A powerpoint slide show with animated transitions and audio narration. I researched, sourced the photos, and composed the presentation, including writing and recording the audio content.
8. References
Ireland Map:
By Island_of_Ireland_location_map.svg: *Ireland_location_map.svg: NordNordWestNorthern_Ireland_location_map.svg: NordNordWestNorthern_Ireland_-
_Counties.png: Maximilian Dörrbecker (Chumwa)derivative work: Rannpháirtí anaithnid (talk)derivative work: Mabuska (talk) - Island_of_Ireland_location_map.svg, CC
BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10943668
Trinity College Dublin (2016). Book-Kells-display.jpg [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.tcd.ie/commercial/book-of-kells/
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https://palatablepastime.com/2017/03/10/ulster-fry/
TASTE OF HOME (2017). FM143298D03_06_6bC-e1517430330874.jpg [digital image]. Retrieved from
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/traditional-irish-food/
eazycityblog.com (2014). Fish-and-Chips1-1024x731.jpg [digital image]. Retrieved from
https://www.eazycityblog.com/irish-chippers/
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Silicon Docks: The Rise of Dublin as a Global Tech Hub (2015). 91mNRXlrhHL.jpg [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Silicon-Docks-Rise-Dublin-
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Editor's Notes
Hello, or as they say in our destination land, Dia dhuit! (JEE-uh Gwitch). This is Robert Santiago for Opaline Travel and I’d like to tell you about a place you just have to see to believe, County Kerry Ireland!
The County of Kerry occupies the Southwest corner of the Irish Republic, which comprises 26 of the 32 districts, or Counties, on the island of Ireland, part of the British Isles of Northwest Europe.
The most affordable travel plans will have you coming to Ireland through its bustling, vibrant capital city.
Dublin could be a whole trip in itself, but at the bare minimum no time in the city would be complete without taking a stroll through the Grafton Street Market to admire the skills of its many street performers, or a pub crawl along the Temple Bar Square, or a visit to the Library of Trinity College for a viewing of Ireland’s finest national treasure, the amazing 1200 year old Book of Kells.
After Dublin, a four-hour trip into the rolling green fields given lushness by the temperate rains for which Ireland is famous will bring you to County Kerry. These rocky but verdant fingers of land populated by quaint seaside towns and well-established pasturelands form the most westward points of the European continent.
In County Kerry, it’s possible to spend days or even weeks traversing the countryside by hiking, cycling or horseback, stopping along way to see epic seaside vistas, serene glades, ancient ruins of bronze age settlements, impressive hill-crowning fortresses and ancient monasteries straight out of medieval fantasy… or even recent science fiction!
As it is in the rest of Europe, history is everywhere in Ireland. With evidence of settlement and habitation stretching back more than 10,000 years, the country has been fought over for nearly as long against foreign invaders intent on achieving dominion, with varying success. Yet while successive conquests of Gaelic, Celtic, Nordic and British colonial societies all left their mark, one finds the abiding constant of a peaceful people who strive to retain a deep and lasting connection to their native land.
Even with dining choices as diverse as any you’d find elsewhere on the continent, it’s possible to subsist entirely on traditional Irish fare. You can start the day with a robust Irish Breakfast featuring the local sausages and Black and White Puddings, but even simple Irish Oatmeal is a satisfying variation on the typical. With many hearty options of the locally sourced variety, especially Lamb and Beef, savory stews and Shepherd’s Pies are particularly noteworthy. Of course, being an island nation, there are also numerous opportunities to experience the ‘fish and chips’ while, of course, washing it down with one of Ireland’s trademark stout or red ales of which every County has its home-brewed favorites. But don’t worry, you’ll probably be walking it all off!
After enacting market-friendly tax and trade policies that reformed its closed, insular economy, the late 90s witnessed an unprecedented economic boom nicknamed the CELTIC TIGER, which transformed Ireland from one of Europe’s poorest nations to one of its most prosperous. Despite the significant global downturn of 2008, Ireland still ranks among the top ten countries in the world in terms of per capita GDP. Nowhere is the recovery more evident than along Dublin’s ‘Silicon Docks’, where a modest utilitarian canal system off the banks of the Liffey is now a practical yachting marina surrounded by gleaming, ultramodern office buildings that house the European headquarters of tech giants like Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, along with countless other startups.
Dublin’s relative good fortunes have spilled over into the rest of the country, and County Kerry is no exception. Tourism thrives alongside the more pastoral occupations that have formed the traditional way of life in Ireland for millennia. Visitors may also notice signs of more progressive times to come, with improving transportation networks, initiatives in reforestation, and sustainable energy projects well underway.
With its friendly, extremely relatable people, mild climate, relaxed way of life, and optimistic embrace of the future even as it respects the great struggles of its past, there are few countries more inviting than the Irish Republic. The County of Kerry offers an unforgettable experience of effortless storybook beauty on an Emerald Isle that’s positively replete with natural splendor. I hope I’ll be able to visit again someday and once you’ve been there, you will too. Take care and as they say over here in Ireland, (Slonn Latt)!