Ireland Beyond the Tourist Trail
Early this month, I treated myself to the endless greenery and friendly faces of Ireland. It was easily one of the most beautiful flyover views. Green fields bordered by tall grass stretched across the majestic lands. Fields of happy, healthy cows were scattered all over, with towns or villages conservatively placed throughout. I was originally travelling out there to visit a younger cousin who has set his goal to be a citizen at some point and make a life out there. That said, I had the cheat code for the real experience of Ireland.
I flew into Shannon International Airport with a brief layover in Chicago along the way and made my way to my cousin’s hometown of Limerick. The real destination in our plan for the week was to be camping in a coastal town called Spanish Point. Spanish Point is a popular surf spot for locals and boasts a beautiful sandy beach bordered by clusters of smooth rocks and riddled with small jellyfish. It was certainly a busy location in general, but likely for the reason we were there. The Willie Clancy Festival took place for about 14 days. My cousin’s plan was to be there all week. I was certainly open to staying for most of my time there, but certainly had my sights set on hitting a couple of other places.
The Willie Clancy Festival
The festival takes place once a year and likely began shortly after Willie’s passing in 1973. The festival was not like any other I’ve seen—an entire town was hosting the festival in a way that basically every pub was packed tight from afternoon until midnight, with several circles of musicians playing Irish Trad music. On some days, we’d move from pub to pub to find the best craic—you will have to Google that 😊. Most of the time, we stayed in one spot and got to know a lot of the same people.
The food highlights were the fish and chips, chips with curry, or maybe battered sausages? I also enjoyed a full Irish breakfast one morning. We certainly had a grand time, with some memories I’ll never forget. One was a 40-minute bike ride back to our campsite at about four in the morning. A heavy fog rolled over us while moving along a country road, not even knowing if we were going in the right direction. It was pure freedom!
Taking to the Roads
Once I had enough of the camping and festival life, I took a bus back to Limerick, where I was able to stay in an empty dorm room at the University of Limerick. The campus was beautiful and very quiet, as the students were on break. The truly grand moment of my trip was about to unfold, even though I had just two days left.
I rented a car, a VW Polo (basically a Golf), with manual transmission and took to the roads—right-hand drive and the left side of the road. Eyes wide open and my brain really twitching, as I wasn’t used to this.
Ballybunion, Cork, and the Journey Home
On the first day, I drove out to Ballybunion, which is a beach town, and just had a basic afternoon beach day.
The second day, I drove out to County Cork, which is where (I’m told) the Haggerty (Hegarty) name comes from. The town of Cork was a bit like Venice/Santa Monica and even New York—don’t ask me how I came up with that. Lots of shopping, restaurants, narrow roads, and canals between sections.
This was pretty much where my vacation came to an end. If you are planning to make your way out to Ireland, I would recommend finding some music festivals happening, like the one I went to. You really get a feel for the culture and the vibe. People in Ireland are all way friendlier and more social than you can imagine, so don’t be shy about saying, “Hello. How are you?” to just about anyone you walk past!
