Author: Ulises E. Hernandez

Location: Limerick, Ireland 

A few weeks ago, I was able to experience one of the most amazing weekends of my life because I had the opportunity to visit the famous Cliffs of Moher. Ireland, like all countries in Europe, has been shaped by war and by many devastating events. I didn’t know a whole lot about Ireland before visiting that truly amazing country, other than the stereotypes that all Irish like beer, the color green, and leprechauns. During our visit, I got to learn a lot about Ireland thanks to our fantastic and very funny tour guide. According to the guide, the Irish have faced very difficult times due to the English. Not only were they banned at one point for practicing their religion, but they also lost their land to the point where they couldn’t even grow their own food to feed their people. Due to this unfortunate event, the Irish were forced to rely on potatoes as their main source of food which caused a famine that killed thousands of people. It is sad to hear how history shapes people’s nations, but thanks to its magnificent and beautiful natural scenery, Ireland has received many immigrants and a lot of tourists from all over the world which has helped their economy tremendously.

When it comes to people’s identity, the Irish are very different in comparison to the English or even the American people. Not only do they have a very unique accent, but they also tend to be very outgoing and surprisingly happy people. The very first person that I got to meet was our taxi driver. He was an old gentleman with a caring heart, a great sense of humor and overall a great representation of the Irish people. The difference between the Irish and the English is shocking. Based on what I have seen, the English tend to be very reserved and private, which is the complete opposite of the Irish. Regardless of who you are, based on my experience, they treat you like family and they make sure that you feel welcome at all times regardless of where you are. That’s something that I have not experienced to the same level in England, and it’s not that the English are rude people, it’s all due to people’s identities that are shaped by culture and traditions. Based on the people that I talked to, the Irish do not like the English due to the unfortunate events that I mentioned earlier but they are still very welcoming since many people within our tour were English and they received the same treatment as we did.

The pubs and city life in Ireland are very similar to the English. My great friend Ben and I spent the night at a town very similar to Cambridge called Limerick. Even though this small city is not a college town, it still provides its locals with a large selection of pubs, malls, and a great transportation system. Limerick also holds a lot of historical landmarks similar to Cambridge. This town is home to many churches, castles, museums, and historically significant pubs which make the locals very proud to share with the tourists. A very similar problem Ireland and England face is their infrastructure. When I say infrastructure, I don’t refer to their buildings, but their lack of roads that are capable of accommodating the needs of small and large vehicles. Our bus driver had a very difficult time navigating through many of the local and country roads due to how narrow the roads were paved, which is also a problem that I have noticed in England as well. Even though this is just an everyday life struggle for them, the Irish make the most out of what they have and based on what I saw they tend to look at things through a more humorous point of view.

Overall, I had a very wonderful and welcoming experience in Ireland which is something that not everyone shares when visiting a foreign country regardless of your ethnic origin. The Irish are very wonderful and joyful people that are willing to share their culture and beautiful country with the rest of the world. I hope to come back to Ireland at some point in my life and bring my loved ones along so that they too can experience the breathtaking natural scenery that Ireland has to offer.