Ireland

 Ireland,  RIP the Celtic Tiger

After 3 full days of extreme Irish Hospitality we are returning to the UK on the Swift ferry, 2 hours instead of 4. Several full cooked breakfasts, many pints of Guinness and Smithwicks Irish ale have taken toll on my health.  We need a holiday! 

It has been full on catching up with people, Gillian (Dara’s 2^nd cousin) and Gerry in Dublin, Sally (Aideen’s cousin) and Jack on the beach in Rosslare,  and then Mamie Bowen who put us up for a couple of nights in Monkstown.  She has a magnificent 150 year-old house with towering ceilings, elegant stairways going up 4 floors, walls adorned with old family and boating pictures, and a lovely view of the yachts moored across the road in Cork Harbour.

We enjoyed a couple of evenings with most of Harry and Aideen’s local friends, who entertained with their outrageous Irish good humour and made us feel very welcome.

During the day, we re-explored Cork city, visiting Dara’s old school (now with no resident nuns and in disrepair but with plans for restoration), and her University. We lunched with Teresa (dental colleague), and caught up with Aunty Ruth at the Jameson’s Whisky distillery.  It was too early for a dram unfortunately.

There have been many changes in Ireland since we were last here 17 years ago.  With the help of the EU and the Celtic Tiger the roads between and around the cities are now modern efficient motorways.  Off the main routes though, the old Ireland is still there and even our trusty GPS was confused at times.  In the suburbs there are ugly rows of new housing developments, with many only half finished when the money ran out.  House prices have more than halved since the economic crash and unemployment is soaring, even the Poles are going home. No-one can borrow to buy new houses and business confidence is at a low.  We have been let off lightly at home.

The ferry crossing is thankfully calm this time and we are looking forward to supper in Wales with Bill Andrews, our best man.

Hope the world cup is going well. We have been getting a hard time about being the only Kiwis to leave NZ for the World cup.

Click here to see Irish photos