Why Ireland?

I’ve always liked the idea of having a feet in several places in the world. There is something special when you stay longer and get to know a place. Especially, when you make friends in that place. It widens your  perspectives and makes you more aware of your own culture. I also assume that if we want to see a change in the world, which I certainly do, it needs to be done on a global scale.

Until now, I’ve been lucky enough to have two places in Spain where I come back whenever I can - Aragon in the Pyrenees and Galicia in northwestern Spain. However, I have been missing a place in the English speaking world. I did go to Australia and New Zeeland about ten years ago, but that’s too far away. I have also done voluntary work in Scotland for two weeks, and for a while I tried to study in Brighton in England. Unfortunately, that journey ended up with me falling ill, and acquiring a severe depression. Even if the depression wasn't caused by England or the English, I didn’t feel like going back. I also have an impression of England as being a very aggressive class society. I guess thats true for most countries, but in England it’s very articulated. You may have any ethnicity or sexual preference you want as long as you got money, but if you’re poor and don’t fit in you’re simply scum. I guess that became quite obvious to me during the 2011 England riots, when hearing how the media responded to the unrest.

So why go to Ireland? I have been to Ireland before, I took a language course when I was fifteen years old, and I really liked the friendliness of the Irish, people seemed so relaxed.  I also visited an Irish Anarchist organization called Workers Solidarity Movement, who had their meeting in a pub to my surprise. However, this idealization of Ireland, might have to do with me only visting when I’ve been on vacation, Moa went to work in Dublin during their economic boom, and she said it wasn’t that nice.

Anyway, there are also interesting links between my home region Bohuslän, Galicia and Ireland. The latter ones are connected through their Celtic heritage. Even if Irish Gaelic is in decline and people in Galicia ceased to speak their celtic language more than 400 years ago, there are many archeological, cultural and climatic similarities. Similar archeological findings have been found in Galicia and Ireland such as dolmens, both places are green and and surrounded by the Atlantic ocean. Similarly, both places have had to struggle for their independence from a foreign power which certainly creates a rebellious image of the two countries. Although Bohuslän can’t claim to have any Celtic heritage, our rock carvings and stone age graves show striking similarity to the ones in Galicia and Ireland.

(to the left , rock art in Ireland Bohuslän and Galicia)

There is a theory about the Atlantic Bronze Age which states that these coastline areas share cultural similarities due to ancient trade networks. These networks have obviously continued and fisherman and sailors from Bohuslän probably knew the ports of Dublin and A Coruña better than the interior of their own country. Although Bohuslän, was taken from Norway by Sweden 500 years ago, Bohuslän has also had a rebellious population among the socialist stonemasons.  All this gives me a feeling of being connected to Ireland and Galicia, and it certainly makes me want to explore both places more.

With this in mind I started reading wikipedia articles about Ireland, I listened to irish news and discovered an excellent podcast called Irish History Podcast. The podcast was strangely enough produced  by a former member the Irish Workers Solidarity movement. I spent a night in a Dublin pub with his friend. They had all met in that organization, even though several members had moved on and started new projects. I have planned this trip for quite a while and managed to persuade Moa and then the rest of my travel companions to come along. This is actually my 30th birthday present. It’s probably the best birthday present I had so far.

(Below: Galician anti-fascists, Stonemasons in front of “The People’s House in Krokstrand, Bohuslän, Irish workers protesting against conscription)