Trekkin' Across the Emerald Isle

Oh, beautiful Eire, here's a homage to you, of course, 1970s style

I recall many things about Ireland from my youth when I first began listening to the old recordings by U2. I know, given their more recent trajectories, this is quite an embarrassing admission, but given that Ireland’s history—and that of the Irish people—is such a tragic one, I thought it would prepare me for my first visit.

That only occurred in spring of 2018 when I flew into Dublin, took a bus (coach), and went to Belfast to attend that year’s European Social Science History Conference, which took place at Queen’s University.

I recall that eerie feeling when, upon picking up my stuff from the conference desk and dinner, I entered a pub with a colleague. It was one of the nicer, older ones, but the strangest moment of that trip came when I walked back through the city centre to get to the hotel I was staying at.

When I first walked there during the day, the city centre around Parliament was lively and shops were open; when I walked back around 9-10 p.m., it was empty, with but police cruisers on the streets. It was…well, odd, to say the least. The nice Irish concierge then told me that’s normal in Belfast, because during the Troubles, the centre was cordoned off by armed police and troops, and that didn’t really change after the Good Friday Agreement of the late 1990s.

Still, it was odd.

The second time I went, I stayed in Dublin for three days to attend another conference (RSA 2022), and that city was fabulous, but in particular the Irish I met: just about the nicest people.

Also, kudos to my friend F.M. whose relatives run perhaps the best Balkan food place in town (Banja Lučki čevapi, sorry my South Slavic friends from other places).

And, to say “Hi!” to my Irish friends and all other colleagues with ties to the Emerald Isles, I suppose this one (and the next two postings) are for you!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Arriving in Dublin, a Stroll Across Town, 1970s Style

Of course, any trip to Dublin should also include other places, like the harbour, Trinity College, and perhaps a trip to the seaside south of the city—but the GPO is definitely a must-see place. The postcard above and below were all mailed in 1977.

Note the good-looking cars, as well as the nice and clean streets! Note the statue of Daniel O’Connell above—as well as below, seen from a different perspective.

Given Ireland’s patron saint, of course any trip to Dublin should—nay: must—include a visit to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral:

And, lest I forget, sunsets—if one can see the sun set—in Dublin are quite a sight to behold, as the below postcard also shows:

Join me next time when we’ll hitch-hike across the Emerald Isle!