Ireland: Last night I played a table tennis tournament in Dublin

With an extreme hangover, on the final day of our Shamrocker trip we took a Black Cab tour of Belfast. They too have a history of violence and rebellion between the Catholics and Protestants. So much so that attacks and bombings are not uncommon, and would happen quite regularly in even the recent past.

A mural in Belfast

We saw more murals and tributes to those lost to The Troubles, and heard heartbreaking recounts of violence and loss of life. The guides from the Black Cab tours who live and work in Belfast can’t see the walls dividing the two communities being taken down any time soon.

A section of the Belfast Wall dividing the Catholics and Protestants

More murals remembering The Troubles

The drive from Northern Ireland back to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland was the finale of the tour.

We had a great week in Ireland (not island). Although it was cold, it wasn’t freezing, and we were so lucky to have hardly any rain. I still can’t believe how green the landscape was, and how coastal the place actually is. And I can’t believe how much we actually drank in the week.

A few of us had some extra time in Dublin, so we still had a chance to hang out with our new friends, even if most of them were Australian. A table tennis tournament was started in the recreation room in the hostel, which ended almost as big as the night before. It finished with me trying my skill against the man from reception at the hostel, Lucas. I put up a good fight but my family won’t be surprised to hear that I lost.

Either way, Ireland was crazy, beautiful, and great fun. I’m glad we came, do, do, do, do.

Most of our Shamrocker tour group

Nikki Navratilova