Finally got a chance to get out of my comfort zone of Smyrna, Athens and Sun Valley Beach to check out Ireland. My brothers wife was raised in Monaghan, and we had their daughter Christened at her home Church. So as the Godfather, guess I gotta go, what a shame. Here are a few observations and thoughts from my first stamp on the passport.
- There really are a ton of pubs, but no redheads (or shamrocks, or pots of gold).
- When driving, stay to the left. And sitting in what would be the drivers side as a passenger took some getting used to.
- While not a huge fan of Guinness, it does taste better over there.
- If going to Dublin, make sure you check out Trinity college, the Jameson Tour, and the Guinness plant. Also, the hop on/hop off bus is a great way to see the city, and you can get off, explore parts, then jump back on at another stop (hence, the name).
- The 2 major colors of Ireland; Green and White. Green rolling fields everywhere, and white of the people. Being from Atlanta, I see a lot of every race and nationality. In Ireland, everyone is from Ireland. That's it.
- Gaelic football is like a combination of soccer, American Football, and rugby, with a touch of wrestling. But its still no SEC.
- Seriously, pubs everywhere. But the small bars that fit about 20 people are the best. They have the most history and the characters make it fun.
- Dublin is very fast paced, more than expected. But the people are really cool.
- Check out the Jameson tour in Dublin. You get a free drink and we sipped on 18 year old whiskey, good stuff.
- If someone offers you red and white pudding, try it. But be aware that your eating cured pigs blood. It looks like small sausage patties, and tastes the same, but in the end, its not.
- No need to tip for your food or drinks. The bartenders and servers make more money than American servers. So they don't expect it.
- If you go to order food, don't ask them to "hold" or "add" items. You get how its on the menu. They get offended if you ask for a special order. I learned that the hard way when I requested a sandwich with no peppers. Thought I was gonna get kicked out.
- Carlsburg is good beer. The pubs are really pushing Coors Light now, which was odd.
- Don't be afraid to ask a local to slow down in a conversation. The Irish talk fast, and the accents can trip you up. Most find it funny when an American is confused.
- Despite the rumors, most of the world does not hate Americans. If anything, they wanted to talk about the American life, and yes, they too think Obama is the savior.
- Their language is rough, be prepared to hear the f-word a lot. To the Irish, its not a bad word. However, the word "fanny" is very insulting. Seriously.
- Never order an Irish Car Bomb at a pub. It would be like ordering a 9/11 shot here.
- Most of the young crowd is in pretty good shape. I think its because there's not a fast food joint on every corner, they drink their dinner, and everyone walks.
- Don't be surprised to see the owner of the pub sitting next to you getting drunk.
- Nobody, and I mean NOBODY drinks and drives. The DUI laws are 100x more severe in Ireland. If you get caught even slightly over the limit, you lose your license for a year. Period. If your driving really drunk you can lose it for life. There are no "3 strikes" laws, or George O'steins in Ireland.
- Nobody really watches TV outside of Rugby, GAA, or a soccer match.
- Nor do they listen to the radio. For as much time as I spent in a car, I think we listened to the radio for about 2 mins.
- However, the shops play a lot of American country music. I walked into one store and Dolly Parton was playing. Another pub had Johnny Cash. Nice.
- We had perfect weather, but it was odd to see the sun shining at 4:30 AM and not set until 10:30 PM.
- Be prepared for an Irish sing along to break out at any moment at the pubs, and be ready to participate, even thou you will have no idea what the hell they are singing. Fake it.
- Seriously, stay left on the roads.
- Lots of sheep and cows and rabbits.. and beer.
- Yes, their teeth are pretty bad, but lately I have become a teeth snob (since I paid out my @$$ to get fake ones).
- If someone orders you a pint, don't refuse it, drink it and return the favor.
- Ladies: the men are not a pushy or as forward in Ireland. One girl said she can go all night at a crowded pub or disco with her clubs and not get talked to or hit on once by a guy.
- All in all, its an amazing land with wonderful people. Flights are surprisingly cheap and its only about 8 hours to get there. But remember to stay left.
Be Good..
Mixmaster Mark