As Padraic cancelled our long awaited trip to Connemara, Bo
and I found ourselves with an empty weekend in what may very well have been
Ireland’s last sunny days of 2013. And although it took a bit more effort than
usually to get the lass convinced that we really had to utilise this
opportunity to hit the road again, the alarm clock did ring all too early on
Saturday morning to kick start another adventure into an undiscovered part of
Ireland. The condition that it had to be a relaxing trip (i.e. no cycling
through mountainous landscapes, no overcrowded dorm rooms in shabby hostels,
etc) was easily fulfilled by staying at the Dukes at Queens hotel just south of
the city centre, where we enjoyed a tasty dinner, decent breakfast and a huge
soft bed. Whereas we lost the Saturday afternoon to an overpriced and slightly
disappointing experience at the Titanic museum, we got rewarded by an
insightful ‘black taxi tour’ on Sunday morning (for the same money!), in which
Paul showed us around the tangible reminders of the Troubles. Colourful murals,
fences with barbed wire that still separate protestant and catholic
neighbourhoods, and gates that are only unlocked a few hours a day were an eye
opener to me that the shootings may be over but that the divide really remains
a tangible present day challenge for Northern Ireland. Relaxing and insightful in one, this trip is another one to cherish.
