This Saturday we spent a good amount of time on a bus, but we got to see so many new places and learned so much about rural Ireland. On the drive there it looked like everything I expected out of a movie. There were rolling hills and beautiful landscapes. Our first stop was at a small town called Kilkenny. We got lunch at a small cafe, did some shopping, and explored the castle. There were many small shops and cafes run by the locals. There was also a market where people from the town were selling homemade items, like soap, jewelry, and wood carvings. This shows a high level of entrepreneurship because all of these people are putting time and energy into their passions. It is so interesting looking at all the unique products.
I enjoyed walking around Kilkenny because it felt welcoming and peaceful. There were still a lot of people out and about but it was mostly families and children. It felt like a close, supportive community. In comparison, Dublin is filled with young adults and business professionals, a bigger pub culture, and larger businesses involved in international markets. Although the environment was very different I didn’t notice much difference in the people. In my experience Irish people have been kind and welcoming in both urban and rural areas. However I would think rural communities would not be as accepting of foreigners. They are involved in small markets and do not need foreigners to survive like Dublin does. Their perception of us in Kilkenny versus Dublin probably is much different because the social and business environment is different. Although, I’m so glad I got to experience this rural town because I better understand the different communities in the country.
Our next stop was Glendalough, which is an area in the valley. We were here for about 2 hours where we explored the historical buildings and walked down to the lake. It was so quaint and peaceful in this area. It was nice to walk around and experience nature after being in the city for so long. After this stop be took a short drive over to a sheep farm. The man who ran the sheep farm showed us how his border collie herds the sheep, explained what he does throughout the year to maintain and breed the sheep, and we even got to hold a baby lamb. It was so interesting to hear about his life and what it is like to live on a sheep farm. Unfortunately that was our last stop, so we got back on the bus and headed back into Dublin. The bus tour guide gave us lots of information throughout the tour and even played traditional Irish songs. Overall, this tour was interesting and gave me a better picture of the country.
After seeing many different areas of rural Ireland, I can say that the culture and business is much different. This was shown in what the local lifestyle and business. Rural Ireland represents the agriculture industry because there was an abundance of sheep farms, cows, and horses. Also they seem to value nature and creativity much more. This is much different than the technology, medicine, and finance industries in Dublin. The urban and rural areas of Ireland are very different but I can say I have an appreciation for both.