Limerick, Ireland: A Pint with Paddy

I remember how cold it was when I first went to Keflavik, Iceland.  I nearly froze to death in Juneau, Alaska and one August my hands turned numb in San Francisco, California.  However, only in Ireland did I have to wear my London Fog to bed and run the hotel hair dryer all night long, trying to get the chill off my bones!

I couldn’t help but think about little Frank McCourt in the book Angela’s Ashes running around with no shoes on his feet.  I even ordered two bowls of potato soup from room service, after all, its Ireland, right?  The soup came lukewarm and not as thick as you find it in the U.S.

My heart dropped a little until the next night, when we took public transportation into the heart of town and found a nice assortment of pubs and restaurants.  It was damp, but walking through town was peaceful, safe and the public transportation was remarkable.

It was here that we heard about a pub called Dirty Nelly’s that was on every tourist’s list of places to go to.   Not only should you visit Dirty Nelly’s for some pints and grub, but buy a t-shirt too!  Dirty Nelly’s is world famous for its ambiance and crowd of laid back international jetsetters.  One thing first, swoop by Bonroddy’s castle and do all of the walking through this magnificent landmark you intend to do, because once you get into Dirty Nelly’s and the pints start flowing, you may not be fit to go out in ye ole’public!

Coats of Arms are big in Ireland as is Gaelic pride, language and heritage.  There are services where you give your last name and a Coat of Arms will be made for you, with a small fee of course.  This service was offered at our hotel’s guest’s services desk.  When driving through the countryside make sure to have your camera ready for pictures of the green, green landscape dotted with sheep on every patch of farm land.  Speaking of sheep, you will want to take advantage of the wonderful handmade sweaters, sheepskin rugs, gloves, hats and bedroom shoes at the little quaint shops in town and at the airport.  You will have to go to Australia to find better.

So if you are hopping across the pond, Limerick is a fun place to visit and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.  Most people speak English and friendly Paddy will answer any questions you may have along the way.  Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, lads!

Daphne Hughes Written by:

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