Ireland Taught Me To Love Myself

Ireland was the perfect teacher. She taught me how to love myself – to be proud of myself. I began my adventure there as a recent college graduate along with my best friend, Marygray, in the summer of 1972. We started out green in a lush green land – so eager to please, yet so naive. Our British employer at Ballyseede Castle in Tralee, Mrs. Dredge, was not impressed. Not with our American short skirts, our friendly American attitudes, nor our self-preserving laughter when times got tough. She grew tired of our determination to stay, called us “not suitable,” and fired us after only three weeks. It took the rest of the summer for us to become “expedient” as silver service waitresses (a simple bow will do, a big smile won’t), but we persevered and found better jobs at the Aghadoe Hotel in Killarney. It was under the professional tuteledge of Dennis, the German maitre’d there, that we came into our own as valued employees and gained the courage to follow our dreams. By the time our Visas expired (sadly), we’d become Ireland-savvy, self-confident, and proud. I finally loved myself for who I was, thanks to Mother Ireland and all she taught me.