I just got back from a long weekend in Ireland. Reminiscent of my 2009 jaunt to Germany, this trip cropped up very quickly. Spurred by a cheap plane ticket and the flexibility of having just finished a project at work, I booked the trip a mere week before leaving. After some hectic, cursory planning and a serendipitous encounter at a DC bar, Jimmy, Dan, Dave, and I set off for Ireland.
Our first stop was Belfast, the largest city in the North, which is still a part of the United Kingdom but, after many years of discord and violence, is largely at peace with the Republic of Ireland in the south. Similar to Berlin and Dresden, Belfast is packed with very interesting, recent history. It is also a lively, young city, with a large university and eclectic restaurants near our hostel.
While there, we took a black cab tour of the sectarian neighborhoods to learn more about the political history of the region. Our driver, Bobby, showed us several murals, some more recent than others, and the 5 km long, 11 m high peace wall, which still divides the Catholic neighborhoods from the Protestant ones and helps to ensure that no small incident sparks a renewed escalation of tensions.
I often think about religion's place in world history, and how much strife it seems to have caused. But I'm not convinced that blaming religion is the answer. Granted, religion represents a powerful aspect of life over which to disagree, but The Troubles in Ireland were as much about nationalism as they were faith. People, particularly when confronted with intolerant leaders, are remarkably good at finding reasons to dislike others for their differences. It is important, then, that we constantly work to control the darker sides of our human nature and embrace the things that bring us together, rather than tear us apart. Things like... Guinness.
We did lots of sampling of Guinness in a wide variety of friendly pubs, warm with richly colored wood and occasional live music. Before leaving Belfast, we rented a car and drove (again, on the wrong side of the road) around the northern Antrim Coast, viewing small towns, nature, a castle, a scary rope bridge, and lots of spray painted sheep. In Dublin, we hit most of the main tourist destinations and did a lot of walking, as evidenced by my still-achy legs.
Maybe my favorite thing about the trip, though, was the time spent with good friends. I really do enjoy traveling alone, especially for the chance to set my own pace and take photos without holding anyone up. But there is nothing better than cherishing the company of people you like - gathered around a comfy pub table, crammed into a small European rental car, hiking over rolling green hills - together laughing and exploring the wonders of an unfamiliar place.
