Rick Steves' Irish Tales And Sales
I watched a live episode of “Rick Steves Monday Night Travel” on my computer because it was about Ireland, in advance of St. Patrick’s Day. His website describes the series as follows: “Travel to destinations across Europe and beyond with a Rick Steves guide leading the way — and experience the fun and conviviality of joining our merry band of travelers for a travel happy hour on Zoom. Each week you'll learn about art, history, culture, food, and more, plus we'll share travel tips and answer questions.”
I was so excited to watch the program that I had my mom join me because I wanted her to see how beautiful Ireland is from someone I trust to do it justice. I brought the guidebooks written by the famous television host and travel writer with me on my trips to Barcelona and Ireland and carried them everywhere from a cathedral to a tour bus. I often quote him on this blog. I also enjoy watching his travel shows with my family.
Still, despite Mr. Steves displaying the Irish flag, also known as the tricolour, in his home and wearing green, the “travel happy hour” felt at times more like a thinly veiled infomercial for his tours and guidebooks, as well as the hotels of the Irish tour guide, Stephen McPhilemy. While Mr. McPhilemy has a hotel in Dingle, during the Zoom program, he was at his other hotel in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. (It looked beautiful when they showed a promotional video of it, as well as his Irish hotel. By that point, I was like “Heck, why not?” My mom has always wanted to travel to Switzerland too. Besides each promotion featured a well-known breed of dog from each respective country - a Bernese mountain dog and an Irish wolfhound, both of whom looked as happy as the tourists.) Near the end, when the moderator, Lisa Friend, said, “Before we get to our questions, could we please have a word from our sponsor?,” it seemed like either an unnecessary formality or a cheesy joke so that Mr. Steves could double down on his sales pitch.
Rick Steves wants people to travel and explore again.
I was also disappointed that Mr. Steves’ video clips from his shows were somewhat dated. In them, he’s with his children, who are adults now. I still value them as classics, but I was surprised there was no updated footage. (You can view the shows on his website. They’re still an entertaining and valuable resource.)
I realize that the travel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and now a war, so that it has become necessary to find inventive ways to promote tourism and that Mr. Steves has a responsibility to the 100 guides who work for him, but I think the best advertisement is his good content, rather than his repeated sales pitch. That is how you inspire people to pack suitcases and purchase tickets again. Remind them of what is possible in a country that has a great history and is also constantly evolving. After being sequestered at home, travel represents freedom more than ever.
So despite the self-promotion, my mom and I still found a spirit of adventure amidst the interesting nuggets of information they shared with viewers. Mr. McPhilemy didn’t speak as much as Mr. Steves but the insights he provided were valuable. Before the more joyful talk of travel and the imbibing of Guinness, they discussed the war in Ukraine. Mr. McPhilemy said, “…we have a history, of course, of a big neighbor oppressing us. That was a long time ago, but people have a lot of solidarity with Ukraine.” He said that Ireland has already accepted 5,000 Ukrainian refugees, with plans to welcome 100,000 in total. He added that the Irish are giving them accomodations in hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and their own homes. Mr. Steves pointed out how remarkable that humanitarian effort is, in a country of only 5 million people. (By contrast, according to the 2020 U.S. census, there are 331.4 million people living in the United States.)
The virtual tour started with a video clip of Dingle Peninsula, with Mr. Steves traveling by car through beautiful Slea Head and the Blasket Islands, with its rolling green hills and sea. The discussion between the TV host and a local guide, Colm Banbury, centered on the days of British rule and the Irish potato famine. In pre-famine Ireland there was a population of 8 million people and after starvation and immigration the population was cut in half. Mr. Steves pointed out that you could still see the furrows in the fields, from the planting of the potato crop.
When “Monday Night Travel” cut away from the clip, Mr. Steves talked about the importance of traveling to the more remote, scenic parts of Ireland by car and of stopping to get out, “and feel the wind and hear the birds and take a little walk.” Mr. McPhilemy said a drive that could have taken 45 minutes, could be a two or three hour adventure. He also suggested hiring a local guide, because, they have, “grown up there and their ancestors have grown up there and they could give you lots of little, extra information.” Steph and I talked about both of these options for our next trip to Ireland, which would allow us to go at our own pace.
When talking about Dingle, Mr. McPhilemy referenced Johnny Cash’s song “40 Shades of Green,” which references the verdant peninsula.
From there, the video tour traveled to Kinsale, which Mr. Steves describes as the “self-proclaimed gourmet capital of Ireland.” He talked about Fishy Fishy café, which has since expanded in 2006 to Fishy Fishy Restaurant, and is still run by Martin and Marie Shanahan. Mr. Steves said that the café had such pride in being locally sourced that photos of the fishermen hung on the wall. Mr. Steves’ dish was “Taste of The Sea.” I looked it up and it’s still served there today. According to the menu, it is a,“Chilled platter of local fish and shellfish served with homemade mayonnaise.”
He also praised the soda bread that was served with his meal as being,“like cake,” saying that the traditional Irish bread is not as good outside of Ireland. Mr. McPhilemy said that Irish cuisine is delicious now because travel inspired kitchens to use the fresh, great ingredients they already have in innovative ways. Also, he speculated that the ingredients are so good because the cows graze on calcium-rich soil, which enriches the grass and that is why the butter, milk and cheese are of such high quality.
After Kinsale, they turned their attention to Dublin and the Guinness Storehouse. I didn’t know that the building itself is shaped like a glass of the famous stout. Another important detail, which I am sure to remember, is that a pint of Guinness is included in the cost of admission. At the top, on the seventh floor, is The Gravity Bar, with views that include the Wicklow Mountains, which is the source of water for the beer. According to Mr. Steves, it used to come from the River Liffey.
I have traveled to Ireland, but I have yet to enjoy a Guinness, so this intrigued me. The tour Steph and I were on was so hectic, there was no time to relax and enjoy a pint and that is sad because even Queen Elizabeth took time out of her busy schedule to visit the Guinness Storehouse according to Mr. McPhilemy, although when I checked videos of the visit I saw that she declined a pint. For the sake of diplomacy, I’m willing to share a glass with Her Majesty, so both of us can say that we’ve enjoyed this unique taste of Ireland.
The tour then veered to a rural setting, The Aran Islands, which are reached by ferry boat. This fascinated me because I haven’t been there yet and it looks rugged and beautiful. Mr. McPhilemy said, “If you envisaged Ireland as a traditional place with stone walls and thatched cottages and donkeys in the fields, well this is the spot and it’s really authentic. The Irish language is spoken there by native speakers. If the sun is shining, it is a paradise.”
Inishmore is the largest of the three islands and the site of a prehistoric stone fort, Dún Aonghasa, which is on a cliff, 300 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Mr. Steves recommends spending the night in the area, so that you can visit early in the morning or around dinnertime, when it is less likely to be overrun with tourists. Kilronan is the only village on the islands, which are a Gaeltacht, one of the Irish-speaking areas in Ireland. There are no ATMs. The island also features step dancing with traditional musical accompaniment.
Mr. Steves asked Mr. McPhilemy about the impact of Riverdance on the performing art. Mr. McPhilemy said that those blockbuster productions, including Lord of the Dance, gave Irish dance international exposure and Irish dancers the chance of a career, instead of only competing in championships. He said that the Irish love dancing.
From there the hosts talked about other forms of exercise and transportation available for tourists in the village such as bike rentals and pony cart rides. Mr. Steves championed connecting with small business people for a more meaningful experience in the country, including hiring a farmer whose sideline is a minibus tour. In an older clip from his show, he showed his family getting into the minibus of a farmer named Thomas O’Neill, a lifelong resident of the island. He also explained that farmers own small fields, with cows. “Sheep are too much trouble,” he said. Then he said something on the show, which he emphasized again on “Monday Night Travel,” which really made me stop and reflect on the difficult lives of these hard-working, determined people. “There’s a stark beauty about these islands and the simple lives its inhabitants eke out of six inches of topsoil and a mean sea,” he said. “Precious little of the land is productive. Until the advent of tourism, people made a precarious living from fishing and farming.”
“Sheep are too much trouble.”
In another clip from the same episode, his family, including his children and his now ex-wife, were moving hay to dry it and he joked that the farmer - the same one who was a local guide - tricked them into manual labor. I wonder if Mr.O’Neill still does that ruse today. I bet now people take selfies of themselves with the hay, though. Mr. Steves said the stone walls on the rocky fields are useful with guiding the cows but also because the wind whistles through the gaps between the stones and keeps the hay dry. Unlike the wind, however, the English never made it to The Aran Islands.
But tourists can have a close encounter with creatures who soar through the sky in Cong, on the west side of Ireland. Cong is known for its falconry, and in the video there are demonstrations of a majestic falcon (or hawk) ascending from and landing on arms of tourists, which are protected by gloves, otherwise known as gauntlets. According to Mr. McPhilemy, falconry has been around since the 12th century in Ireland because of the Normans. The Golden Eagle, once hunted to extinction, is now back.
Also surviving is the crystal industry. While Ireland is known for Waterford Crystal, Mr. Steves talked with Seán Daly, the owner of Dingle Crystal Company (whose factory offers demonstrations for tourists) in one of his video clips. According to the company website, “Sean started as young apprentice in Waterford Crystal and studied for 15 years to become a master cutter. When Waterford Crystal decided to move their production overseas, Sean wanted to keep the tradition of crystal cutting alive in Ireland. Together with his wife Liz, Sean moved to Dingle, County Kerry, in 1998 and set up Dingle Crystal.”
The hosts went on to discuss something much more opaque - walls, namely the Peace Walls in Belfast. The walls separate the Protestants from the Catholics. People have the option of writing a message of peace on them. On “Monday Night Travels,” Mr. Steves said, “I hate to say Protestant and Catholic because it’s not a religious struggle. It’s just a community that came from England happened to be Protestant and the people that lived there first happened to be Catholic. We think of it as Protestants versus Catholics, but it’s those cultures having a difficult situation put upon them by English imperialism when they planted Protestants from Scotland, basically, in Ireland.” He referenced the Cold War, Leon Uris, who wrote about the Troubles, and the Irish hunger strikes.
He asked Mr. McPhilemy, the Irish tour guide who grew up in Derry, if things have gotten better. “I would love to say that it’s old news, but I can’t say that. I don’t think that is real. There are a lot of people who would say that’s old news.” he said. “For example, in Belfast the number one tourist attraction now is the Titanic Visitor Center [Titanic Belfast], because the Titanic was built there. But’s it’s important that travelers to Ireland know that Ireland may be a paradise, but it’s no utopia and there’s a lot of gritty reality there and if you’re not interested to see that, well you’re not really seeing the entire picture of Ireland and I’m very proud that we’ve always gone North and brought visitors there, for better or for worse, and we’ve exposed them and introduced them and connected them to the Irish community in the north of Ireland and also equally to the British community in the north of Ireland, one being Catholic, one being Protestant but letting people know that there are many people in the north of Ireland who have an identity that is British and their loyalty is to the United Kingdom and then there are people like me who are Irish and our loyalty is to Ireland and there are many people, the majority of people, who wish to live in peace and harmony.”
The tour that Stephanie and I joined did not extend to Northern Ireland. When we visit again we would like to go there, because we have ancestors from there and I think it’s a painful, but important part of my family’s story and Ireland’s story. The personal and political are so deeply intertwined. I want to write a message of peace in Belfast, but for now I will carry that wish in my heart.
Next, the conversation turned to the more convivial subject of pubs, and specifically Dingle’s reputation as a great pub town. Mr. Steves said some pubs do “double duty” as a general store or hardware store. This is based on a tradition of operating that way out of necessity.
James Curran’s Pub began as a general store and pub in 1871 and still has hardware-themed decor and sells items such as caps. The pub also features traditional music. (My dad would have loved it there since his favorite place to shop was Ace Hardware. The employees even knew his name. He also enjoyed a nice cold beer every now and then and he loved music, having played the violin and saxophone.)
“Dingle is the best pub crawl in the world,” Mr. McPhilemy said. “I’ve been to any number of pub crawls but it’s just amazing. If you have a village of 56 pubs, about 20 of them are some of the best pubs on the planet and it’s just brilliant. You go for music and food and friendly people.”
After talking about pubs, naturally the next topic was singing. Mr. Steves shared a video of a party capping off the end of an annual pre-pandemic conference of his company’s guides, at which Mr. McPhilemy sang the Irish rebel song,“Foggy Dew” (see the video below). It is a ballad about the 1916 Rebellion. (Rebel songs are both entertaining and they teach an Irish history lesson.)
Before he performed, he explained, “We had thousands of rebels who were going to fight the British empire, but then the British empire fought the German empire and the Turkish [Ottoman] empire [in World War I] and they said to the Irish rebels, ‘Why don’t you come and fight for us against the Germans and the Turkish empire?’ And all the Irish nationalists did except 1,000 stayed in Dublin and fought the British and on the day of the rebellion, there was a foggy dew, like a cloud you know…The song is lamenting the Irish men who fought for Britain and should have stayed home and fought for Ireland.”
Stephen McPhilemy, an Irish tour guide, singing “Foggy Dew.”
Then, the audience or “travelers,” as Mr. Steves called them, asked interesting questions, on everything from Brexit to pubs and a beloved dolphin.
Brexit
The first question was about Brexit, which is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and its impact on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Mr. McPhilemy answered, “Well, Brexit had a huge impact economically and socially, but also of course, politically, because it raised tensions and it also created a new dynamic for a possible united Ireland in the future. There are a lot of people, like me, who wish for a peaceful reunification of Ireland where Protestant, Catholic, British, Irish will all come together and work peacefully together in harmony and equality and Brexit has created a dynamic for that. And the reason it has created that dynamic is Scottish nationalists are looking for another referendum to maybe break away from the United Kingdom…and if that was to happen there would be no United Kingdom anymore and Loyalists and Unionists in Northern Ireland, their focus, their priority is to remain with the United Kingdom but if there was no United Kingdom any longer, what would happen? That creates the dynamic that there would be a potential united Ireland or a referendum for a united Ireland in true peaceful means in the future. So Brexit certainly had a big impact but I need to be honest, then the global pandemic came and now we have war in Ukraine and it makes Brexit almost a forgotten situation temporarily, but it hasn’t gone away of course. “
Mr. Steves clarified that Scotland narrowly voted to stay part of the United Kingdom, when the United Kingdom was part of the European Union. However, the United Kingdom pulled out of the EU (Brexit) and that was not what the Scottish agreed to in the referendum. So, it would be fair for there to be a “re-take on that election,” according to Mr. Steves. Mr. McPhilemy said that this is the argument of the Scottish Nationalists.
Pubs
The next question was about finding a local neighborhood in Dublin with good local pubs, away from the stag and hen parties and tourists at Temple Bar. “Oh, yeah, there’s loads,” Mr. McPhilemy said. “There’s an area on the north side for example called Talbot Street where there’s a pub called The Celt. It just happens to be one of my favorites and it’s local people, some tourists as well, of course, nothing wrong with tourists … all listening to Irish music but you don’t have the stag or hen parties there. I think the problem these days is that when tourists come to Ireland, they’re told…They perceive that they must go to the Temple Bar and as a result they don’t really venture out of that area and go to other neighborhoods, but on the north side there’s Talbot Street, on the south side, you’ve got loads of streets just off Grafton Street, with really authentic pubs, and yeah there’s lots of other options as well.” Mr. Steves added that, “So, they’re just as central, they’re just not as well-advertised and noisy.” Mr. McPhilemy said they’re a 5-minute walk from Temple Bar.
Music
The next question was about finding places where there is singing versus only instrumental music. Mr. McPhilemy said he likes both. He recommends asking the locals what music will be played at the venue that night and that you can only really do that when you’re there. Mr. Steves added that the music scene changes and that there are different towns where trad or traditional music is played more. He named Dublin, Galway, Ennis, Doolin and Dingle. Mr. McPhilemy said Neligan’s Bar in Dingle is renowned for traditional folk music. He added, “I’d say you’d focus on a lot of instrumental stuff with fiddles and flutes and accordions and music boxes but they will always stop for a lament or a lovely song, especially in the Irish language.”
Fungie, A Beloved Dolphin
I have to admit that a question about Fungie really piqued my interest because I am a fan of the celebrated bottlenose dolphin, even if I have never met him. Like many, I was brokenhearted by the news that in October 2020 he had gone missing, after regularly visiting Dingle since 1983. I had hoped to make it there in time to see him. Mr. McPhilemy provided a small ray of hope by saying that as of now Fungie has just left and that there is no evidence that he is dead, although, of course, nature doesn’t always reveal its tragedies. He was certainly a great ambassador and tourist attraction for the harbor. Mr. McPhilemy said there is a statue of him in Dingle, by an artist from Santa Barbara, California. He recommended that as a site to leave a tribute to him. Then he interrupted the moderator, Ms. Friend, who had started asking the next question, saying, “Hoping he’ll be back!,” while crossing his fingers. Mr. Steves laughed and crossed his fingers too. Then the TV host wondered how long dolphins live, guessing 40 years. Mr. McPhilemy speculated around 45 years. Mr. Steves said, “Okay so maybe there’s hope - it’s an old Fungie,” while drawing out the word old. We can all chose to remain hopeful but certainly his legacy will live on as the utmost example of Irish friendliness.
Two Days In Derry Without A Car
Mr. McPhilemy recommended visiting Giant’s Causeway or Glenveagh National Park in Donegal via public transportation or a local guide with a car.
What Travel Makes You Appreciate About Home
Mr. Steves did not speak about Ireland, but instead talked more generally about the benefits of living in a place that has trees, a well-educated population, less overcrowding and a responsible government. However, Mr. McPhilemy said, “The art of hospitality has been part of Irish culture for thousands of years. Our ancestors, the Celts…It was part of their tradition where you needed to be hospitable to strangers coming into your area and I grew up feeling like it was my patriotic duty to be hospitable and to provide hospitality.” Yet, as he’s traveled, he’s had the privilege of experiencing that same hospitality from other cultures, which makes him even more grateful for Ireland’s warm reception toward travelers.
Check out the video below to watch “Rick Steves Monday Night Travel: Ireland with Stephen McPhilemy” in its entirety and let me know what you think. Do you like their recommendations? What would you add? I know there’s more places I want to include on my itinerary the next time I visit Ireland.