What's Up with Ireland?

I went back to Ireland recently for a short visit as part of a longer trip. I've never really been impressed with Ireland, probably because I seem to land there after travelling through mainland Europe and the UK. And after their spectacular scenery and structures, Ireland tends to pale in comparison. I find it similar to parts of Australia and Scotland, and I would rate it as 'interesting' and 'pretty' rather than 'breathtaking'. The main charm of Ireland is often it's people (depending on who you meet!) and its history.

After writing all that I looked back at my photos and have to admit parts of Ireland are reeeeeeally pretty and they have some fantastic old buildings.

The Cliffs of Moher

During this third visit I noticed some huge changes. It seems Ireland is 'sweeping out the old' in a big way. The landscape is littered with brand new houses standing on their own small acreage, and many of the more traditional and historic homes are gone. Most farms have a small herd of cattle (very small compared to Australian standards) and they don't sell the calves for veal as they do in Australia.

This Bed and Breakfast is an example of the 'new' Ireland. It seemed to us when driving around as if everyone there had won the 'lotto. Then we found out a major reason for this new found wealth. Things have been going very well for Irish farmers since joining the European Community. They are given huge farming subsidies (Australian farmers get bugger all) and a lot of that money is going into knocking down the more historical buildings and replacing them with these 'McMansions'. Consequently it looks like everyone wants to be a farmer. Their farms/herds seem to be of a size which must be the 'qualifying' minimum.

Irish cities still retain a lot of their character, but large housing estates are springing up at the outskirts and they feature rows of COMPLETELY IDENTICAL houses. I don't know how people remember which house is theirs!

It's a different Ireland to the Ireland I first visited in 1993. Maybe a better place to live, but not necessarily a better place to visit.