I
Donegal, Limerick, Kilkenny and Kerry
Roll off the tongue as do Mayo and Derry.

Magical names for Irish Counties,
Each one filled with a wonderful bounty.

All dressed in green like the Irish fairies.

II
We drove a loop round the Emerald Isle
Country lanes mile after mile.

Cliffs, castles, and surf among the day’s sights
While jigs, reels, and polkas enlivened our nights.

Ending each satisfying day with a smile.

III
Guiness and Bushmills were brandnames we learned,
We sipped the whiskey and our throats did burn.

We tried to develop a craving for stout,
But often ended up pouring it out

For never did our tastebuds turn.

IV
We heard about Irish nationalist thought,
And saw Kilmainham gaol where rebels were shot.

The potato famine led to mass starvation,
And the Irish flight to other nations.

After losing the battles they once fought.

V
Up north we heard firsthand of the Troubles,
Thirty violent years of struggles.

When the planting of homemade bombs,
Disrupted any sense of calm,

Reducing neighborhoods to rubble.

VI
We took pictures of every statue and rock,
For selfies around the clock,

Shared our work through social media,
Posted ratings on Expedia,

And shopped in every tourist spot.

VII
The journey is over, the learning profound,
Seeing our photos still astounds.

Fellow travelers become Facebook friends,
And with ordinary routines we all contend

Including the problem of unwanted pounds.