Like many others, I’m pretty fond of this little country of ours.
Though sometimes I think that it can be easy to forget how great a place it is. Especially when we’re nearing the 500th day of January and we’re all broke and deficient in Vitamin D.
Which reminds me of that meme that often crops up on social media, describing how our attitude to Ireland changes depending on where we are. This meme here:
Me in Ireland: Ireland is tiny and miserable
Me anywhere else: I'm from the Emerald Isle. The island of Saints and Scholars. I was born on a stone wall. Kerrygold butter runs in my veins. My father is a pint and my mother is a packet of tayto. I would die for Dustin the turkey
— Derv (@dearbhlaaa) November 30, 2017
Relatable, no? While we may think that the grass is always greener on the other side…the truth is that the grass is greenest here on our little Emerald Isle – a silver lining to all the rain.
In celebration of his one-year anniversary of living in Ireland, well-known podcaster Conner Habib took to Twitter to list out the reasons why he loves it here.
And it’s stirred us some serious bród and grá deep within us.
Posting online, Habib wrote:
“One year ago today, I moved to Ireland. I’ve always wanted to live here. So! To celebrate: here’s a thread about some things about Ireland & Irish people that I really love.
(Dear Irish friends, go easy on me for loving it here! I know compliments are…tricky for you!)”
https://twitter.com/ConnerHabib/status/1220849065006706688
We’re a self-deprecating bunch, aren’t we?
Well, without further adieu, here are a few reasons why Ireland is great, according to Conner Habib.
- “The way the sky is always wavering between blue and grey. Like it wants to be the Irish Sea”.
- The swans, who according to Habib are “like snow queens lounging around”. Don’t get on the wrong side of them though…
- “There are tributes to literature everywhere”.
- “The way the old brick looks when it snows.” It doesn’t happen often, but it’s magical when it does…until we run out of bread that is.
- “That people are resistant to the inherited zeitgeist”.
- The lack of a hell of a rules
- “The way the cold wind sounds and feels like cold water”. I can’t say I love this one personally but to each their own.
- Low health insurance.
- Buskers. I agree with this profoundly (so does Habib – they feature on the list twice).
- “That sometimes Ireland is exactly as calming and perfect as you picture it.”
- “The way the gulls enjoy the morning”. Don’t let them at your chips though – you’ve been warned.
- Â That we’re able to get along. Irish mammies everywhere would be proud.
- Â “How the ‘Irish eyes are smiling’ thing is real.”
- The tales of gay men over 50 on how they made it through.
- That we’re a welcoming bunch.
Only the tip of the iceberg there, what would you add to the list?
You can read the full thread here.
