I will never forget the day that I first met Mary Bulfin of Wild Food Mary, miles away from her homeplace where she offers wild food foraging and cook-up experiences. She explained that she lived in a tiny townland at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in a place called Clooneencapullagh, meaning little horsey meadow. Then, she showed me a picture taken from her kitchen window and said, “I cannot believe that I am so lucky that I get to wake up to this place every day.” In an instant, I felt my body levitate from the chair wanting to go there.
That is the power of authenticity. When a person says something or does something that truly matters to them with integrity and kindness, it stirs an emotional response.
Through our work, we are also lucky because we get to meet incredible people in all corners of Ireland. Over and again, we see these repeated hallmarks of authenticity, kindness and integrity. Real people offering experiences/services they are passionate about, rooted within the context of their destination. All kinds of people from rock and rollers to custodians of the land and with all kinds of styles from those who deliver laugh out loud moments to those who will have you thinking for days.
The European markets have been championing Ireland’s authenticity for decades now. “Don’t give me Disneyland,” you will hear them say. And so they seek out the most interesting people in the most off the beaten track locations, overjoyed when they find someone who is unique and deeply connected with their surroundings.
I once watched a French visitor from Taitinnger champagne get into a deep-sea fishing boat in County Kerry wearing gold earrings and a fur coat. Before her departure at Cork Airport, she described her time with this fisherman as being dreamlike, a moment that she would never forget.
That morning, her husband had been touched to find that a button that had unravelled from his jacket at dinner the evening before had been returned (resewn) to his wardrobe at the Park Hotel Kenmare.
“You don’t need Disneyland in Ireland,” the Taitinnger lady said, “you have a special magic here. Nothing manufactured can ever top island people, offering island experiences.”
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We would love to hear about your experiences… What is the most authentic experience you have ever had in Ireland?
The team at Runda Hospitality & Tourism Solutions are the market leaders in experience development in Ireland and work with all types of customers from government bodies to public sector agencies and private customers.
