Ireland on my Mind

Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland

Just a little over a month until St. Patrick's Day, a holiday celebrated in myriad ways. For me it is a time when my affection for Ireland is effervescent, bubbling over so that I may share it with others. The dawn of spring and the arrival of St. Patrick's Day always have me longing to hop a plane, or at least look back at photos, thumb through old travel journals, reminisce about all the amazing journeys I've had on the Emerald Isle. I feel my tiny Irish roots pulsing with pride. Plus, a proper celebration needs some planning so the Chieftains are on my radio, and Ireland is on my mind. In the coming days I'll share some of the ways I celebrate Ireland and ways I indulge my slight obsession. 

Oliver St. John Gogarty's Pub in Temple Bar, Dublin in the early morning. Note the lack of people and the stack of kegs, this is when the empty ones are exchanged for full ones.