Talk of the Drinkers

There seems to be an interesting character worth meeting in almost every pub I’ve been to in Dublin. The Irish people are incredibly friendly and interesting to talk to. Most people in the pubs are very approachable, and often times they are the ones who approach you. One of the most interesting conversations I’ve had at a pub was when Ryan and I were at O’Neil’s talking to a woman named Sally Anne (Sal).

Sal was so happy that we were interested in Irish history as much as we are. Here we were at around 7:00 p.m. having a casual conversation with the bartender (the same man who recommended the hike at Howth), and Sal sits down next to us and joins the conversation. At first, she seemed to think that we were just here for the beautiful nature, but when we told her that we had two lessons on the Irish language, she was thrilled. Sal was an absolute admirer of the Irish language.  We talked to her about how wonderful the language sounds and how difficult it is to learn. Sal told us that when taking the Irish portion of the exams, students really only needed to know how to say a few stock sentences because the school system did not want to take the time to teach such a complex language. She firmly believed that it is a shame that the Irish language is dying out and that the language is part of what makes Irish culture so great.

Sal also told us about an ancient structure that is older than both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza: Newgrange. While she did not expect either of us to know about Newgrange, Sal noted how disappointed she was that most people had never heard of the ancient Irish site. It is located in Boyne Valley – in the East of Ireland, and it was built around 3200 B.C.E. Sal explained to us that on the winter solstice, the sunlight comes into the structure at a perfect angle and lights the whole thing up. She also mentioned that the waiting list to enter Newgrange during this event is around 40 years: it must be a truly remarkable experience. While I did not actually get to see Newgrange, it will be one of the things that I tell people about first when I get back to the United States.

Aerial view of Newgrange

Sal is only one of the many great people that I have met and conversed with in Irish pubs throughout Dublin. Whenever you want to have a good conversation with friendly people, you can always look to the men and women drinking at the bar of a traditional Irish pub. My favorite part of this trip has been going out and learning and making connections with the local Dubliners over a good pint of Guinness.