She is Susannah and him, Nick
After 20 great years, on a whim/trick
They flew across the pond
To the land of hurlers fond
And began a new journey in Limerick

Technically, it’s been 20.7 years, but COVID… Anyway, we couldn’t let our anniversary milestone pass by without a celebration. Susannah’s conference provided a location and date, so here we are in Ireland gearing up for a little adventure!

We suppose we should explain the title. Apparently, “yurt” is a Limerick phrase that roughly translates to “right on”. (Credit to the friendly bartender at the Treaty City Brewery for the translation.) And it feels an apt term for this vacation.

We found Limerick in a state of sporting frenzy. As we learned from our airport taxi driver, the local hurling team (yes, you read that correctly) is taking on rival Kilkenny team as part of the All Ireland Hurling Final. What is hurling? We don’t know either, but we’ll let you know as soon as we figure it out! The locals seem so fervent, we’re a bit embarrassed to ask.

Sporting aside, Limerick is a bit sleepy on Sunday morning (read: nothing seems to open before noon) but that gave us an opportunity to wander the streets and riverside to gain our bearings and absorb a dose of anti-jetlag sunshine. The city abounds with planters overflowing with colorful and varied blooms – somebody clearly cares a lot about flowers and it shows!

We had planned to eat lunch at the Milk Market (which today functions as a collection of food and craft stalls on weekends). It turned out neither of us was hungry but we were treated instead to an outdoor concert from a woman singing French songs, such as La Vie en Rose. (Fun trivia: for historical reasons, the Irish-French connection is strong in Limerick and the city celebrates Bastille Day with a two-day festival on the most convenient weekend thereto.)

We spent a lazy afternoon exploring the streets of Limerick, ending with a several-hour and surprisingly rich visit to King John’s castle, the historical seat of English power in the city. The exhibits featured opportunities to “meet” historical figures via life size video of character actors in period costume. And of course, we got to explore the fortifications themselves, from the sappers’ tunnels to the highest parapet.

In the evening we split ways: Nick to the locally legendary Chicken Hut for takeaway, and Susannah to the opening dinner and award ceremony for the conference (award included!)

Update on hurling… The city erupted in celebration in the late afternoon with locals taking to the streets in force sporting the vibrant green of the Limerick champions (3rd year in a row). Turns out, hurling is a pretty exciting sport to watch. We caught the first half hour of the match on TV, and concluded that it’s a zany combo of lacrosse, football, baseball, tennis, and soccer. As the TV announcer said, “there is no game like it in the world!” You just have to catch a game sometime for yourself. 🙂