Positive things about life in Ireland

As an emigrant from the US, I find Ireland incredibly charming. The amount of positives far outweigh any drawbacks.

I'll try not to sound like a "The Gathering(TM)" advert, but I agree with a lot of what it has to say:

Chippers(nothing that comes remotely close to one in the States), weather(with the general lack of tornadoes a big plus), creatures AKA craters(lack of rattlesnakes and fire ants a big plus), hardly ever been shot at, "these are small and those are far away", the greens and the absolutely stunning scenery, the gorgeous ruins and churches, the lack of a need for an 8 lane highway, the stars at night, the smell of peat and coal, the soft Irish rain and the rainbows they bring, the pub and the pints, one lane bridges, towns and villages built upon a 'human scale', the gorgeous coastline and coastal villages, and the craic! Gotta end this post here, time to head to the shops!

Dostoevsky wrote: »

A tiny thing from this morning. Listening to an interview with Glen Hansard on RTÉ Radio 1 after 9am. What an absolutely sound man. Down-to-earth, funny and with absolutely no airs or graces. Talking about how his uncle who worked in "the Abbey Theatre" is his idol and how the last time he met him he was outside the concert venue selling paraphernalia while Glen was going in to play. He spoke about how he's afraid to go around Moore Street as the auld wans tend to scream across to him (he did a fantastic impression of a Moore Street auld wan!) because his Mam used to sell in the area. He spoke about how he prefers renting and still rents in Dublin....

You wouldn't think the man won an Academy Award. With all the people going around with notions, he was absolutely refreshing.

I don't really get the hatred for him tbh. He seems sound. And he's fairly rugged too.

wretcheddomain wrote: »

What have you been taking this morning?

Nicotine. Why d'ya think I had to go to the shops midday?

OK, that's a drawback. A pack of smokes in Texas are 3 Euro.

The landscape is truly stunning, first and foremost. The Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, pretty much the entire west coast, the Giant's Causeway are all just incredible. We have some amazing beaches and completely untouched wild landscapes out there that are just beautiful. Added in with all this, the castles and ruins scattered around the country really contribute to the scenery too.

The lack of dangerous wild animals and freak weather is a huge plus. I'm always grateful that we don't have to worry about tornadoes or earthquakes or tsunamis. Very, very lucky in that regard.

The pub culture in Ireland is something pretty special, I think. Just sitting around a table with friends in a pub, listening to live music and talking sh*te is something I really miss when abroad. You just don't find it in the same way in other places, not in my experience anyway.

The general friendliness and hospitality of Irish people is quite unique too. I love how you can just strike up a chat with some randomer and they'll talk back to you, no problem. In other parts of the world they'd look at you like you're some mentaller if you did that.

Our humour is second to none really. Self-deprecating, witty kind of humour. I like our ability to find humour in almost everything. I think Father Ted is a great example of Irish humour, and it's one of the things that I always go to when I'm missing home.

Irish mythology and folklore is f*cking class. Badass warriors and druids and witches tearing the **** out of each other, all Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones stylie.

The GAA is something that I love and miss so much. Nothing beats the atmosphere in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day. I think it's really fantastic that we've been able to preserve the popularity of amateur, national sports in a world of professional sports with overpaid athletes like soccer and golf and the like. I love the idea that the captain of the football team plays in the All-Ireland final on the Sunday, and then is teaching your children in school on the Monday.

The unarmed Gardaí is one of the greatest achievements of this state since independence and is something to really be proud of.

People can complain all they like about Ireland, and we do self-loathing like no other, but the fact is, Ireland is a great place to live. Yes, we do need to make changes and improvements (what country doesn't?), but we could have it a whole, whole lot worse. Comparatively, we have it pretty good and have an awful lot to be happy about and proud of.

Dara O'Brien.