On my fifth day in Ireland I went to the beach side town of Howth and I went to The Old Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Radio.
After waking up far earlier than I would have preferred and a surprisingly brief train ride I arrived in Howth. This was one of my favorite days in the trip. I’ve always been partial towards the ocean but I seldom go near it. So to be able to not only go near it but also for the first time in another country was a great experience.
Maybe it was just a subjective perception of a new place, but I still swear the ocean smells different on this side of the Atlantic. I like hearing seagulls caw and watching water scintillate under the blue sky. The whole area just had a palpable calming effect on me.
Additionally, this was a defining moment for me in particular because it was the moment I realized I was in a different country. I know this is a somewhat ludicrous thing to say but for a long time after landing in Ireland I did not feel like I was in different place. Yes, the street signs had Irish on them, Cars drove on the left side of the rode, people spoke with an accent, and I saw a pub on every street, but it wasn’t until I came to Howth that I had the epiphany that I was in a different country.
We through the town’s tourist infested epicenter and walked up the sprawling hill side until we came to a hill overlooking both the town and the sea expanding outward. Words would not do the view justice, so I won’t try to describe it, but I assure you it was beautiful.
After resting for a moment, we went to The Old Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Radio. This was located right on the specific hill we were resting on. It was in an old stone watchtower. The museum was small, with only two small stories of space, but it was packed to the brim with radios and old technology. I liked looking over the menagerie of items located throughout the shelves. There were antique radios, old movie posters, and record players that sat proudly with no dust on them. The most interesting thing I learned there was that during World War II, French resistance fighters would hide small radios in picture frames.
Once we were done there we took a group photo. Then we got lunch at a local fish and chips spot. The food was good.
We had the rest of the day to ourselves in Howth so we decided to buy a ticket for a ferry that was heading to a small island nearby called Ireland’s Eye.
Deciding to go there was one of the best decisions I have ever made. On the way over there I saw the cliffs of the Island at a beautiful sea level angle, seagulls perching on rock faces, puffins drifting lazily in the water, and two seals enjoying the sun on a nearby rocky shore. One we were on the Island we got a magnificent view of Howth and the surrounding landscape.
It was a great day. I learned about radio technology and the history of a type of media that still persists even now in the modern era. I saw a magnificent view that I don’t think I will ever see again, but that’s okay. Some things don’t last, and that’s what makes them great.