We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who entered the "My Love Letter to Ireland" giveaway!
The winner of the sweepstake was chosen at random and we are delighted to announce that Millicent Leow was chosen and claimed the incredible prize of a trip for two to Ireland and five nights' accommodation with breakfast each morning.
"To be able to see the country described so very well in all of my favorite Nora Roberts' stories live would be amazing. Green is my favorite color because it represents life in such a beautiful way. If I could only visit one place across the Atlantic, that place would be Ireland." - Millicent Leow
This is our fourth year running this incredible giveaway with Tourism Ireland, and each year we are blown away by the beauty of our readers' storytelling as they share with us their love for the island of Ireland.
Here is just a small selection of the heartfelt Love Letters we received:
"Mom & Dad, Howth, Ireland". Credit: Danny Doherty
Dear Ireland,
My Dad was just shy of one and a half years old when he left your shores in 1955 on a unique journey from Ireland, the country of his birth, to America, which would become his home. He was officially adopted in the United States the next year, happily raised in a large Irish American Catholic family, and received U.S. Citizenship.
When my Dad embarked on the journey of discovering our Irish family heritage, he found welcoming Irish cousins and half-siblings. Several years ago, my Dad, with my Mom, returned to the country of his birth. My parents found Ireland to be a beautiful country with warm and beautiful people.
Both my Dad’s maternal and paternal Irish families provided him with amazing family history, documents, and photos, and they visited family sites and resting places. They found that Ireland’s beauty is reflected in everything, from the landscapes, seashores, towns, and villages, to the culture, food and music, but most of all that Ireland’s beauty is reflected in the Irish people.
I look forward to the day that I too can experience firsthand all the beauty Ireland has to offer. In the meantime, please know that although we are separated by an ocean, you will always be a part of us.
Respectfully,
Danny Doherty
Minard Castle, Co Kerry. Credit: Joanie Manning
Dear Ireland,
How I miss you! Since visiting you in 2016, I have thought of you so very often. One of your features that surprised me was the amazing food. There was high-quality and fresh food to be had everywhere, even at the petrol stations! The restaurants we visited served local, seasonal, and delicious food. I still dream about the seafood chowder with brown bread I enjoyed at one of those awesome meals.
One of the other surprises was the kindness and friendliness of the people. With so many tourists traipsing through their towns and villages, one would think that they would be tired of dealing with visitors. Nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone went out of their way to be accommodating, whether by giving directions, answering questions, or just by conversing with us. We felt welcome and wanted.
The last surprise is a little harder to explain. The entire experience left us with a feeling of rightness and belonging. Though it was our first visit, it felt like a homecoming of sorts. When it came time to depart, we knew we would leave a small part of ourselves there.
With love,
Joanie Manning
The Brazen Head, Dublin. Credit: Mary Daugherty
My Dearest Ireland,
I never knew a place could get into your heart the way you did on my first trip in 2022. I think about you every day. You could say I am obsessed. I miss sitting in your pubs chatting with locals. I miss green rolling hills. I miss eating Coddle at the Grave Diggers in Dublin. I miss everything. The Guinness in America tastes nothing like a pint in Ireland. Everything tastes better there. You will always be my happy place.
Mary Daugherty
Ben Bulben, Co Sligo. Credit: Tourism Ireland
To Ireland...
I’ve been incredibly lucky to walk your shores three times, approximately ten years apart each time. With each visit, I’ve found time and again that it is the only place I have ever experienced the feeling of truly being present.
When in Ireland, I am the person I want to be—someone that can find peace in a walk through a gentle rain, feel humble at the edge of the Cliffs of Moher or the base of Ben Bulben, carefree when the salt spray hits my face in Dingle Bay, lost within a tin whistle’s song at a local pub, and grateful for the warmth of a cozy fire and friendly chat in my B&B at the end of the day.
You inspire me to be curious, even adventurous, which is quite new for me. I find myself wondering about the history of each castle and cottage ruin we pass, yearning to know the stories of the people who lived and loved there. I wish I could spend my life exploring your magnificent coasts, hillsides, villages, museums, caves, forests, vibrant cities, and aurora-lit skies, just so you might continue teaching me what a gift it is to be alive, at this time, and in such an incomparable place.
Ireland, both your inherent and man-made beauty speaks to the soul, and I, like so many, am in awe of it all.
Sincerely yours,
Keri Golebiewski (née McElhinny)
Ireland is not just a destination, it's a feeling. Follow your heart to Ireland and discover the adventure that awaits you. Whether you decide to wander through 5,000 years of history in Ireland’s Ancient East, breathe in Ireland’s magnificent west coast along the Wild Atlantic Way, embrace a giant spirit in Northern Ireland, or enjoy the unspoiled majesty of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.
This article is presented proudly in partnership with Tourism Ireland. To learn more about Tourism Ireland and get inspired for your next visit to Ireland, check out their website at www.ireland.com.
Note: Some of these stories have been modified in length for the purpose of the article.
