Surfing on the West Coast | Lahinch, Co. Clare

It's not unknown that I am a big fan of the surfing culture. I'm only a newbie I'll have you know, and if you've read my previous post on the topic, you'll know where I stand in the matter. So I Went Surfing   

But two weeks ago one of my best mates and I took an ole' roadtrip up the west of the country, to county Clare. Whilst I'd been there before, I only managed to see a small portion of the eastern part of the county, the countryside. This time our sole focus was the coast, and with surfing a main priority of the adventure, Doolin was the ideal place for the craic, the site-seeing & the coast. Doolin is known for its traditional Irish music scene and in more recent years, Dusty the dolphin. We didn't manage to meet Dusty, but we did get a nice taster of the pub-life.

You Know Your Irish When.. You Use These Phrases on a Daily Basis!

Irish Sayings, Slang & Phrases

NON IRISH FOLK READ HERE

Your travelling to Ireland this year, or maybe your just back from visiting and your trying to figure out what that crazy old farmer with the woollen cap shouted at you as you walked through his field (probably trying to find that neolithic monument a local told you about on the hush hush)! If your visiting the emerald isle I highly recommend that you make your self known to a few of these sayings and phrases. Because if you fail to do so, you may just have a very hard time trying to understand us.

IRISH FOLK READ HERE

Your like myself, just your average Irish gal (/guy maybe in your case), who tends to speak in such rhythmic jargon from time to time, that leaves many foreigners clueless as to what you just said. But to us its just everyday language. I myself really enjoy reading articles on Irish sayings, my most adored being - The Book of Irish Mammies by Colm O'Regan and Stuff Irish People Love (this isn't particularly about Irish sayings but you'll love it, if your Irish that is). Mind you I never read the books hahaa, but I did read extracts and watched Clisare's video on Stuff Irish People love, and I was laughing all the way to the end. You can watch it here. Infact just skip on over to her channel altogether because she's great for the craic! You can do that after you read my post ;)

As the title of this post so clearly boasts, you know your Irish when... you use these phrases on a daily basis. So for those of you with an Irish passport, I think its time you put your identity to the test. Are you really Irish? Well if you use these phrases bellow on a daily basis, you most defiantly are 100% Pure Irish baaaai. (Baaai - Cork slang - meaning 'boy' - pronounced biiii-yuh - used commonly among us rebellious southerners)

NON IRISH OR IRISH YOU CAN ALL READ HERE

So without further a-do.... here are some popular Irish phrases!

So I Went Surfing

                       

My friend and I attempting to surf. That's myself on the right.

I've always wanted to be a surfer for as long as I can remember :L As a child me and my friend would pretend we were surfers and that we lived in Australia with our famous surfer parents haha. Then as teenagers we'd fan over famous surfers and skateboarders (Ryan Sheckler to name one). I've been told numerous times that I look real beachy/boheminan/surfer, when I've never even surfed before or live nowhere nere the beach or places of such style influence! I have also been informed by a few different people that I look really like Ivy in 90210. I've never seen the show but looked her up as one would do, and what a compliment that is! Would be great if I also shared the same height as her, just saying! Just shows that when you have a passion for something you display hints of this passion without even trying. Kind of works like the law of attraction!

But anyway, the other day I finally went surfing! Something I'd longed to do for years but never actually got around to it, well that's half a lie. When I was in Australia a few years ago, I did try on a friend's board.. ON BONDI BEACH! But it didn't go so well. Like a lot of beaches there's the swimming part of the beach and surfing part. And generally the surfing parts can be shallow one minute and deep the next. Which I discovered in a panic and then swam back in. Mind you I was probably only 13 and was only going to be on the beach for a few hours so decided to enjoy myself without getting the living s*** kicked out of me with fear.

Back to that glorious day, when I rode a few waves in the Atlantic.

Strawberrys & Cream

If you live in Ireland (or the UK) like myself, your probably as delighted as I am with the weather! It's not that usual for us to have a 'real summer', and by 'real summer' I mean - average day to day temperatures ranging from 20 degrees Celsius upwards! Actually what I mean by a 'real summer' probably stems from what I absorbed from the media and TV of what I perceived American weather to be like! Or even my experiences of weather abroad in countries such as Spain and Greece during the summer! But that's just unrealistic! I'm from the land of the pale and pasty!

But anywho I just wanted to share a few photos with ye of my awesome lunch, or dessert even! Who doesn't love strawberries? Especially during this time of the year when they are at their best!!! 

Little tip, if your travelling in Ireland this Summer and happen to be driving through Wexford, make sure you stop at the little strawberry stalls on the sides of the road and pick up a pundit or two. You won't regret it! Wexford strawberries are world renowned! Well haha maybe Ireland renowned.. 

I Wonder What Country These Pretty Images Are Promoting?

A Greek Island? Costa del Sol? Sure tis' only Ireland of course!

With the heatwave upon us here are some sunny snaps of places in Ireland that could easily pass for some foreign country.

1. Cloughglass Beach, Dungloe, County Donegal

Ireland doesn't just have great grassy scenery, she has some pretty beaches or rocky coves with clear water and white sand like Cloughglass Beach above! Little hideaways you'd only imagine stumbling across abroad.

2.  Glendalough, County Wicklow

Looks almost Canadian, aye?

3.  The cliffs of Horn Head, County Donegal

For a scary looking coastline, the water looks terribly inviting. Could easily pass for cliffs in a Mediterranean setting!

4.  Skellig Michael, County Kerry

A mystical island somewhere in Indonesia? Ah no, you don't need to travel that far to find a unusually pretty island like this one!

               

 

5.  O' Carroll's Cove, County Kerry

With white sand, clear blue waters and rocky features this is probably my favourite beach in Ireland. Its hard to show off the real beauty of the place through these photos but believe me, it's a little piece of paradise! Its small and on the ring of Kerry so its not as busy as bigger beaches. I remember coming here one extremely hot summers day a few years back, and to make my experience of the beautiful cove even better, we were fascinated by a group of Dolphins that were gracefully swimming close to shore. There was a group paddling beside them in there kayaks and people swimming out to see them. They stayed at the cove for a few hours! You can watch the sun go down in the pretty restaurant/bar! Which we did, eating a huge pizza with a picture of beer for only 20 euro! During the year the gorgeous place was savaged by the storms and floods, but the community came together to restore the place back to its natural bliss. If your on the Ring of Kerry, its a must to visit this beautiful cove, especially on a sweltering summers day.

6.  The Heather Hills, Gortin, County Tyrone

Beautiful heather fields in Tyrone, Northern Ireland. I think this picture looks like it could have been taken in America.

7.  Crohy Head Sea Arch, Crohy Head, County Donegal

This image looks like it could be anywhere else but Ireland! Sea arches are great things to photograph, this one in Donegal appears incredible photogenic, even if it is only a rock.

8.  Ballycurrin Lighthouse, Lough Corrib, County Galway

An unusual lighthouse on the shores of Lough Corrib. One of Ireland's many beautiful lakes and also Ireland's largest lake at that! There are many islands on Lough Corrib many of which are privately owned. A family friend used to own one which I stayed on a couple of times. Such a pretty lake with great wildlife!

Beauty is in our back garden, sometimes you don't have to wander too far away to find it. 

#LoveIreland

If you enjoyed this post, please let me know :)

None of these images are mine, all rights reserved to owners :)

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