How are you doing?
As some of you may already realise we don’t ‘blog’ a lot, but we said that in the beginning, most of our posts are on the facebook page, and we’d keep the blog for ‘tours’ out and about and for highlighting different things, using the blog to take a closer look.
So, today’s blog covers a lot, mingles and mashes what we’ve been doing and ties it in with where we’re going, and where we’re going is a response to what you’ve been asking for.
The Irish Way is becoming a business, but it might be hard to catagorise us.
We’ve discovered from your comments that a lot of you want to visit Ireland but don’t want the typical tourist routes, and we’ve asked where do you want to go and what do you want to see, to which you respond “I want to explore” ~ so we listened and over the past while Joe has been taking people out exploring, which works very well, as most of you know Joe is the photographer, and most of you travelling have an interest in photography as well as history, which is where I come in, so between the two of us we’ve been meeting you for different ‘explorations’ and your feedback has been so generous and gracious, and kind and encouraging that we’ve decided to ‘go for it’ … which brings me to the other ‘issue’ … Ireland is changing, a lot of you who use social media will see a lot of new groups and social media sites being set up in protest to ‘Green Energy’ structures that are planned for Ireland. It’s an issue that I have taken a huge interest in, but I’m only a novice compared with the likes of Pat Swords and others who have petitioned and argued all the way to Europe. There is outrage against our Government and Parish’s are dividing, people struggling to make ends meet can be overwhelmed at the thoughts of earning money to pay for their children’s education or indeed to supplement a pension … social change is happening and an awareness is growing.
It is a changing time in Ireland’s history, a time when ‘fear’ is rearing it’s ugly head and people are at a loss as to what to do … and along come Joe and Fiona and decide that now would be a great time to set up some sort of business!
Sounds ludicrous?
We know … we’ve spent hours and hours talking about it and being afraid that we’ll make a fool of ourselves or that some people won’t be happy with what we’re trying to do or that we’ll fall flat on our backsides but sure, we’re going to have a go and see what happens.
Like millions of other Irish people, we love our country but there’s more to it than that. Having a grá for a bit of land, that we don’t own, is something that has to be experienced to be understood, a lot of city people don’t seem to ‘get it’ as they make decisions to carve corridors to bring us energy that we don’t need. There’s more to that field than you realise, there’s a wildlife habitat that keep it alive and fertile, there’s a history that respects the people who’ve worked it, there’s a knowledge entrenched in it’s soil that will continue to teach for thousands of years. So our love is born from knowledge and an inherited respect. It’s in our bones and the visual delights of the changing seasons is what feeds the creative creature in us all. It nurtures us and provides quiet places of rescue when life can get too hectic. This land can change you, it can relax you, it can open up a more gentle pace of life and offer you a freedom that you may never have known.
There is a reason that Ireland is consistently up there in the top 10 of places to visit, and when you see it you’ll know why.
So, that’s where we are in our journey. Maybe you’d like to come exploring with us when you’re in Ireland?
We’ll do our best to keep the costs down and to supplement the ‘explorations’ we will start selling ‘stuff’ on line … all sorts of stuff, but they’ll have to be genuinely Irish stuff, and stuff of interest, stuff I’d like myself. Good quality, enduring, precious crafts that can be kept in the family for years. We will be sourcing hand carvers, pottery makers, jewelers. Crafts people from all over Ireland, but mostly from the south east. So if you have something that meets this criteria then please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and see your crafts.
Joe’s photography will be used for calendars and his prints will be kept to affordable prices. T-shirts can be fun, but we want good quality T-shirts that last for wash after wash after wash, and we wanted our own unique trade marked logo on it, it’ll be like everything Irish , it’ll be a slow change … which brings me to the final part of the mingled mash of a blog today …
Our New Logo … very much like the present one, but this one is ours .. for everyone who loves ‘The Irish Way’ of doing things this is our logo – our trade mark, our identity badge.
We worked closely with Neil Dring of Knotty Inks, I’ll add his facebook link here, (https://www.facebook.com/Knotty.Inks.Tattoo.Designs?fref=ts) I think the man is gifted and what he’s done for our logo is just wonderful as it incorporates all what we strive for, Love, Honour, Protect and Loyalty … it is The Irish Way.

Maybe we’ll see you soon?
All the best for now – and as always we appreciate all your feedback and thank you, so much, for it.
Joe and Fiona