I’m sure you’ve heard the news about how Ireland is in trouble.  It wouldn’t be the first time.  And although I worry for my friends who are having to pay for the mistakes and down right greed of politicians, I look forward to what will come out of this because Ireland has a tendency to rise from misfortune with art, music, poetry and literature.  There’s a saying that goes something like “Ireland hits big for a little island”.  Think about just the writers alone that have come out of Ireland – James Joyce, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney to name just a few.

How about music? I’m going to pass over all the “Irish” music not because I don’t love it but I want to focus on what Irish music has done for the world in recent times.   Van Morrison..I’ve probably listened to “Moondance” more times than all my music combined.  It was the album I put in to impress this guy named Ben that I just met.  Totally worked to because “Crazy Love” is what we danced to at our wedding.   To name just a few others –  Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher,  Glen Hansard and hmmm…I feel like I’m leaving someone out….  oh yeah! U freaking 2!!!  You know what’s next right?  You got it!  My shameless bragging of one of the best days of my life –

There, that’s out of my system for a short while longer.  🙂

I’ve told you a lot about my friend Kalle.  He has been hosting The Brown Bag Mixtape once a month in a pub in Dublin.  Poets, writers and musicians are invited to speak to a theme that has been picked in advance.  The Photography Tour will be planned around making it to one of these sessions because it’s just a great example of how Ireland responds to trial through wit and artistic expression.  I can’t wait to be there in person!

One of the things that made me want to start this tour was when people would tell me about their trip to Ireland, here are the “themes” I hear – Guinness, sheep, green and cliffs.  Don’t get me wrong, those things are part of any visit to Ireland but there is so much more depth, richness and beauty to Ireland that gets passed over.  I want to show people those somewhat ethereal themes that can only be experienced … and then of course photograph the hell out of those experiences!  🙂