South vs. North

Before the west coast trip becomes a distant memory, I want to get down my thoughts on how the south and north are different.

It used to be the south appeared distinctly more impoverished than the north. In the 1970s, I would describe the north as a gritty industrial place full of empty linen factories and some larger employers (like my father's), which were constantly struggling with union battles. The south seemed closer to the third world--stone cottages that looked unchanged from the middle ages, dirty children, and haggard looking toothless older people. The north was dismal in an industrial way and the south was dismal in an agrarian way. People were better dressed and healthier looking in the north. Cars were more battered in the south and donkeys and horses were still widely used for pulling carts.

Now, the south looks uniformly prosperous. I couldn't get over it. Every town was neat and tidy and clean. Even when we were lost on back roads (i.e. not on the tourist route), the houses were well maintained and freshly painted. The north has improved as well, but didn't have as far to go. My next read will be on the evolution of the Irish economy, so hopefully I'll learn how it is that Connaught, once the most forlorn corner of Ireland, is now this shining gem.

Another big difference: the towering church steeples that dominate every northern town sit atop Presbyterian churches. In the south, the Catholic church has the best real estate in town--i.e. the highest ground.

Music is more prevalent in the south. Traditional Irish music isn't as visible in the north. The first big town we drove through, Sligo, was hosting the Fleadh Cheoil for instance, one of many music festivals we saw advertised.

In the north, people fly the Union Jack or the Irish tricolor to show their tribal loyalty. In the south, it's their county. We drove through counties Mayo, Galway, and Clare and the flags changed in each county--and were everywhere.

The friendliness and hospitality are common to both. While the north remains true to type--a more industrious, Calvinistic type of place vs. the more laid-back south--the friendliness of the people in both places is what makes them such wonderful places to live and/or visit.