
Too much good food, not enough time or big enough stomach
I’ve heard it said that we can’t live on organic bread alone. Accepting that, I went to Ennistymon, a tiny town that – on a per capita basis – probably has more locavore artisan chefs preparing wonderful food …

Between covers or not, stories make the world go round
Ennis has always given me stories, even before I paid any attention to its bookstores. While I remember De Dannan playing a wonderful pub set many, many years ago, I’d forgotten that most of the pubs featuring trad …

A Yogi Berra Guide to Belfast
“You can see a lot just by observing,” is one of Yogi’s better known aphorisms. Or, in advice that predates him: we have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. Use them in that proportion. This trip saw …

Derry – old walls and old-fashioned book lovers
Derry’s encircled by medieval walls. Unfortunately, in spite of sincere efforts by quite a few decent locals, there are still people there with equally strong personal walls. But that’s not why I visited. In fact, I’m not even …

What happens when you use all your senses – except your mouth?
You learn. Sitting at a Waterford bus stop I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between an Irish retiree and a Syrian woman. He’d lived in Waterford for the better part of his 80+ years. She’d been here …

A community’s living room happens to be a bookstore…
When you’re standing and browsing in Schull’s Anna B’s, it’s impossible not to overhear things. It felt more like I was at a family gathering than in a retail shop. How many times have you been in a …

I felt guilty leaving you. Really, I did.
Bantry Bookstore, I doubt if you even realize what you did to me – or maybe it’s what you did for me. I guess only time will tell. First, I need to thank you for reminding me that …

Good bookstores. Great restaurants. Beautiful scenery. What more do you need?
Kinsale – My first time here I was a backpacking blow-in from across the pond. That’s back when there were more fishing boats than pleasure boats in the harbour. Now the town’s reinvented itself as a foodie’s paradise …
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