People sometimes wonder about my deep connection to Ireland. My dear husband often wonders if I couldn’t have fallen in love with a warmer and sunnier place. Spain, perhaps.

There are so many reasons Ireland is woven deeply in my soul. The spirituality of it, of course. The land and sacred landscapes. But also the people and culture. And stories like this one. Although it’s not her story, I am grateful to Irish friend and neighbor Anna for sharing it.

Her flight was delayed and she arrived at Dublin Airport at 12:15AM. However she was headed to Galway and the last bus was scheduled to leave the carpark at 12:30AM. She still had to collect her bag and the prospect of sleeping in the airport for six hours waiting for a morning bus was looming large. Then, along came an airport Garda/policeman.

She explained her dilemma and asked for the exact location of the Galway bus stop, calculating how long it would take her to run the distance in the lashing rain. But the Garda had other ideas. “Shur I have no problem popping out to the car park and getting him to hold on a few minutes if your bag hasn’t come out”, he offered.

Of course her bag was one of the last on the carousel but as she made her way back to the carpark there was the Garda making sure the bus wasn’t going anywhere until she was on it.

They were ten minutes into their Galway journey when the bus driver announced over the speakers that as it was late at night and the weather was bad, if anyone’s mobile phone power had died and they needed to contact someone to pick them up at the Galway station when they arrived at 3:00AM, they were MORE than welcome to use his personal phone to make a call…..and not to be shy about asking!

Indeed. Welcome to Ireland!

Beannacht,
Judith – judith@stonefires.com