Erin go braugh!

Last August my family went to Ireland. Besides beginning in Dublin (and our trip to the Guinness factory), we stayed away from the really touristy places as we went in search of the places my grandfather’s parents were born. We had a fabulous driver/tour guide named Liam. I think he is part leprechaun. He helped us appreciate the culture, the food, the beer and the idioms. He pulled over every time I saw some sort of livestock I thought deserved to be photographed and he truly showed us the beauty of Ireland as we uncovered our family history and explored Ireland. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here are some Irish sayings and a few photos.

Yes, they have a school of falconry. One part boss + one part Hogwarts = AWESOME.

"An Irishman is slow to a bar and slow to leave it."

"Better five minutes late than 20 years early."

"You can boil an egg and fry another and he'll say you boiled the wrong one."

"Whatever pushes your boat out!"

This little guy wanted to be my friend. This is also an occasion where I literally made the driver stop the bus.

Ireland is covered in "famine fields." They are what is left of the potato fields from the famine times. Out of memory and superstition they go untouched.

"Willful waste makes woeful want." Pretty sure it means drink all your beer.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the whole trip:

After a day of talking to local people, we found the site of the home where my paternal great-grandfather was born:

This is the castle where Pierce Brosnan had his wedding. It seriously looks like a fake cut out. It is real. And we snuck in.

The Irish Wake was not made up. We stopped in a tiny little town for lunch and stumbled upon a group of men who just found out that one of their friends had passed away. It was noon and they were drinking. That's how I want to be celebrated!

I tried my best to embrace all things Irish. But I do not like to drink Jameson straight.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!