Dublin:
Dublin was my first taste of Ireland and it was very brief. I strolled through the Temple Bar district to just admire the gorgeous pubs. The day was nice, so I couldn’t be inside, even though I was pretty tired.
I think one thing that surprises people (I had this discussion with some people I am woofing with) is the seabirds that fly around the city. I never really imagined that in my head before arriving.
To my surprise, Mother Mother was playing a gig 400 meters from my hostel, so, because I love spontaneous nights, I got some tickets for that evening.
The opening band, Gurriers, were brash and like a punch to the gut; loud and electric. A gurrier is a tough, unruly young man. A name used mainly in Ireland. The perfect name for the band.
Mother Mother then came from behind the curtains to the love of everyone. Prior to the concert, I knew maybe two songs, but I knew that the band was a little strange, and I’m all for the weird. They definitely had the energy to outshine some of the best artists out there.
Galway:
I spent two nights and a couple other weekend days in Galway. I like the city for its tranquil undertones you feel throughout the streets. It has the pubs and the clubs to make it a party town, but for the most part, the town feels more relaxing. It was, simply, a place to breathe easy and take everything in. Especially compared to Dublin.
I went on a pub crawl offered by my hostel, Kinley Eyre Square Hostel (a great and personable hostel choice for the area). It was a great chance to meet some new people.
And of course, I had to sneak into the lighthouse at the end of this pier to watch my first sunset in western Ireland.
Small yet lively, the Saturday and Sunday markets are a great place to spend the afternoon. The smells alone will draw you in and the colors are a feast for the eyes. Personally, I was lured to the sausages/brats that were there, but, unfortunately, I forgot the name of the cart.
Life on the Farm:
Fergel and Manu welcomed me graciously and fit in right away. Very easygoing and fun people. Fergel is a native Irish man and has lived across the globe. Manu has also lived across the globe, often with Fergel, and was born in Milan. They have a lively six-year-old daughter, Nessa. She has a very Italian attitude which is quite demanding sometimes. I made sure I picked on her a little bit because she doesn’t have any siblings to do that. However, she did let me watch her cartoons with her so I didn’t pick on her too much. Man, I miss pushing Johnny’s buttons.
I stayed in the black mobile home featured in the foreground of the photo. I had running water, a composting toilet, a shower, a kitchen, and a wood-burning stove to heat the place. I felt like I was living almost too lavishly compared to other living arrangements I’ve had.
Fergel and Manu have four poly tunnels, countless high beds, a beautiful forest, fruit tree fields, and other sheds and greenhouses. It’s really incredible to see because they built everything by themselves. Including the house they live in now.
Also, we ate lunch all together and often had pasta. I can’t lie, the pasta was some of the best I’ve ever had. The Italians know what they’re doing when it comes to that. They have the knowledge down.
Typically, we worked with trees: apple trees, elders, oaks, willow trees, etc. We’d transplant trees and cover the top layer with compost or woodchips to keep the ever-vicious and always-returning grass at bay.
We’d also do odd jobs occasionally. Nessa even helped with a couple and even made us some tasty (all-natural) cakes and soups!
Now’s a good time to mention how often I’ve worked with fecal matter. All sorts of poop. In all the farms I’ve worked at. Fergel thinks, “Humans would be much better off if we took better care of our crap,”. I agree with him.
Of course, we always had interesting conversations that sped the day up. I could talk about the conversations in a separate blog alone, but one I’d like to point out is our talk about Northern Ireland, Margeret Thatcher, the IRA, and everything about the civil unrest in Ireland. It was extremely interesting, especially learning it from an insightful Irish man. I watched documentaries and read articles about the subject. It certainly informed me about how far you can push people before they push back.
Manu also works on a neat newsletter with other contributors from around the world. This link is to the newsletter – nyeleni.org/en/homepage/
I’ll talk about my weekend adventures in the next blog. Peace out.
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