Hello Folks,

I just got back from 11 glorious days in the emerald isle. Often times, people of color wonder how they will be treated when they travel to other countries. Well let me tell you the Irish people were very warm and welcoming to me and Americans in general, so this should be an encouragement to black people who are considering a trip to Ireland. Well, lets see! What were my most memorable experiences in Ireland?

--Walking the streets of Dublin in the rain with hundreds and hundreds of different colored umbrellas coming towards me

--Miles and miles of rolling green hills topped with little sheep that looked like fluffs of cotton

--The medieval dining experience at Dunguaire Castle

--The lovely way the fog would rest on the green mountain tops

--Seeing a cow holding up traffic during "rush hour"

--The rainbow in the sky on the way to the Aran Islands

--Hiking up to Dun Aengus while children sung and performed traditonal Irish dances on our way to the top

--Chatting with the author of childrens' book while in Blarney (yes, I bought one of his books to read to my students on St. Patricks Day

--The cute "Leprechaun Crossing" signs

--Chatting with an elderly lady in Killarney while watching the bike races

--Experiencing the Cliffs of Moher

--The four tipsy Irishmen who serenaded me before I left the hotel

What a delightful country Ireland is. I hope you all get the chance to experince it some day.

what nice memories, thanks for sharing with us!
i've only been to ireland once, but agree the people are friendly and warm.

Awesome! I'm so glad you had a good time.

I think it's tragic that black people have to "stop and think" about how they might be treated somewhere. It's an aspect of racism that white people don't think about very much. Even if there's nothing to it, it's a barrier that you perceive and must overcome. Congratulations for getting past it and claiming your freedom as is your birthright as a human being!

So glad you liked Ireland. I've only been once but I've vowed to return. Just felt right at home.

SpecialK your trip does sound Special

SpecialK, I am pleased that you had a good experience of Ireland.

But I am disappointed that you found "Leprechaun Crossing" signs; that's not even good enough to be kitsch.

Don't leave it so long until your next visit.

I must disagree that "white" people don't think about racial hostility when they travel. I even have to think about it daily in my own home town, because there's plenty of it in evidence, both ways. And unfortunately I've had many experiences to substantiate my view.

It's a wonderful thing when a person of any race, Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, or African American can get through all the hours of the day without encountering it.

I'm so glad you have a lovely trip in Ireland, SpecialK, and happy future travels to you.

Thank you for your kind replies. Ireland will be in my heart forever. I will savor the beautiful memories. Sometimes when I read the great trip reports posted here I wonder if I would have had the same positive experience because I am black. A lady I met in Ireland told me how wonderful her trip was in Eastern Europe. Her trip made me salivate, but I did have to wonder what such a trip would have been like for me. That said, I will never stop traveling--southern France here I come!!!
Cheers....

SpecialK,

I'm so happy your trip was wonderful. I love that country and her people. It sounds as if you slow travel the way I do. I'll always treasure my time sitting on a bench in Avoca talking to an older gent, watching children in hotel lobbies or at play, standing in the street and just chatting, but most of all sitting at the foot of the statue of Daniel O'Connell in Ennis. It's a shame I wouldn't share a bottle but the gents were very kind to offer. Also in Ennis down by the river back in 2000, I met a young mother with her two small children. They were refuges from Kosovo. She was very happy with the housing and the care they were receiving.

I could go on and on. I'll close by saying thanks for getting back to us and let us hear from you about your travels.

Kind Regards, Joan

The trips sounds wonderful! I appreciate your perspective and am glad you chose to share it here.
Good to know the Irish people you encountered were welcoming.

You'll love Southern France. Where exactly are you thinking of going? Hope you like wine.

SpecialK,
I noticed that the very first word in the title of your post was "Black".
I have several friends who travel often, and some happen to be black.
I've heard wonderful stories of good times had, in various countries, but the focus was more on things like learning the language, finding good music,enjoying the food, or in one case, performing- they didn't center the trip around the fact of their color. Some made long lasting friends in other countries. I think if you place the focus on experiencing the culture of your destination, more outwardly that is, you may find that others aren't concentrating on the color of skin half as much as you are. And you are sure to have a very rewarding travel experience as a result. I wish you the best in your furure travels.

SpecialK,

Thank you so much for yor comments on Ireland. Your memories of things you've seen and experienced are really charming. We will be going there in 5 days, and I can hardly wait.

Greetings,

Chatham--interacting with the locals is what really made my trip so special. The Irish people seem to really appreciate the fact that you are there and it delights them when they hear people are enjoying Ireland. I was offered a drink plenty of times by locals, which just added to the charm.

Leely-- I am thinking about visiting the south of France sometime in the spring. I hear it is just lovely and yes, I love wine.

Alloro--Once I got to Ireland and started experiencing the Irish culture I completely forgot about being Black. I realized the Irish people did not pay my color any attention so I was able to relax and soak in the wonders of this enchanting country.

Pegontheroad--Is this your first visit?If so, you are in for a real treat.

SpecialK, The Irish are special people and I am happy to hear your trip went so well. It would be wonderful to hear of where you went and any good places you stayed or ate at.

Padraig, The only Leprechaun Crossing sign I saw was up at Ladies View. It is cute and amuses the tourists. No harm in that.

Greetings folks,

IrishEyes, I'd be happy to! The places that really stood out for me were:

In Dublin:
--O'Connell Street
--St. Patrick's Cathedral
--Trinity College and that magnificent Old library, so full of Irish history

In Galway:
--Kylemore Abby Castle--a pure thing of beauty! I stood there in awe and that was before I even went inside the place.
--Dunguaire Castle--This is where I had one of my most memorable meals; everything was hardy and rustic. I loved the way we walked up winding stairs to get to the banquet area, which was completley lit with candles. The people were dressed in medieval clothing and entertained us with harps and traditional Irish music and songs. Truly magical.
--Another memorable dining experiece in Galway was dinner at a place called Quays (not pronouced the way it is spelled) I had the fish n' chips and it was great.

On the Aran Islands
--The hike up to Dun Aengus. It was so beautful that day because the weather was nice to us; Flowers bursted all over the place, rocks along the beach, sparkling blue waters, charming locals speaking gaelic--you get the picture.

In Bunratty
--Rathbaun sheep farm! When we got on the farm we could smell the fresh scones that were baking in the oven. We got to see how the farmer used his sheep dog to round up the sheep; the farmer sheared a sheep for us. After that, we sat down and ate those freshly baked scones with fresh Irish cream, jam, and tea. It was cloudy that day and the fire places was lit up, so you can just imagine how delightful that was. The farmhouse by the way, is 150 years old. Later on that evening we had dinner and entertainment at a village barn and that was a lot of fun too.
--The Cliffs of Moher was a true experience. I wasn't brave enought to get close to the edge because it was too windy but the view was stunning.

In Killarney
--King John's Castle (actually, this was on the way to Killarney)
--Thatched cottages
--The breathtaking Ring of Kerry
--The horsedrawn jaunting car ride through a lovely park

These were my most memorable moments in Ireland!

Cheers...