that is the "fighting Irish". Quite wonderfully said.
donegalcali | Sep 17, 2012, 05:05 PM EDT
Really nice article. Im delighted you had a great time and you were treated great.
ancavker | Sep 17, 2012, 11:34 AM EDT
The guy writes a nice article, and still people complaining!! Unbelieveable!!
bunkerhill | Sep 17, 2012, 10:32 AM EDT
I agree with the author as we have spent a great deal of time in Ireland and were amazed at their friendliness and interest in other countries and people. They also have a great sense of humor. The kindnesses individually displayed on so many occasions are too numberous too mention. Regarding the number of athletes and celebraties, there is on thing so many people seem to forget or do not know about. The Irish population hovers around 4 million people. You could fit them into the Bronx in NYC. Figures from a few years ago show England - 55 million, Germany - 90 million, Italy and Spain - 50 million and so on. They are the most remarkable people given their size and population which so few people seem to realize. Can't wait to return there.
IrelandNorth | Sep 17, 2012, 08:06 AM EDT
Don't forget, there's an eastern (Leinster) and western (Connacht) Ireland too! Most homeless people on the streets in Dublin/Ireland are either professional begging families from Romania. Or career beggers from the Travelling community. Or drug addicts who are banned from hostels for anti-social behaviour. WoundedKnee (WK)! The Columbia he mentioned could be the United States Ship (USS) [space shuttle] of the same name. As a professional traveller, he could be outer space? Street sinage is perfectly adequate for the non-dyslectic travellers. KO!
WoundedKnee | Sep 17, 2012, 01:29 AM EDT
I suppose in his defense we should commend this guy for meeting some Irish people. It is perfectly possible to spend four days in Ireland and have no interaction with any Irish person. That's because of the truly extraordinary rate of Mass Immigration to the country--foreign migrants dominate vast sectors of the economy, especially the tourist industry.
angrypaddy | Sep 17, 2012, 12:17 AM EDT
He obviously did not meet anybody with a mortgage or unemployed,the only people having the "crack" in Ireland today are the tourists looking for the illusion what he actually saw was Ireland through pint's of Guinness
TayandCake | Sep 16, 2012, 11:53 PM EDT
people are its export, something not right about that.
michaelidaho | Sep 16, 2012, 10:07 PM EDT
Is this the Ireland of 2012 or of yesteryear? I feel this commentary rings much more true of pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland than the present. The Ireland of today is a far cry from the wit, hospitality and craic of previous generations.
Pazuzu | Sep 16, 2012, 09:46 PM EDT
The only craic I've ever seen in Ireland was the kind hanging out the back of somebody's jeans!
ballyhip | Sep 16, 2012, 09:06 PM EDT
Even recognizing the national game of putting one in his place, some of the criticism of Mr.Branham verged on the misanthropic. I wish him well in the future and hope he can return to Ireland as I am sure that he will be in touch with everyone he met through social media.
Gordan Duggan | Sep 16, 2012, 07:43 PM EDT
thank you Jeremy, with so many critics of Ireland on this site you really got what the Irish people are all about.
irishpjk | Sep 16, 2012, 05:43 PM EDT
He was there all of FOUR DAYS,Jasus how much did he drink? was that the high then next morning was the low.
WoundedKnee | Sep 16, 2012, 05:22 PM EDT
This guy is "is an avid world traveller, based in Columbia". As a graduate of Columbia U, I am curious as to what this means. Does it mean that the author is hanging out in my old haunts on the Upper West Side? Or is he perhaps in Canada, in British Columbia? Or how about Columbia SC, once vilely pillaged and burnt by Sherman's thugs? Don't tell me that our Hibernophile traveler is resident in South America? In that case it's ColOmbia!!!
Seanmor | Sep 16, 2012, 02:47 PM EDT
I agree with much of what Jeremy says. While visiting Ireland with my wife (a New England Methodist) in 2000, we asked for directions to a the home of a farming fasmily about 2 miles away. To our amazement, the lady of the house led us into the yard in her own car. The best thing about Ireland (North and South) is its people). In 2006 We visited a woman in the suburbs of Belfast who has family connections with my wife. This genteel lady took us on a tour of the Ards Penninsula and named the townlandas as she drove us along- all of them of Irish origin. She also translated these place names into English. It is very sad to think of the homeless in Dublin, but my concern is for the 200,000 of my fellow veterans who are homeless in the U.S. The Irish people to whom I best relate are those over 50. Those of the younger generations, including my own nepheews and nieces, are as strange to me as if they were from an other planet.
jimmybb | Sep 16, 2012, 11:30 AM EDT
great well written article i think u have hit the nail on the head ;its the people ;; thoroughly engaging n int rested in hearing what everyone has to say not superficial no airs r graces about them n they they listen cos they love to talk n repeat their stories to their friends n add their bits of humour to every story
sharoneileen | Sep 16, 2012, 10:30 AM EDT
I agree with everything the writer says about the homeland of my ancestors. So kindly and so friendly and engaging. I felt so comfortable in Ireland like I belonged. We made some friends along the way, had the greatest time in the pubs lifting pints together. Since coming home I have an insight into my ancestors and understand the heartache of their having to leave Eire. I also miss it so much. I have traveled a lot and I know Ireland is my home and I wish I could visit again,I don't know that I will ever be able to make it back. I want to take my grand kids to Ireland and until stricken with severe arthritis I thought I would be able. It leaves a little empty space in my heart. I make sure they know about Ireland, their ancestors, the struggles and how and why they left. They are assured of their heritage. It is a beautiful country and the people are lovely.
Willipotts | Sep 16, 2012, 09:53 AM EDT
I too was there for the BIG game and a week before and after. Dublin street singage is horrible to nonexistant but the countryside is gorgeous. Homes appeared immaculate,freshly painted and trimmed, incredibly pristine and tranquil and prosperous looking too. Don't know how they do it.