I enjoyed an all too short two week trip to Ireland to visit my husband's parents in Kinsale. We had a wonderful time together filled with great food, beautiful sights and the joy that is seeing a grandchild bonding with his grandparents. Alex was very sad to leave and I think we've already decided that we'll be back!
Here are some facts on Ireland:
- Official name: Ireland (Irish: Éire)
- Population: 4.5 million (UN, 2010)
- Capital: Dublin
- Area: 70,182 sq km (27,097 sq miles)
- Major languages: English, Irish
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 83 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
- Main exports: Machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
- GNI per capita: US $44,310 (World Bank, 2009)
- Internet domain: .ie
- International dialling code: +353
When I found the poem below I thought it was absolutely brilliant, I hope you'll enjoy it too! And those that live in Ireland might nod at a few points in recognition.
What Shall I Say About the Irish?
The utterly impractical, never predictable,
Sometimes irascible, quite inexplicable, Irish.Strange blend of shyness,
pride and conceit,
And stubborn refusal to bow in defeat.
He's spoiling and ready to argue and fight,
Yet the smile of a child
fills his soul with delight.
His eyes are the quickest to well up with tears,
Yet his strength is the strongest
to banish your fears.
His hate is as fierce as his devotion is grand,
And there is no middle ground
on which he will stand.
He's wild and he's gentle,
he's good and he's bad.
He's proud and he's humble,
he's happy and sad.
He's in love with the ocean,
the earth and the skies,
He's enamoured with beauty wherever it lies.
He's victor and victim, a star and a clod,
But mostly he's Irish—
in love with his God.
The utterly impractical, never predictable,
Sometimes irascible, quite inexplicable, Irish.Strange blend of shyness,
pride and conceit,
And stubborn refusal to bow in defeat.
He's spoiling and ready to argue and fight,
Yet the smile of a child
fills his soul with delight.
His eyes are the quickest to well up with tears,
Yet his strength is the strongest
to banish your fears.
His hate is as fierce as his devotion is grand,
And there is no middle ground
on which he will stand.
He's wild and he's gentle,
he's good and he's bad.
He's proud and he's humble,
he's happy and sad.
He's in love with the ocean,
the earth and the skies,
He's enamoured with beauty wherever it lies.
He's victor and victim, a star and a clod,
But mostly he's Irish—
in love with his God.
The first two images are of Chicago, IL from the window of the aircraft - all the while the FA is almost shouting at us to put the camera off.....ha - we got the shot anyway! Across the isle a man just kept taking pictures, what was all that fuss about? We flew from Atlanta via Chicago to Dublin and then had a 3 hour car ride down to Kinsale, it was quite the trip but well worth the effort! The weather was mostly cool and cloudy (well cool for us Southerrrrners!) but that didn't worry us at all.
I won't go into any more detail but rather let the images do the talking!
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| For my Schatz! |
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| Look at those colours! |
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| A boy on his "Bubble Bum" - an inflatable booster seat! |
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| Accommodation with a view! |
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| For my favourite Father-in-law! |
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| A special bond! |
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| The stick won't sink. |
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| Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) on my way to Germany. |
