NEW BRIDGE, IRELAND

And on the third day I rose, I heard that somewhere in my life. I was feeling only a bit better but I had to get up and get going to my house sit in New Bridge. A very convenient 25-minute train ride from Dublin and a 15-minute walk to the house.

To my surprise and horror, the medium size “mixed breed” is actually a large pit bull.  She is very sweet and docile but these dogs do have a reputation for suddenly turning mean so I carry a small spray bottle of insect repellent around the house with me at all times just in case. Pepper spray is banned and the only thing I could think of as a protectant was insect repellant. I long for that little miniature dachshund back at my Nashville house sit.

The owners are a young couple in their late 20’s. He is Italian, she is from Moldova (the country between Romania and Ukraine) and they met at the University in Romania. They actually had to learn Romanian to attend school.  He is an orthodontist and she works for a large international company in HR, writing contracts.  After getting jobs in Ireland a year ago, they had to learn more English for their work. In the home they speak Romanian to each other.  

Ireland seems to be the new melting pot. I run into people living and working here from all over the world. A waitress in a restaurant where I ate fish and chips is from Mexico and her fiancé is from Hungary.  There are Indian, Turkish, Chinese, even Mexican restaurants. You can find it all in Dublin. I had a taco at a Mexican restaurant owned and run by a man from India- go figure. They have nail shops everywhere and guess what, all Vietnamese owned and operated, just like the USA.  

About 15% of the population are immigrants and the number is growing. The number doubled in 2022 from the previous year.  A strong economy and the ease of immigration requirements make it a good place to work and live. On the train or bus I can hear 4 or 5 different languages being spoken.

The house sit is in a typical row house that you see in movies of Ireland. Nothing fancy, but nice, tidy and clean.  Small postage stamp yards, but large green community areas to “dander” – walk.  Everything is within walking distance. Nice coffee shops and places to eat. I visit the New Bridge silverware factory dating back to 1935.  An old English army barracks that was revamped into a silver factory to create jobs for the town after the English left. Since formal dinner ware has gone by the road side, they have added jewelry making to the company.  You can google New Bridge Jewelry and look at the collection. They have a beautiful Celtic collection.

They also boast a “Pitch and Putt” Club.  Complete with club house for drinks after playing. I had never heard of a Pitch and Putt and asked the men on the green with golf clubs if it was “like golf.” They became infuriated and said “What do you mean “like golf” it IS frecken golf, just a shorter course”.    I hear the Irish word frecken a lot here.

 On one of my evening walks (danders) I stop in a wee little (I am picking up the Irish tongue now) “Mam and Da” (Mom and Pop) store and decide to buy a bottle of Spanish Red Wine to have with my dinners.

I pay and the young lad hands me the bottle. I hesitate a moment and ask “Are you going to put it in a bag?” “No” he replies. I ask “Won’t it seem a wee bit odd to walk home with a bottle in my hand?”.  He looks at me and laughs “Mam, you could open that bottle right here and start drinking it in the store and walk home drinking it all the way and it would not seem odd or strange to anyone”. 

Oh right, I am in Irleand!

Note the time ” depending”

Everything is written in English and Irish (Gaelic)