By no stretch of the imagination could you call me a true world traveler. Since my first trip to Ireland in 2000, my only overseas destination has been the Emerald Isle (and I've made four more visits). There are other places I'd like to visit, but I'm more likely to get there if Dublin or Shannon Airport is a stop on the itinerary. I have often said that it is only in Ireland that I feel like my real self.
The other day, I was talking to a patron in the library who read two books on my recommendation: Round Ireland With a Fridge (Tony Hawks) and Pint-Sized Ireland (Evan McHugh). Her comment was that she found the first one funny, but wasn't too sure about the second; it seemed like they were so much alike. This caused me to think about why I liked them both so much. The bottom line was that each spoke to me by evoking memories of a different kind. The first book reminded me of our encounters with people in Ireland. Just as the author found that news of his journey traveled ahead of him. It seemed that everywhere he turned, there were people who were enjoying the novelty of his challenge and were eager to help him along, be a part of it.
Two memories that come to my mind come from two separate trips. During our first trip, we went to the town from which my forebears came (Castlelyons, County Cork). In the middle of the town were the remains of a castle, but no matter how we tried, we couldn't find a way to get near it. At last we went to the office of a truck repair yard adjacent to the castle - we could see a gate from their yard into the field where we wanted to go. Well, the men in the office were immediately intrigued - of course we could go through (but why did we want to?). We had famiy nearby? Out came the phone book to see if we recognized any names, they gave us directions to the "old" cemetery. These people could not have been more interested or forthcoming with advice. It was a very satisfying acceptance.
The second memory is of the beginning of a very special friendship. On our second trip, Jim sent out a general e-mail to his Sprite/Bugeye group on the Internet outlining our plans to be in Ireland. One of his Internet "buddies" got in touch and arranged to meet us one night for dinner. Ron and his family drove half the length of the country to meet us that night; they arranged a B&B for us, then entertained us with dinner and a visit to a nearby pub, owned by family. It was one of the most wonderful evenings we've ever had, arranged by almost complete strangers. Our friendship with Ron continues and it all started because he put himself out to make us feel welcome.
It didn't surprise me at all to read about complete strangers going out of their way to help Tony Hawks - the strange guy who traveled Ireland accompanied by a refrigerator; I'd say it was right up their alley and I wouldn't have expected any less.
I'll write later about the perfect pint of Guinness.
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