The country, and the city, no longer can be considered the backwater of Europe, which it was in 1969 during my first visit. Dublin is alive and vibrant and growing. In a few days, Notre Dame will play the Naval Academy in a contest of American football in an ultra modern stadium. Many high tech companies have relocated here to take advantage of the political stability and the educated work force. The so-called Celtic economic tiger remains alive.

Now, I am home. My spouse and I used to travel frequently. Then she fell victim to Alzheimers, the long good by, and then along came Covid. So, this was my first trip overseas in some time, the first to Ireland since 2001, and the first to Dublin since 1969. To say the country has changed a bit would be an understatement.

On the streets of Dublin you see people from all over the world, many skin colors and languages and accents. One reaction I had was ‘this might be New York or London.’ These are not all tourists. Retail and restaurant workers are likely to be from all parts of the EU and beyond.

And the food! Long gone are the days when haute-cuisine was fish and chips, though they remain ubiquitous. Now, all forms of ethnic foods are available, even in mid size towns. Remarkably, even in domestic restaurants, you can find curries and even more exotic dishes. I had the best Chicken Tikka Masala in my life in a regular restaurant in a small Irish town on the west coast.

Of course, the Irish have not lost their identity. Their love of native music, of art, of language, and of their history remains. Long ago dates and events remain close to the surface. Cromwell, the Flight of the Earls, the famine and the diaspora, the 1916 uprising and their independence in 1921 are real events to the native population.

The ‘troubles’ remain way too close to be dismissed, as testified to by the walls that remain, the opposing flags being displayed, and the murals still adorning many buildings. While it is good to recall history, one hopes the correct lessons have been learned. Not all the bitterness has disappeared.

Another change is the secularization one feels. Two generations ago, the country was yet in the grips of the Catholic (or Protestant) Churches. That allegiance is broken, and thus peace is possible. Ireland has quickly become a progressive state on social issues. Their recent history gives me a glimmer of hope for America.

But most of all I am taken with the beauty of the place. This is one of the few places I have visited where the sights are more dramatic than the post cards you can buy in the shops. The fields really are brilliant green. The coast is marked by dramatic landscapes and pristine beaches. Our tour gasped many a time at what lay before us. No wonder the place produced so many poets. It is magical.

More to say but I’m still a bit jet lagged. I just may have to go back.