Getting into the local scene

We bid a fond farewell to Mark, our gracious host in Limerick, wishing him much success in restoring his family home. Onto Dingle we drove taking in beautiful scenery of vibrant green fields resembling a patchwork quilt with the hedgerow borders. It’s amazing how much the landscape has changed from the stone fields of the west coast to the lush and fertile countryside of the southwest. We stopped off for lunch in a sweet little town called Tralee. Suspect we’ve entered one of the primarily Irish speaking areas as signs are predominantly in Irish. The murals and wall art in Tralee were very creative and attention grabbing, clearly communicating their message. We pressed on to Dingle where much to our delight, the Dingle Food Festival was in full swing. Our delight soon turned into horror as streets were blocked off and cars parked everywhere. At one point we had serious doubts about having enough space to pass through the parked cars on both sides. Fortunately a guy in the group of pedestrians noted our predicament, and quickly stepped in as a ground guide. We sucked in our breath as the car’s proximity sensors went wild and squeezed through the very narrow space. Fortunately we didn’t have much further to go. We parked the car at our lodging and headed back into town on foot to explore. Everybody and his brother were out in the streets lined with all sorts of food vendors. It all smelled great, but we were still full from lunch. After cruising the streets we discovered the grocery store and stopped in to pick up breakfast fixins. Then we headed to a pub for some liquid libations. Two Irish fellows who were in for the festival joined us at our table. Between the noise and the accents, I think I got most of what they said. They were brothers, coming from a family of 13 children. Their father was from Belfast, and when he died, their mother took all 13 kids and moved back to Belfast. It was back during the Troubled Times, and even though Gavin was only 5, he remembers the tension and not being allowed to go out in the street to play. The family only lasted a few months before moving out of the city. Even though it’s been over 27 years since the Peace Accords, he vehemently told us what murderous thugs the British were. He also explained how the IRA came to be, but didn’t condone their actions either. He was profoundly grateful to the USA, Clinton administration and George Mitchell for helping to broker peace through the Good Friday Agreement. Funny how we so easily forget the good things accomplished through diplomacy. We had a lively conversation until it was time for them to catch the bus home. These encounters, away from all the touristy stuff is the experience we were hoping for.Read more