in 2019, thank god before covid. I went alone, I am mostly Irish and I wanted to meet the people so stayed in small B & B's nothing fancy all over and took train to Belfast from Derry and had a friend give me a tour of the peace wall and she had me sign it. Told me the story from someone involved of all that happened years ago.
I didn't rent a car, took trains, public bus and ferries. I met hundreds of lovely Irish folks. Trump was president at the time and none of them got it. I met a lot of people from UK.
Favorite music place Dingle and Westport. Favorite quiet space, I stayed a week at Inishmaan the middle Aran Island where only 150 live almost no tourists and they speak Gaelic only a few speak English. I was at a small B & B there run by the sweetest people, was able to walk around the whole Island, hardly any roads.
I stayed in far northern regular Ireland near coast on a sheep farm for a week.
These experiences and more will be with me forever.
Balina the town I found out Joe went to after I was there, had a small forest with trails and tiny fairy houses in the trees leading to a castle. So magical. I stayed in a small place behind a catholic church which was the one Joe visited later.
I am the type of person who plans my travel so I have real experiences.
One of the first towns I stayed at was Donegal, loved it. Was walking a few miles to B & B outside the city and as I was only 1/2 mile away a woman stopped and insisted on giving me a ride. I hadn't hitched hiked since the 70's but felt immediately that she was no threat. She invited me to a clothing swap party next day and I went having tea and wine sitting in a country house with 6 women laughing our heads off at trying each other's clothes on.
To me that party and sitting in a small pub listening to this old man reciting poetry is how I remember Ireland.
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