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The Month of March ... Celebrating The Inner Irish in All of Us - Chapter 2

By John McCarthy

Real Estate Agent

March 03, 2011 01:21 AM

The Month of March ... Celebrating the Inner Irish in All of Us - Chapter 2

To whet your appetite and help you prepare to celebrate the upcoming MAJOR INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY, St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would share a few photos and a wee bit of the story about a trip we made to Ireland. I will post a wee bit each day until St. Patty's day. Hope you will follow along.

Wee Bit No. 2 -Driving in Ireland is a harrowing experience. For starters, they drive on the wrong side of the road. Now I'm sure that doesn't sound all that difficult to someone who has never had this experience. Let me assure you, this is an incorrect assumption.

The car rental company is located some distance from Shannon Airport and you must take a shuttle to get there. After selecting a modest mini-van that would comfortably seat the five of us, the rental person conducted a very thorough assessment of the condition of the vehicle to which he has just handed me the keys, as if knowing somehow, this information just might come in handy at some point in the future.

In order to ensure the foreign tourist fully grasps the concept of driving on the wrong side of the road, the government has thoughtfully placed, not one, but three rotaries, one right after another, for the traveler headed North. Remember now, you are operating a vehicle you have never been in, you are seated behind the wheel which is located on the right side, you are driving down the left side of a road with two-way traffic. On entering the rotary you now bear left and proceed in a clockwise direction. You either get it, or you don't.

We headed North along the coast...

Blue Sky Barren Rock Hairpin Turn

In case you have missed previous chapters, links are below:

Chapter 1

If you would like to know why I chose Seacoast New Hampshire to make my home, click here to email me, and I can make a real convincing argument for you to choose it too! Or, if you would like to do your own home search, sign up NOW on my website for our exclusive Home Scout Program.

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Roy Kelley

Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thanks for sharing your story. You might have met some of my distant relatives.

Life will be better when the tulips are blooming.

Mar 03, 2011 07:41 AM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Roy - I certainly hope I have...or will. There is so much more to this story, but it has a bit of an O'Henry ending. :)

Mar 03, 2011 07:46 AM

Elizabeth Byrne

Keller Williams Realty - Arlington, VA

Arlington Virginia Real Estate

John, I cannot wait to hear more about of your experience in Ireland. I spent 1 year in London and could never understand how did visitors avoid collisions. I will be visiting Ireland at some point, since my husband is Irish, so I find your posts particularly interesting.

Mar 03, 2011 08:39 AM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Elizabeth - I do so hope you get the chance to go. Of my several regrets about this trip, I wish we had taken more and better photographs. When I need to illustrate a point I'm making, I go back to the photo folder and find we didn't take the photo that I have in my mind. Anyway, I have a lot to share in this story. Thank you for following!

Mar 03, 2011 09:05 AM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi John, I've driven on the left side of the road in St. Thomas which is hard at intersections on its own...but at least the wheel was on the left as it is here. I think it must have been real difficult with the wheel on the right side! Always and adventure and thanks for sharing yours.

Mar 03, 2011 02:43 PM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Cindy - There are definitely some left side similarities with Caribbean islands and Ireland, although I have always had taxi drivers there. They were scary enough without actually driving myself! Thanks for dropping by.

Mar 03, 2011 08:55 PM

Sharon Tara

Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH

Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

This is far too frightening for me...luckily my husband can drive anything, anywhere and I wouldn't go without him! I am a bit dizzy just reading the description!

Mar 04, 2011 03:33 AM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Sharon - The driving part is really scary...more than I disclosed. For the same reasons as your husband, I was elected designated driver for this trip. Chris and her family have gone there a number of times, and had way too many close calls AND fender-benders under their belts. This was my first time.

Mar 04, 2011 03:48 AM

Marilyn Harrell

Better Homes and Acres - Beaverton, MI

Wixom Lake - Beaverton MI

Some things I guess you just have to experience! I think I could do it and do it well!! But, I don't think I'll ever go there to find out! Thanks for sharing a wee bit more of the story.

Mar 06, 2011 04:14 AM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Marilyn - I'll bet you could do a great job of driving because of your determination. Going to Ireland was always one of my goals. Can't wait to go back.

Mar 06, 2011 05:07 AM

Karen Baker

Sunset Beach and Beyond Realty - Sunset Beach, NC

Professional Help with Rapid Responses...

John ~ Driving on the Wrong side of the road must have been quite an experience ~ Weee

Mar 11, 2011 02:24 AM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Frank & Karen - Without a doubt! But truly scary because it is so different. For all of the trip, I had Eric as my navigator. He could look for the road signs and give me some warning while I was busy trying to keep from being hit!

Mar 11, 2011 03:15 AM

Craig Daniels

Tech Training for You! - Staten Island, NY

Technology Instructor/Project Consultant

John - know the feeling! Our first trip we went to Dublin and I remember the first few moments driving. Not only are you driving on the left, but the stickshift is a left-handed operation. Dublin unlike Shannon drops you right off in the middle of insane busy traffic and immediately into the roundabouts from the moment you leave the rental parking lot. whew! what an introduction that was to irish driving, fortunately it went well and many trips thereafter I hardly have to think about it now! -c-

Mar 19, 2011 04:04 AM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Craig - I'm not sure I would adjust any better next time. It such a "foreign" experience. Everything you have learned about driving goes out the window!

Mar 19, 2011 04:47 AM

Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX

Selling Homes Changing Lives

John,

Ah! Now I know why dar r so many Irish Pubs!

Now I know why Kill ians is such a popular drink!

All dat driving around the rotary, on the left side of the road with da stick-shift in the left operation and your fingers counting ya rosary beads will turn an Irish heart to rapture!!!

Saints alive! Ya see them too!

Patricia

May 25, 2011 05:35 PM

Susan Emo

Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON

Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

I believe you meant to say "on the other side of the road" and not "the wrong side". And, they're called "round-abouts" not rotaries. I thought you were referring to. Civic club!

Mar 11, 2013 12:26 AM

John McCarthy

North Hampton, NH

Realtor - Seacoast NH

Susan ~ Thanks for stopping by. The traffic pattern we're talking about are know as round-abouts, circles and rotaries depending on what part of the country you are from. Here in the Northeast, they are known as "rotaries" and the sign "Rotary Traffic Has The Right Of Way" is all too familiar, and a bit confusing at the same time to drivers who come from states where traffic entering has the right of way. And, we also have the civic clubs named "Rotary" LOL Stop by tomorrow for Chapters 4, 5 & 6. I'll conclude the series with "The Epilogue" on St. Patty's Day.

Mar 11, 2013 01:13 PM

Lisa Friedman

Great American Dream Realty - Essex, VT

35 Years of Real Estate Experience!

John, I had a similar experience arriving in England. Fortunately, when I went around the roundabout the wrong way, it was late at night and there was only one other car there wildly beeping at me.

Aug 27, 2014 09:42 AM