I decided to stay in Ireland for Christmas initially because when I set out on this journey I did not realize just how much I would miss home as well as I wanted to take the opportunity to travel during my time off of classes. Instead of going abroad for the week I decided to stay right here in Ireland and spend the week with my roommates and their families and experience a true Irish Christmas. While I missed being home, the week was a unique chance to spend time living life here in Ireland.
Limerick
As soon as my last exam was completed, I went straight home to pack my bags and got on the first train out of Cork I could get on. First I headed off to Limerick to spend the weekend with one of my roommates and her family. I quickly learned that Christmas time here is a full week long celebration that involves lots of going out to meet up with all of your old friends that have come home for the holidays from all the various parts of the country and world they have moved to. This week is one of the few times every year that almost everyone you grew up with will be back in the same place again so there is lots of meeting up, and of course a lot of drinking.
We spent the weekend doing just that, we met up with Shona’s friends and went out and had a really fun time enjoying friends, drink and dancing. I also tried my hand at darts for the first time and surprised myself at how alright I was!
On Saturday we went in to Limerick for lunch at a pub located right on the bank of the Shannon across from King John’s Castle.
We spent Sunday with more friends and the pups and went for a nice and relaxing walk around Lough Gur. The lake was beautiful and we even walked through a fairy village. A pleasant way to end my time in Limerick, in the countryside with great views.
Kildare
Next I took a bus to Kildare to spend the week with Emily and her family. Of course Monday night was more time to go out and meet up with friends so we went to Naas for some pints and some fun. The night was really nice kicking off with a challenge to name all 50 of the United States and then all 32 counties of Ireland. Overall a really lively night.
Christmas eve! For brunch we went to a pub and had a nice large meal with the family. Then we went home and wrapped presents while watching A Christmas Story with Emily and Joey. Of all my years growing up and all my years spent away from home for Christmas, I have never once spent a Christmas Eve that did not involve watching A Christmas Story and I was very happy to continue on the tradition here. Joey watched it at the same time as Emily and I so that even though we were spending the holiday apart, we could be connected a little by watching the movie “together.” After some presents exchanging at the grandparents house we went to Christmas mass before returning home to put out milk and mince pies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.
Christmas! We spent Christmas very relaxed. We were woken up early by the boys so they could open up their presents from Santa (before the sun had risen! which felt odd but the sun also doesn’t rise here in the winter until later in the morning so understandable). Then we went and took a nice long nap before getting ready for Christmas dinner. Before dinner we all went out in to their shed in the back garden that they had converted in to a really nice and cozy bar with Guinness on tap and had a few pints. Then we sat down for a feast! There was turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots and parsnips, peas and corn, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, brussels sprouts, and they even had a lentil and nut loaf for us vegetarians. After all the wonderful food I was BURSTING and nice and tired. Then Emily’s grandparents treated me to songs and stories of when they were growing up in Ireland. After the family left we watch Indiana Jones before heading to bed ourselves.
County Wicklow
Saint Stephen’s Day! St. Stephen’s day here is a proper holiday as well. Lots of shops and restaurants are still closed and people usually will have the day off of work. Many people will go to the races because it is a huge day for horse racing and betting. We instead went to Glendalough in Co. Wicklow for a walk with Emily’s boyfriend. The views were beautiful, with fog rolling through the trees on the hills and the lakes so still they reflect the images of the landscapes around them. A truly peaceful and serene place to spend the holiday.
We got to see a fully intact round tour built by monks over a thousand years ago. They built the tour for protection from the invading vikings and it was the inspiration for the use of round stair cases. While Ireland used to be heavily populated by the round towers, many are in ruins now and this is one of the few fully intact towers remaining.
On our way to Glendalough, we stopped in Hollywood. Hollywood in Ireland was named that thousands of years prior to the one more well known now in Los Angeles. Hollywood of California actually got its name from an Irish immigrant who named the suburb of LA after his home town. Now this small little village costs its own Hollywood sign on the hillside.
Galway
For the night of St. Stephen’s day we went to Galway to visit an old roommate and close friend of Emily’s, Laura. We went out to a large pub that for one night a year (St. Stephen’s day) turns in to a bar and night club in a small little town in the country. Let me just say that the night was a very interesting night and I saw many things I never thought I would but all in all it was fun and I ended the night with some cheesy garlic chips so I was happy!
All in all, I spent seven days on the road, saw three friends and their families, visited four different counties, and had lots of fun and a full Christmas week in and around Ireland. This Christmas will be one I will surely never forget and will always be entirely grateful I had the opportunity to experience.