We asked our readers and Facebook followers what they would like to find at the end of this stunning rainbow in Slieve League, County Donegal.
Hundreds of you took the time to tell us your hopes and dreams. We got lots of great ideas from you – some funny, some sad, some moving and some surprisingly practical. Here are some of the more popular themes that cropped up time and time again.
Love, peace and happiness
The majority of you posted that all you wished for was love, peace and happiness, both in your own lives and around the world. The post from Rita DeGenova really summed up the overall feeling: “I would be at peace, everyone loves each other, no hatred, no crime, no killing, just peace and harmony at last.”
Alcohol
There is nothing more enjoyable than an evening in a traditional Irish pub, a real must for visitors to Ireland. And that’s exactly what many of you hope to find at the end of your Irish rainbow. Guest houses, pubs and “a lifetime supply of Jameson whiskey” were some of the posts we received.
To be with loved ones again
Most of us have lost a person close to us in our lives. The pain and sadness never really goes away, but is balanced by the hope that we will see them again one day. There were lots of posts about loved ones that have passed away, and the hope that one day families can be re-united. Thanks to Maureen Cervantes for her post that really captured everyone’s emotions: “To see all my friends and family that left this world too soon…if only for an hour.”
To live in Ireland
Many of you would be happy to find anywhere in Ireland at the end of the rainbow. Some of you wanted a place to stay, and many more wanted a place to call your own. Sue Lensmire hopes at the end of her rainbow she will find “a little cottage in need of modernization”. Tom Mulhern and his friends actually chased down a rainbow in Ireland to see where it would lead. He posted: “We found Kylemore Abbey at the end of one we chased.”
Another trip to Ireland
Anyone who has been to Ireland will have fallen in love with the country for one reason or another. Being in the land of our ancestors brings out a special emotion within us. Couple that with the welcoming locals and stunning landscapes, it’s no wonder visitors always feel their trip has ended too soon. Margaret Flannigan posted: “We spent a month, travelled a lot and barely touched seeing things. The end of my rainbow would be to have another even longer trip. We have never enjoyed a place so much.”
Ireland itself
The beauty of Ireland has not gone unnoticed by our Facebook followers. Many of you wanted to find nothing more than Ireland itself at the end of your rainbow. Some of the places that were mentioned by name were the Dingle Peninsula, the Wild Atlantic Way and the Glens of Antrim. Any of those would do just fine for Cathy O’Sullivan who posted what she hoped to find: “The deeds to a house in Ireland… anywhere!”
Money
No matter how much money you have, whether it be a little or a lot, most people find they could just do with a little more. It’s not greed, but until we all live in mansions, then we can always use a bit more cash to treat ourselves and the ones we love. “A pot of gold!” was requested by many of you, with the plan to use it all sorts of things from “home repairs” to “a plane ticket to Ireland”. Michael P Cookson hopes to find: “A really expensive Gibson Guitar! In hunter green with sparkles!”
Your own Irish boy or girl
The Irish accent is widely regarded as one of the sexiest in the world. The country also produces heart-throbs like Colin Farrell and beauties like Saoirse Ronan. Some of our readers want to find their own special Irish boy or girl, and who can blame them? Keith Montigny hopes to find “a silly little Irish girl/woman” while Rhiannon Buley is looking for a “handsome Irish lad from Donegal who is a musician, surfs and loves his parents”.
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