[Stoat]

My first visit to Ireland (Sept. '05) showed it to be not only a land of great beauty, but also a prosperous area full of new construction and optimism. I very much look forward to future trips.

I had the same impressions, as well as the people being among the friendliest, most courteous and gracious, on average, that I've encountered.  My greatest fear while traveling by car in the countryside was that if I had a vehicle breakdown that I would gain weight as a result of the kind and hospitable folks who would take me in and feed me while I waited for the tow truck  :-)

In a way, I'm sorry that I had no highway mishaps  :-)

[Savage Beast]

I love Ireland! I remember driving with my family through the central Irish countryside, looking for the inn. It was raining hard. The trees were green and heavy with rain. Prokoffief was playing on the radio.

That night, it was very cold. After my family had gone to bed, I stayed up late having ale with some Irish men. I entertained them for a while playing American popular music on the piano. They loved Johnny Mercer and Irish American songs.

All my children wanted to do was go horseback riding. I arranged for one Paddy Melodie to take us riding through all that cold, misty gorgeousness.

My wife got lost in Irish mysticism. She's never been fully retrieved.

[elc]

You obviously didn't come across any "travellers"