The Irish are proud of their history and have a great tradition of sharing it visitors. We still don’t know exactly what it means to be ‘Irish’ but certainly have a better idea of it after our visit.

For the most part, being Irish means sharing roots with a Celtic tribal people who had structured laws, a monumental building campaign and an enduring aural tradition. It also means being a part of a Christian tradition of literacy and artistry. It is the mixing in of Viking urbanism, with their skillful merchant class and love of the sea with the rural self-governing Celtic tribes. It means understanding the different Norman and English influences on the religious, political and social complexities of a well established ‘Irish’ people group. Being Irish also means sharing a long history with the English. It means being both Catholic and Protestant, unionist and republican. It is the juxtaposition of being a former English colony as well as an independent nation trying to make their own mark on the world and finding their own voice in the European Union.

Thanks for travelling with us.

Dennis & Jew-Lee Goldsberry