In late September I arrived at Cork Airport in Ireland for my first ever visit to the island.
I have lots to say about it but here’s a starter list. From the stunning green to the sumptuous food, and all between, Ireland has a lot to love.
10 of the many things I learned about Ireland
10. It is indeed green. Ridiculously verdant, emerald, everything you can imagine green to be and more.
Ireland is green, just as they say | Jill Browne
9. People often forget that the witty Oscar Wilde and the scary Bram Stoker were both Irish.
8. The last passengers to board the Titanic got on at the harbour town of Cobh, on the south coast. Cobh is well worth a visit, and among its many attractions is the Titanic Experience.
7. The Cork and Kerry Mountains are real, not just part of a song.
6. The Cork and Kerry Mountains are also big and very beautiful.
5. The photo opps are endless.
Beautiful colours, photo opps everywhere in Ireland | Jill Browne
4. The Dingle Peninsula beaches look just like they did in Ryan’s Daughter.
3. Dublin has fresh, local food and imaginative creative chefs serving up the best meals, like the dramatic soup I had at Fade Street Social.
2. What everyone says about the people is true: they are friendly and hospitable.
and finally
1. I should have gone there sooner!
Sun on the mountain in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland | Jill Browne
Disclosure
This is my standard form of disclosure that I am retroactively adding to all blog posts done before April 1, 2018, and will add to all new posts.
1. Is this experience open to the public?
Yes.
2. Who paid the cost of me doing this?
I paid for my trip to Ireland.
I went to Cobh on my own. Then I continued to Killarney for a blogging conference. I paid all my own costs to attend (registration, travel, accommodation, food) except for the meals included in the conference registration fee, a one-day field trip that was part of the conference, and a familiarization trip to Dublin hosted by Failte Ireland at the end. I’ve put disclosure about the Dublin trip on the Dublin articles.
3. Did I get any compensation or special consideration for writing this blog post?
No.
4. Would I be as positive about this place if I had gone as a regular visitor?
Yes. I wouldn’t have written about it if I didn’t think it was interesting. I had no obligation to write this post.
1 Comment
jh1950
November 9, 2017 at 2:11 amI like Ireland too, a beautiful country and very friendly people. James Joyce was also Irish althoufh not as witty a writer as Oscar.
Did you visit the General Post Office Jill, it was the focus of fierce fighting during Ireland’s struggle for independence, the holes from the British bullets are still visable and were left as a reminder of that terrible civil war.