The last time we were in Ireland was in 2002. Ireland was the Celtic Tiger and EU signs dotted the countryside, acting as geographical punctuation marks to the many European Union roadwork projects begun shortly after Ireland leapfrogged England into the Union.
Based in Dalkey, just south of Dublin, our journey took us to a blossoming Euro capital, with its swinging places, it’s glitteratti, it’s nouveau chic and, in an ensuing and impromptu road trip, down country roads and highways into some rather spectacular vistas that spanned thousands of years of human history.
We return now, 8 years later, and many things have changed. For one thing, we have two small humans in tow. Notwithstanding economic meltdowns, security concerns, near bankrupt countries, the most significant change, in our myopic view of the world, will be the fact that our traveling companions will consist of a 4 year old boy (who turns 5 during the trip) and his precocious 6 year old sister. Who knows…maybe this will be the event in Irish history that foretells of the return of snakes to the Emerald Isle?