I don’t know if you’re like me, but every winter I get sick of Ireland.
It might be the first of July now, but the gloomy weather outside makes it feel like January.
The wind that shakes the house. The days where it only gets bright at about 9am and is dark again by 3pm. The bent politicians. The homelessness being ignored all around us.
Now and again I start thinking what a life in LA, Melbourne or Italy could be like.
A bit of sunshine on the back and a country that is better set up for ‘good living’.
Having said all that, there are some things that keep me attached to Ireland.
The people. The moments.
Moments and people that come along and slap you in the face with such ferocity that you could never leave this country for fear of missing another one.
Leaving an Ireland game the other month after a decent win, I came across the Trinitones singing just outside the ground and took these two videos. They were quite literally stopping traffic.
As they belted our Raglan Road, I nearly had a tear in my eye.
Maybe it was the match.
Maybe it was the Guinness.
Whatever it was, looking around at people’s faces and their reactions as these young lads sang it made me realise why I live in Ireland.
It’s the greatest little country in the world and although we have plenty of faults we’re truly remarkable people.
As one French fan said to me, “how do you have so much success for a country of five million people? We are 50 million”.
And he wasn’t just talking about rugby either…
Watching those lads sing made me think of Riverdance. Of the Irish fans in France last summer.
It also made me forget about the lack of sunshine and the abundance of things that go wrong here in Ireland.
Just when you least expect it this country has a habit of sucking you back in and making you love it like you could love no other.
Ireland has a way of sneaking up behind you and giving you a massive kick in the bollocks while saying: “Look! I’m still here! This is why you live here and love me”.
Magic.
READ NEXT: 12 Beautiful Irish Castles You Can Stay Overnight In
Topics:
RELATED ARTICLES
MORE FROM Lovin
MORE FROM Lovin
