Tag Archives: Ireland

Do You Have Irish Roots?

Referendums

It’s been a tough few months out there.  First, the disastrous vote on Brexit by the (get this) “Brexiteers” followed by the new reign of King Trump of Orange (no relation to William of Orange).  And here I am with two passports, one British and one American, feeling that I need a stopgap.  As it turns out, the UK parliament has decidedly voted to move Brexit into motion.  What that means for me is that I face, along with every other pro-European, the uncertainty of access into the 27 other member countries of the EU.  So, whoever thought up the idea of a referendum? Well, actually we have the Swiss to blame for that.

Around the 13th century, the Swiss started it all and it still thrives there to this day.  All you need to trigger one of these things is 100,000 votes.  Well, as we know, it’s not all wine and roses.  Hitler used the device to promote his populist rantings and managed to screw the entire western world over and kill a lot of innocent people in the process.  Referendums gave him the dictatorial powers that enabled him to dominate the evil arena for over 12 years.  In the USA, there’s no national mechanism for a referendum.  Pity, as we could probably do something about Donald of Orange right now given his current standing!  Still, 24 states hold referendums and Massachusetts became the most recent state to pass legalization of marijuana laws through this device.  So, referendums are really not all that bad.  It’s just that when you need them to fail, the failsafe doesn’t work.  Brexit voters just caused the biggest upset in British politics…and what will happen to Scotland?  After all, Romans thought it was wise to keep out the Scots by building a wall!  Heard that somewhere before.  Didn’t work then. Won’t work now!

My Only Hope – Ireland

My grandmother was from County Clare and according to Irish law that entitles me to apply for citizenship.  Therefore, it’s a route back into the European sunshine of 27 states.  I knew granny would be good for something even though none of us could understand a word that she said!  So, off I have been on the path of discovery to County Clare, the tiny town of Scarriff, and the even tinier hamlet of Aughram.  I am looking at church records, the births and deaths register in Dublin, you name it, I am on it.  And I am nearly there.

To be honest, it is exciting to retrace my heritage and the journey has been a journey of discovery and revelation.  As it turns out, my grandmother was telling porkypies (lies) about her age and it seems porkypies about her name.  But I got her!  Even though the shocking news about name and age was difficult to take for my mother, the consolation for us all was that we can all get Irish passports.  Unless, of course, the Brexit vote is reversed.  Unlikely though with the way the world is shaping up at the moment.  For Americans, think laterally.  You may have relatives in Mexico or Canada and let’s face it, a Mexican or Canadian passport may be the only way you get to spend your vacations in Cancun.  Of course, you may never be allowed back to the USA!

 

 

Sligo

Arriving in Dublin on a Saturday night can be a fun experience under any circumstance.

But renting a car and driving into town after the final of the All-Ireland Gaelic Football game that Dublin won is a whole different world.  The GPS could navigate me into the center but what it did not tell me was that I had to avoid the remnants of celebration walking randomly in front of me as I drove to the Conrad Dublin Hotel by St. Stephen’s Green.  We made it eventually and the hotel was absolutely great.  It was party night in Dublin.  Not a better place in all of the world.

The next morning, we began our journey to the scenic western coast of Ireland.

The drive to Sligo uses a fairly modern highway.  We drove out passing the St. James’s Gate and the Guinness Factory, and followed the River Liffey for several miles.  We traced peat bogs and at one point intersected with the River Shannon at Roosky before arriving in Sligo about 2.5 hours after departure.

The west of Ireland is truly a magnificent part of this tiny country.  Sligo sits in the northwestern part quite close to the Northern Ireland border.  The wealth that came to Sligo because of the port trade gave it the Cathedral of John the Baptist whose original foundation was built in the 13th century although it was completed in the 18th century.  About 30,000 people emigrated from Sligo during the Great Famine in the 19th century.  In the early part of the 20th century, Sligo became a hotbed for Republicanism.  Today, Sligo has the feel of an old colonial Garrison town with beautiful stone houses and on the outskirts there are some massive estates.  The Sligo area was popular with the British aristocracy even after Partition in 1921.

To me, walking through Sligo was a reminder of England in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s; shops were closed on Sunday, family stores, traditional clothing stores, butcher shops, pubs with the patron’s name on it, and tiny terraced houses with barely room to move between the door and the road.  Sligo has its beautiful River Garavogue that has created some activity and a bustle of shops and cafes that 15 years ago did not exist.

This is William Butler Yeats country and the inspiration for his poetry lies in the fields all around this tiny town.

It is easy to get here from Dublin by rental car, by bus, or a three-hour train service.  We stayed at the Glasshouse Hotel which was modest but ample and right on the Hyde Bridge – not fancy but the location was superb and the staff and amenities were brilliant. Sligo is absolutely worthwhile adding to your list.

Sligo Pietro Place Peter Jones

Sligo Pietro Place Peter Jones 3 Sligo Pietro Place Peter Jones 4 Sligo Pietro Place Peter Jones 5 Sligo Pietro Place Peter Jones 6 Sligo Pietro Place Peter Jones 7

Irish Bars and American Football

Irish Bars and American Football

When you travel anywhere in January, especially in Europe, there is a good chance if you are an American and love American football, there is a major game going on.  As it happened, I was in Barcelona when the Patriots were playing Kansas City so of course my first inquiry on my smart phone was to find an Irish bar.

Irish bars are these remarkable institutions found in every city in the world from Shanghai to Istanbul.  The Irish understand the needs of the modern sports fanatic.  Yes, they sell you Guinness and Harp along with local brews and average food, but the thing they do the best is stay open late so that we can all watch an American football game long after the other bars in the neighborhood have closed.  Irish Bars and American Football simply go hand in hand. My favorite bar in Rome is Scholar’s Lounge and it is ironically next to Berlusconi’s house. I guess he doesn’t mind the commotion with all the parties he hosts!

Irish bars are good for soccer in the afternoon, and American football or baseball into the late evening and early morning. Plus they rock.  They understand that one television screen is not enough – they have 10, maybe more – and everybody gathers there.  I often thing that some people never leave the bars.  In Barcelona, I’m not sure when the bar even closed.  It’s a late city and the Irish bars can outlast any city ordinance for closing.  It must be because my grandmother is Irish that I feel right at home drinking Guinness and watching an American football game in a beautiful city.

Irish Bars and American Football