University of Dayton - MyLife

Summer Vacation in Ireland

Although I am co-oping this summer, I was fortunate enough to take a week and a half off to travel to Ireland with my parents. Since my father is from Ireland, I have been there a couple times before. But each time I go, I see something new that I haven't experienced before. We spent most of the time in lovely County Leitrim, in the northwest portion of the island. We involved ourselves in some of the simple daily activities of the locals, including buying fresh meat from the butcher, having a Guinness or Smithwick's at a local pub on occasion, and even seeing a play in the small town, Manorhamilton, near where we were staying.

My father loves to fish, and we were able to test the waters of the Atlantic Ocean (from the shore) and also the River Duff between County Sligo and County Leitrim. Although we did not have much luck, it was still nice to enjoy some of the nice weather we received. About half the days were dry while I was there and half were wet and quite cool for the middle of July. One of the great aspects of visiting Ireland in the summer is the amount of daylight, usually from 5am until 11pm or so. This allows the traveler to see and do much more than would be possible during the winter months.

Our most memorable sight-seeing experience was our trip along the northern coast of Ireland. We stopped for a tour and tasting at Bushmills Distillery, the origin of a very fine Irish whiskey. We then stopped by the famous rope bridge, crossing it and enjoying the breath-taking scenery surrounding the area. Lastly, we roamed the Giant's Causeway, an impressive rock formation along a stretch of coast. The large hexagonal rocks appear to have been perfectly and meticulously placed by giants, hence the name.

Now it is back to work in Cincinnati, although I feel very refreshed and rejuvenated after a relaxing vacation.

Jul 25, 2007 11:39 PM Permalink