I can definitely say that this trip is worth it if you are able to go, even if you have difficulties traveling. I definitely get a little leery at going too far from places where I am comfortable, so I can completely understand someone getting cold feet at ‘traveling across the pond’ as the English would say. Still, if there is anything that I have learned about being in college, it’s that limits should be tested on occasion. In my own case, I was able to step out of my comfort zone for just the week, able to enjoy myself while learning about my background and family cultural heritage. Hence why I made the trek, but boy did I ever get plenty of interesting experiences to make up for any stress.

Below are some excerpts from my blog posts, which I think help to highlight certain areas of the trip that were well worth the visit and will stick in my memory for a long time. Just to make some things clear, when writing it I decided to format it like I was writing a letter to my family back home to make things more interesting, so if I write like I am addressing a certain person rather than a broader group of people then this is why.

“Anyway, here’s the part of the trip I know you want to hear about; the Book of Kells. We went to Trinity College (BTW, students get in free) where there’s a building dedicated entirely to the preservation of old texts and books. What I noticed right away is that they had a TV showing the Secret of Kells going into the building, and pointed it out to just about everyone else in line out of sheer excitement. Course I can’t bring any pictures of the book home, due to the whole problem with old materials and flash (also it’s kept in a dark room, so the flash would be needed anyway). However, I was able to get pictures of the library in the college, which was also used for filming a scene in Star Wars. Do you recognize it? Definitely one of the highlights of the night was the pubs. I got a picture long after the fact, though the first night at O’Donoghue’s (I think, I definitely remember the name being very long, beginning with a ‘D’, and looking interesting to pronounce).”

“Interesting story, that [Blarney] was apparently the home of one of the noble Irish families that refused to submit to the queen of England when the whole colonization debacle went down. The family’s name was Blarney, and the main patriarch, or knight, was captured and sentenced to death. However, it took them quite a while to actually go through with it because every time they came to execute him the knight would tell his killers a story so convoluted and engrossing they utterly forgot to do him in. This went on for months before Elizabeth actually asked why no one could execute this man, to which they told her about his tendency to tell stories. In reply, she said that the entire thing was a load of ‘blarney’. Guess where the term ‘full of baloney’ came from?”

“Particular favorite was nightshade. Not to mention, they have this stuff in actual cages. Cages.  Like the plants are just gonna run off and maul the tourists after they come down from kissing the Blarney stone. With their venom, no less. The Blarney stone’s wisdom gift would really only be good for a good dying speech. And even then I’d imagine the seizing would be an obstacle. I’d draw you a picture, but this really deserves my best supplies, not the few meager pens and pencils I have with me now.”

“You won’t believe the landscape around here though. It’s almost like Alaska in that there are large expanses of rises and mountains, with barely any trees in some spots. Kerry’s not exactly the most forested area of Ireland, but the assumption that Ireland has no trees is entirely incorrect from what I have seen so far. Kerry from what I have heard and observed is just sort of barren when it comes to anything larger than some shrubs. In some spots trees are pretty prominent, but one of the striking things about driving through some parts is how you can look for miles and just the green mountains, not a single bit of bark anywhere.”

Definitely a lot to see, from in Dublin to the Ring of Kerry, and if you plan it right you can get a lot in before you have to go home. Not to mention some of it, along with extra, will be provided for you to see during the tour so it’s not as though you will run out of things to do. The Writing School of Cork in particular is a great asset if you are interested in writing, or English in general as there’s plenty of input from older texts written by Irish writers. If you aren’t into either, there’s definitely still plenty to do and experience in Ireland regardless.

However something that I can definitely say without question is for the person to have an open mind about what they might see. There are all kinds of interesting things around, though plenty of them might need a bit of extra effort to see. The presence of ruins was this for me, as what I managed to learn about them I really only got through asking questions. Definitely don’t be afraid to do that. Just keep an open mind about you and you will have a good time. Also, be sure to take plenty of pictures!