I just got back from a trip to Dublin, Ireland on April 11 and it was a wonderful experience. It was a combination of both business and a mini-vacation, so my 17 year old son Stefan, came along to enjoy the experience. Pat O’Brien and Vincent McDonagh are my business partners, and have been inviting me to go and visit them for the past 5 years, so I finally made the decision this year to go, and boy am I glad I did.
Words can not describe the hospitality and generosity of both my friends and partners Pat and Vinny.
This was our first time visiting the country, but we have been friends with Pat and Nuala O’Brien for over 7 years and of Vinny McDonagh for 5 years now and we knew through them the charm, generosity and goodness Irish people have, but being there and seeing it first hand is totally different and can’t compare to the real experience. We stayed at Pat and Nuala’s home and to say that we were treated like family is an understatement. Pat’s family: dad Paddy, mom Carmel, sister Terry, brother John along with their spouses and son Ken, treated us and made us feel just like that, family.
We met friends of Pat and Nuala’s as well, who treated us no different than Pat’s family did and made us feel welcome, so now, our network of Irish friends has triplicated!!
Pat, Nuala and Ken invited us to visit the Dromoland Castle, a real Castle turned into a hotel. Boy oh boy, what a beautiful place, surrounded by a beautiful golf course, lake and an army of ducks!! It took about 3 1/2 hours to get to the castle from Dublin, and along the way, we visited The Cliffs of Moher. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a beautiful sunny day and were able to see beautiful sceneres as well as take loads of great pictures. My son went fly fishing with Pat (they caught nothing!), but the experience was great.
I can not write this blog, without mentioning the adorable sheep!! I loved them and saw them several times on the way to the Dromoland Castle. I only wish I could have gotten closer to take a picture holding one of them, but I have a couple of sheep souvenirs my friends gave me as a going away gift. Love them!!
Food was great, c0mpany was wonderful and the people in Ireland certainly know how to make everyone feel at home! What a Blessing to have been able to go and for both my son and I to be able to enjoy this experience.
Here is to my Irish friends: Sláinte!! (it means Cheers! in Gaelic).