Ireland

In the early hours of the 11th of June 2009 I arrived in my home country after being away for almost 2 years; by far my longest time away from home. I was interested to see how I would feel about Ireland and it's people. And whether or not the safety I had become so accustomed to in Akita, one of the safest places in Japan, would cause me to be robbed of at least my wallet or phone.

The day after arriving in Ireland I headed to Spanish Point in Co. Clare where a friend from college got married; Dave Hackett and Rosaleen. We rented a house near the hotel where the reception was for 3 days. It was great to meet up with all the old gang from college. I was also reminded that in September this year it will have been 10 years since I started college, and met all my friends at the wedding! It really doesn't seem like that long ago. The day after the wedding we went swimming at a local beach in ice cold water. And a dolphin, Dusty, came and swam around the people in the water! It was my first time to see a dolphin in Ireland.


Next I headed to Kilkenny, where I grew up. After my mother collected me, we went straight to see my brother Adrian's first child, Abby. She was just 6 months old. A very easy going child, who didn't seem to mind who was holding her. Unfortunately I only got to meet her the once, and didn't get a photo with her.

I hung out in Kilkenny with my mother and the rest of the family and visited my friends in Kilkenny for the next week. While at home I sorted through my old belongings and sent most of it to charity shops. Now I have my whole possessions down to about 3 shoe boxed worth of stuff and a bass guitar that I havent played in about 5 years! It was really nice to hang out at home though. A week is definitely the longest period of time I have spent at home in the last 10 years. It was great to meet up with my granny again too.


I saw many babies while in Kilkenny. My eldest brother Paul has 3 daughters; Niamh 3.5 years old, and the twins Aoife and Clodagh 2.5 years old. The last time I was home Niamh was just starting to talk. So there was a huge change! I had to try and befriend them. I think I succeeded with two of them, Clodagh remains quite weary of me. Perhaps she has a great judge of character! Their mother Sabrina is due to have another baby tomorrow, so that's going to be one busy household!

I met up with Dave and Cara, and saw their kids; Eoin and the twins. And I met my friend Laura and her new baby Isabelle. I'm not sure where the whole baby craze came from, but it sure seems to be popular in Kilkenny!

I headed next to Limerick to meet up with Russell, had a great night out in Limerick and experienced the worst hangover of my life the next day! I also got to get new music from him including the Fleet Foxes, which are my new favourite band! I got to call into my old workplace and meet up with some of the crew I used to work with, and spent a fortune on supplements not available in Japan. I went to Galway to see Listo and Camilla's new house. I called to my old bosses house in Portroe in Tipperary for a BBQ. Headed back to Limerick for one last night before heading to Sligo. I was having a pint with Eugene in the Black Swan in Limerick when I left my phone on the table and went to the bar to order a pint. A guy who was passing my table picked up my phone (Eugene was outside) and asked whose it was, I said it was mine - thinking it was ringing or something - I had totally forgotten that that is not something you can do in Ireland, or anywhere other than Akita to be more exact!

I next headed north to Sligo for Listo and Camilla's beautiful wedding. The weather for the wedding was perfect, and the company even better. I had to take it handy at the wedding though, partly due to a cold, partly due to the fact that I knew I had to make a 3.5 hour journey the next day across Ireland to Dublin airport.


I arrived just in time to meet my sister at the airport and return to her the car that she very kindly had lent me for the previous two weeks, without which I wouldn't have been able to meet half the people I did.

After catching my Aer Lingus flight to London and sleeping on the floor I continued on my way back to Japan. My head cold seemed to be a Godsent as it enabled me to sleep on the flights, which I can't normally do.

On entering Japan I got given a leaflet saying that if I had any of the outlined symptoms that I should go to the hospital to be checked out. I had all outlined symptoms! So the next day I went to get checked out for swine flu, but was given the all clear. This is not something I should be disappointed about, but having a 10 day home quarantine period would have given me plenty of opportunity to catch up before heading back to work!