The Emerald Isle. Sheep. Cheerful people.
Lighthearted music. Lots of cider. And beer. As well as cozy pubs. This is how
I've always imagined Ireland to be. And from what I experienced from my week in
Ireland, I can say that all of that is most certainly true! Oh...and lots of
rain. Did I forget to mention this?
Our last stop
in Ireland was Dublin; a surprisingly beautiful city with its wonderful
architecture, clean streets, and grand parks. The buildings are old, but
not ancient and sophisticated, but not showy.
The city itself is small, easily walkable from
end to end. Dublin’s smallness is part of its charm. Not too big,
not too crowded, just perfect size.
Our days were packed with lots of walking,
sightseeing, eating, and enjoying pieces of “home” that we couldn’t get in
Italy. (Namely Starbucks, bookstores, and food other than pasta!)
The highlight of my time in Dublin, and quite
possibly of my entire time in Ireland was a certain concert I have been
dreaming of going to for a while now. One Direction!
I have no shame in the fact that I felt like a
giddy 13-year old the entire night!
One Direction kicked off their UK tour in
Dublin, which also acted as a homecoming for Niall Horan, who used to live in a
small town just outside of Dublin.
About a half an hour into the show, Niall waved
an Irish flag and took to the front of the stage to address his public.
‘Four
years ago nearly to the day I stood over in the corner and auditioned for The X
Factor and look at me now,’ he said.
‘I have had so much love and support from
you guys and hope- fully we can pay that back tonight. You don’t get to play
Croke Park every night.’
Their concert was incredibly energetic. No
cheesy choreographed dance numbers, no matching suits. For the most part the
guys jumped around the stage like they’re hanging out together having the time
of their lives, but in front of 82,000 people. They’re charming on stage, with
their inane between-songs banter keeping the audience amused.
The finale was
outstanding. Which is what finales obviously should be, but it needs to be
said. 1D belted out Best Song Ever as the entire the Croke Park Stadium sang,
screamed and danced along as a blaze of fireworks exploded from behind the
stage.
Their concert was
the ultimate conclusion to our chapter in Ireland and once again, left high
expectations for my remaining travels.
