Extreme Craic Part Two

December, 2020

Not sure how much I want to subject you to my 2019 Summer vacation, but I do want to provide some impressions of the trip. So indulge me as we leave ALS Land and I give a newbie’s view of the Emereld Isle and its people.

Craic

The first research assistant in the Centaur trial in which I participated was an Irish lad over here on a one year visa who we referred to as Young Simon. Now back in Ireland in Med School, he is a loyal subscriber to this blog. Hey Simon!

I asked Young Simon what is the equivalent of “What’s Happening” and he said ” What’s Craic ” I came to find that craic basically means good times with friends. There are various gradations of craic, extreme being the highest and negative wishing you had just stayed home by yourself.

Food

Unbelievably good. During a walking food tour in Galway we were told that culinary quality took off when low cost air travel enabled chefs to gain off isle expertise and experiences. Couple that with plentiful seafood, pastures, and fields, and you have the makings of an incredible food scene. From small chain fish and chips (Burdick’s?) to a french restaurant in Dublin serving a sublime duck confit with pomegranate sauce, the food was superlative.

Some further observations. Soda bread done right is heavenly. Greens almost always means lots of fresh arugula. There is one perfect accompaniment to all this, which brings me to my next topic.

Guinness

A pint of the black stuff. Especially in Dublin. Yes, the tour of the Guinness Brewery is a must, because you really must drink this on its home sod to find out what you’re missing. Problem with Guinness is that it doesn’t travel well. Here at its birthplace it’s like a chocolate and beer milkshake. None of the bite you’ll get out of that bottle from the local store back here in the States. Because its low alcohol there’s always room for pint number two which, in no time, will have you running to the jacks (Irish for bathroom).

Literary Arts

There is an old joke that says if you see three Irish walking down the street one will be a novelist, one a poet, and one a playwright. It is amazing that a country of five million could produce the breadth and depth of literary art as Ireland. It just seems part of their DNA. As just one small example, we stopped in a small town where the public square had a monument to writers and a statue of the noted playwright John Keane who owned a pub around the corner. Which brings me to another critical Irish institution.

The Pub

One of the centers of Irish life if not the center. Any city or town block will have at least one if not three. It is the ultimate gathering place with good craic all around. If you sit at the bar you’ll be in conversation in no time. Many of the pubs have kithens, many of which are most excellent. I had an incredible seafood platter at Laurel’s in Killarney. Any self respecting pub will also come with one of my favorite ingredients to good craic, which brings us to our next topic.

Live Music

Pubs and live music go together like Guinness and a pint glass. Genre tends toward irish folk tunes although I did hear a cover of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here in a country pub. Instruments tend to be acoustic and stringed, with acordian, midi’d yet, in one Dublin pub. Didn’t see more than light hand percussion. Volume allows for conversation and nobody takes themself too seriously. Even though I’m a hard core jazz freak, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

History

Irish history is extraordinarily rich with the last few hundred years dominated by subjugation by, and emancipation from, the Brits. From the bullet holes in the columns of the central post office courtesy the 1918 Uprising to the nervous hope the Good Friday Accord ending The Troubles will continue to hold, there are signs of strife everywhere. So too is a sense of optimism that recent prosperity will provide a foundation for peace.

Water

We may be in a drought in NorCal but it is always a fresh green in Ireland. Water is so plentiful that it’s free. We were told that the government had recently attempted to charge for water but the ensuing outcry forced it to abandon its plans. Eat your heart out California.

OK that’s enough for now. The next segment, which I’ll write when I feel like it, will cover our trip and the joy of traveling while disabled.