The title is that because we went to a sheep farm during our tour! Today was probably my favorite day of the trip, I am sure of that because I unintentionally took a million more pictures than any other day. When we got on the road around 8am, our guides talked a lot about the history of Ireland and the places we were going to visit. The way he talked about history was like a story and it made me so much more inclined to listen and digest information, plus he also sang two songs and wow he was great at singing!
Our first stop was Kilkenny, we walked around, looked at the castle, and explored some shops. We went to a department store called Penneys and I got cargo shorts for five euros, love them. Kilkenny is most similar to Dublin as there was a strip of shops, but instead of a city it felt like a small town. I got the vibe that everyone in Kilkenny is more connected that those in Dublin because it is more quiet and slow paced. I felt being a foreigner in Kilkenny was more obvious than being one in the city because everyone seemed more people-focused in Kilkenny. I feel the people of Kilkenny might have a more of a negative perception on foreigners because I could tell Kilkenny was more of a large community rather than in the city everyone is kind of just there.
From a business stand point, Kilkenny had a lot of small spots. There was even a ‘pop up hop’ marketing going on while we were there, which shows and entrepreneur spirit. I talked to a lady who made wax melts and she said she started her business during Covid. Similarly, I saw a lot of handmade items like jewelry and paintings. The biggest difference was there was no tech products being heavily advertised. Dublin is the tech hot spot, modern architecture, busy city; but other places like Kilkenny are more of a small business, handmade, cute cafe and greenery area.
Our second stop was for sure the most scenic and beautiful, it looked just like Poland, Ohio!!!!!!!!! (sarcasm). There was no city or town ‘vibe,’ it was outdoorsy with trails, a lot of greenery, and lakes. Taking into account the location and sites, a hospitality business would thrive here… who doesn’t love a little nature getaway! Everyone was kind of doing their own thing, if we didn’t show up on a tour bus, I doubt anyone would know we were foreigners. Everyone was relaxed so the perception of foreigners didn’t seem like the forefront of everyone’s mind.
For the grand finale of our tour we went to A SHEEP FARM! The farm has been passed down for generations, and the current owner is named Rich Cullen. The farm is in his backyard so the visit seemed so genuine. He does these tours 361 days per year which is so much, but he still looked so excited to be talking to us when we came. The views were so beautiful and I wish I took more pictures at the farm but I was distracted by the little sheep and the dog herding the sheep. I did chicken out when it came to hold the sheep because I didn’t want to drop and hurt them (and to be honest I didn’t want to get pooped on). The fact that this business has been around for so many years proves that it is a timeless and stable job.
Overall, today was great and it was interesting to see the rural side of Ireland… I know I said I liked the city more but the areas we visited were absolutely beautiful.
