I’m quite stricken recently by the sadness of people about the emigration in Ireland. Mass emigration to me had always been something that happened in the past and that we were glad to be out of. Songs of coffin ships were part of the romantic gloom of history.
When I decided to take a ramble around the planet it was a fairly light hearted decision. You go on the web one night with a credit card and a silly notion, and in 30 minutes you have a visa. Another 25 minutes later you have flights, and all of a sudden you’re giving up a job and flying to another continent.
The goodbyes are where it started to twinge with a sting that comes more from my country’s past than my own. I am perfectly happy to take a wander. It’ll be crap not to see friends, but it’ll be exciting to see this planet of ours. Yet still there’s a lingering, almost genetic sorrow in it, most likely brought on by listening to a lot of Christy Moore songs as a young boy.
Loneliness is a foreign land. When you’re at home you’re defined by your character. How you behave is who you are. When you travel, your identity is your country and if you left it in sorrow you can spend a lifetime of longing under Piccadilly's neon.
When I decided to take a ramble around the planet it was a fairly light hearted decision. You go on the web one night with a credit card and a silly notion, and in 30 minutes you have a visa. Another 25 minutes later you have flights, and all of a sudden you’re giving up a job and flying to another continent.
The goodbyes are where it started to twinge with a sting that comes more from my country’s past than my own. I am perfectly happy to take a wander. It’ll be crap not to see friends, but it’ll be exciting to see this planet of ours. Yet still there’s a lingering, almost genetic sorrow in it, most likely brought on by listening to a lot of Christy Moore songs as a young boy.
Loneliness is a foreign land. When you’re at home you’re defined by your character. How you behave is who you are. When you travel, your identity is your country and if you left it in sorrow you can spend a lifetime of longing under Piccadilly's neon.
