May the strength of God pilot us,
May the wisdom of God instruct us,
May the hand of God protect us,
May the Word of God direct us.
-St. Patrick-
Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! It's a cloudy March morning here today, but that is quite suitable for this time of year. Spring is nearly here and rain showers are bringing all the green and flowers and beauty that this season will hold. And seeing as today is St. Patrick's Day, it only seems appropriate that we would have some "Irish weather"...that consists of cloudy skies and drizzling rain.
Today I want to invite you to come along with me as I share some personal photos and memories of the Emerald Isle. My family and I had the immense pleasure of travelling to gorgeous Ireland in 2016 and 2017. If you've been around for a while and read my old blog, you will perhaps recognize these photos. At that time, I shared all about our trips in length and it was so fun! That blog is no longer public, but I always enjoy sharing some scrapbook reflections come St. Paddy's Day. So, pour a cuppa tea, grab a biscuit or two and get comfy. Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?
While I have been to Dublin and Galway City (and Belfast in Northern Ireland), I'm not a city gal. Take me to the countryside and I'm beyond happy! Ireland is no different. I have been to nearly every county in the country and visited many towns and villages, but of course, a girl has her favorites. For me, those would be Connemara in Galway, the mountains in Wicklow, Howth Head in Dublin and Killarney and Dingle in County Kerry. Each of these places holds a special place in my heart and a picture just can't capture the beauty of the landscapes.
Our second trip started off on a rocky start and continued to have many bumps along the way. We ended up getting terrible colds on the flight over to Dublin and spent the first couple of days in bed at our holiday house. Thankfully, it was a cozy farmhouse surrounded by fields of sheep and cows...it was the birthing season so there were cows giving birth on the farm where we stayed and we saw many, many baby lambs frolicking in the fields as we drove all over the countryside.
One night, after a day at the holiday house, we were getting ready to go to bed. The house was dark except for a few small lamps. My mom was walking into the laundry room when all of a sudden, we heard a loud shout. My dad and sister went running, and I stayed in bed because I was feeling the worst that day. They were shouting about some dark thing laying on the ground in front of the washing machine. It was still pitch black because in all the commotion no one had thought to turn on a light. (It was a bit chaotic!) Then I hear my sister yell, "Don't kill it! Don't kill it!" You can imagine what I was thinking from the bedroom at this point...what in the heck is going on? I should mention at this point that earlier in the day we had discovered the backdoor in the laundry room that led out to the backfield had been left open since we arrived, which was a couple of days. We were thinking that some critter had made its way into the house and we were freaking out! My dad finally was able to make his way to the light switch and what do you know? The black thing was a sock! We about fell over from laughing so hard!
That moment was one of the highlights of our trip. And it was much needed as we all felt so lousy...and the trip proceeded to have many bumps. From a nightmare of an experience at our second holiday house to it downpouring rain every single day we were there. (Note to self: February and March probably isn't the best time to go to Ireland. Ha!) But, there were some good moments in the midst of it all. We ended up staying at the cutest inn right at the center of a small village where we heard church bells every hour from right around the corner. We actually went to St. Patrick's holy well in Tipperary and discovered the marvellous, peaceful Connemara. We loved it so much there we ended up going back probably four or five days! {{smiles}}
Don't miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow looking for the pot of gold.
-An Irish Proverb-
Our first trip to Ireland was in June and July, so the weather was much more pleasant. In fact, it was a dream, especially coming from southern USA, where the summer is hot and humid. We wore jackets and autumn-like clothing and it was so dreamy! The skies in Ireland are so glorious and the clouds so low and puffy, like cotton balls floating in a sea of blue. We spent our days driving a cute little car all around the country, some nights not getting back to our holiday house until one or two in the morning.
When we travel abroad, we love staying holiday houses and preparing picnic lunches and cooking dinner at home. It's fun getting to shop in the markets and find our favorite places to get different foods. (We have a list of all our most favorite shops and restaurants!) The little shops have the best pastries and donuts and they're all fresh and homemade. We probably ate way too many, but hey, when in Ireland, right?
May every sunrise hold more promise,
and every sunset hold more peace.
Celtic and Irish trad music are some of my favorites, and one of the best memories is driving around Connemara and the windy roads of Kerry listening to that music. I had heard about all these places in songs for years and there I was with them right before my eyes. Now, whenever I listen to those songs, I am transported back to the green, rolling hills and ribbon roads and wild Atlantic sea, and am reminded of the beauty and magic and wonder that I experienced there. We saw abbeys and castles, fields of green and sheep happily grazing hillsides. Ireland truly is the place of fairy tales.
One song that comes to mind is Come by the Hills. I especially find the words of this song inspiring and soul lifting at this time in which our world is going crazy and the news is scary and uncertain. I hope the words offer the same blessing to you...
Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free
And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the loughs meet the sea
Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun
And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done
Come by the hills to the land where life is a song
And stand where the birds fill the air with their joy all day long
Where the trees sway in time and even the wind sings in tune
And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done
Come by the hills to the land where legend remains
The stories of old fill our hearts and may yet come again
Where the past has been lost and the future is still to be won
And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done
An Irish blessing for you, kind readers...
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine upon your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Irish blessings to you, friends! I hope your day is peaceful, beautiful and full of lots of tea, biscuits and good food!
Have you ever been to Ireland before? If so, what are some of your favorite places? And if not, what are some places you'd love to see? Let's chat below!
♥