Before ...

So here it is, second last week of July and I haven't booked a thing - not a thing (apart from the flights) - for our up-coming trip to Ireland in September. Normally I'm booked at least 6 months in advance!!

Anyway, whilst trawling through stuff in an attempt to iron out the rough itinerary I had put together when I booked the flights (back in February), I came across a reference to McCarthy's Bar in the Lonely Planet. It was described as a best-seller, and as I was on the lookout for some pre-reading, I looked it up and found this quote about the author, Peter McCarthy (who died in 2004) -

"If you travel in hope rather than with certain knowledge, something interesting usually happens."

I liked this philosophy and read on. This obituary described him as the eldest of four children from a close family and that he had been taught by Christian Brothers at West Park school, St Helen's - an education he described as "the carrot and stick method, without the carrot". I liked this also. So maybe he is worth a read?

This made me reflect on my notions of Ireland.What do I think of? Back in June, I had made some notes as a precursor to this blog. I had written: "green, IRA, Keats, winding roads, and - jokes!" So there you go!

So I "googled" Irish humour - as you do! There really ARE some funny Irish jokes. I've put some on a separate blog page. I have to say I was surprised to find that Jonathon Swift had a joke attributed to him. I hadn't thought of Gulliver's Travels as amusing ... hmm, maybe I missed something. But he is reported to have said: "He was a bold man that first ate an oyster." This really appeals to me. Perhaps every Irishman is a comedian?

Meanwhile, back to books. I have to admit to not having read much. I'm particularly deficient in the history department. I am reading stuff about Vikings in Dublin as I plan the itinerary. I didn't know anything about Vikings in Dublin ...To date, my exposure has been limited to the book Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks and the movies My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father.

Round Ireland with a Fridge is silly, but fun. It is based on the story of a hitchhiker who, based on a boozy bet about hitching a lift around Ireland with a fridge, writes about his observations of the generous nature of the Irish people he meets along the way. I guess it ticks the comedy box but not the history one!