As you may have gathered by now, our time in Ireland is very much up in the air: could be years, could be only a matter of months and then we’re gone. My mad dash to do everything I wanted to do in the last month of my time in Korea (four weekends – one in Taipei, one in Tokyo, one on the islands off the east coast and one for the leaving party) taught me that it’s best to get things done a little bit earlier on. Of course, you’ll never really manage to do everything that you feel you should whilst living in a country, but this is a list of the things I really want to do (that I hadn’t done at the time of writing). I’m going to use it as a kind of motivation, by adding links to blog posts on each of these things as I do them over the coming few months. Just call it a 2011 (and ongoing) New Year’s resolution, finally taking blog form. As and when I hear about more ‘must does’, this’ll be padded out, too:
– Cycle from Dublin to Galway (or vice versa) – DONE (part one, part two)
– Attempt to cross Dublin without passing a pub (and not by simply walking down a highway, as that would make it too easy) – James Joyce’ suggested Irish challenge.
– Swim in the sea at the 40ft (Sandymount)
– Climb the highest peaks in Ireland’s four provinces: Slieve Donard – Ulster – DONE, Mweelrea – Connacht, Lugnaquilla, Leinster – DONE and Carrauntoohil, Munster.
– See the Dublin sights I haven’t seen yet – The Book Of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, Glasnevin Cemetery, the Natural History Museum – DONE.
– Watch Dublin play a Gaelic football game from Hill 16 in Croke Park – DONE.
– Try Poitin.
– Get published in a major Irish newspaper.
– Attend Other Voices Music Festival in Dingle, preferably as a journalist.
– Spend a weekend exploring Cork – DONE.
– Walk down The Falls Road to look at the murals and see the old division wall. – DONE (part one, part two)
– See Leinster play a top class rugby game – DONE.
Time to get on it, at least in between the huge selection of writing and wedding planning that’s currently clogging up (happily, of course) life. Any ideas, throw them at me!
Here’s to aiming high,
J x