My daughter, LaureLea, the semi-famous singer/songwriter (locally anyway) and my granddaughter, AJ, landed in Dublin this morning. Just a wee vacation. They'll be there until next Saturday. If any of you Irish types see them. Say "Hi." Tell LauraLea the first thing her dog did after she dropped her off was throw up on my den floor.
Dublin is by no means Ireland, so I trust the party moved on. It is usually assumed that Island is divided north and south, that is merely a political confection, the real divide is east and west with the Pale to the East being little more than a slice of misplaced Britain at times, however, over towards the Atlantic the Celts took refuge and here lies a much more intrinsic Ireland with Ennis once being considered at the heart of the trad scene. Alas, over the past 20 years there has been a decline and where a pub would of have a band of amateur talent there is now only some old lad croaking along to a Karaoke. 'Tis a sad spectacle TBH, and while I am sure there are true musicians still out there they are becoming ever harder to find. I do trust your daughters know where to look for the right company to keep as musicians. I love live music myself, if played well, so I wish them well!
They had a wonderful time. They basically circumnavigated the whole island, visiting both the south and north. They were impressed with the friendliness of the folks and the food and the scenery. I told my granddaughter to order haggis. She looked it up on the interweb and responded with "Yeeech!!" and the vomiting emoji. What they couldn't get over was how GREEN it was. My daughter said when they got home all the greenery here looked washed out. They had a guide named Sean (imagine that) and at clubs he would introduce her as "An American singer." She was invited up to sit in at several places and made some Irish fans.
No connection with your Daughter or Grand-Daughter obviously but reading your thread regarding Ireland and musicians reminded me of Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzie fame, who apparently said to the audience "are there any girls out there with any Irish in them, or are there any girls that would like a bit more Irish in them" I don't know the outcome.
You do know that haggis is a Scottish delicacy and Ireland is affectionately referred to as the Emerald Isle due to how green it is. Many will say it’s that green because of the high rainfall, but I’ve had more good weather days than bad on my trips over the years.
They did report that the weather was cool and mostly damp, at least while they were there. It was my understanding that although haggis is usually associated with Scotland, it is not uncommon in Ireland. One of their best memories was watching a sheepdog working, herding a flock in a rural area. They got a kick out of how smart and diligent the dog was.
How cool that your daughter and granddaughter got to go to Ireland, @Fork Lock! It sounds like they had a fantastic time. Did their stories and experiences make you want to travel to Ireland, too?
Not really. We have no connection there. Not a drop of Irish blood in me or my wife. Pictures were nice. I'd rather see some places in the U.S.
Not really. We have no connection there. Not a drop of Irish blood in me or my wife. Pictures were nice. I'd rather see some places in the U.S.