There’s far more to Ireland than the Guinness factory, leprechauns and sheep. Like the breathtaking coastline with its tranquil villages and jagged cliffs. The stunning natural beauty, and even the way the lush green grass glistens after the rain. It’s not called the Emerald Isle for nothing.
Package tours are great. That is, if you don’t mind feeling like an animal – herded like cattle, with all the free-will of a sheep; or hanging out the bus window like a dog as the world whooshes by in a blur.
Really, the only way to experience a country properly is on foot or bicycle. Ireland is no different – you need to squelch through the boggy fields, feel the rain on your skin, smell the freshly cut grass and cowpats, dodge the cars in Belfast, feel the sea breeze, and pedal your way alongside the greenest fields imaginable to truly appreciate Ireland in all its guises.
Nils van der Linden