broadening a horizon

If you could have prejudice against the Irish, what stereotypes would you fall on?

The heavy drinking? Their height? Randomly strewn pots of gold? Ryanair’s unfathomable business plans and customer torture care systems?

Flights aside, the Irish are supposedly “known” for being boozers and being charmers at the same time. For being piggy backed by thousands of Americans who will bend over backwards to claim a bit of Kerry as their own homeland. For unabashedly hating the English.

There is only travel to open our eyes to whether or not these stereotypes hold any thread or grain of truth. Travel to Ireland. Hire a car. See the land. Be open about the British-ness and see if, just as in the advertisement campaigns, you’ll be met with a warm, cosy bar setting, a pint of Guinness and an opportunity to sing into the night.

But don’t fly Ryanair.

(Fly Aer Lingus, car rental Dublin, watch the ad and compare)

Kerry Gold

Trust me to find something to write about within a slab of butter.

After watching the Kerry Gold advertisement, I was again struck by strange curiosity. What and where on earth is Kerry?

I always find Irish place names enthralling: along with the bilingual thing, where all the towns and counties have both an English and an Irish name, they all have a very rural feel to them. They sound like they should be happy, quiet little places, with cows herded through the streets and pubs where the community meet for the chance to watch the only TV in the village. Kilkenny, Kerry, Kilarney. Jolly names. I mean, they all sound feminine and joyous. Shannon, Kerry, Ennis and (Susan) Boyle. Oh to borrow a car (car rental Dublin) and travel the roads, just to stand by the signs in picture glory…

Which way again?

They’ve even got a place called Limerick. Now that is awesome.

Speaking of the place and the thing:

There was an Irish city whose name,

was shared with poems of fame

Their wit, joy and glee

Bring pleasure to me,

And anybody whose likes are the same!

For that I apologise.