Dún na nGall Abú!

What are the main components of a tourist trip?

Well, it depends on the traveller.

Some people set out to explore man-made wonders — ancient temples, towering cathedrals, iconic cities. Humanity has created truly breathtaking things. Unfortunately, most of these places were never designed to handle millions of visitors, and today they are often overcrowded and overwhelmed.

Others prefer the call of the wild.

Although much of the natural world has been tamed — paved, fenced, or "Instagrammed" — the planet is still vast. And if you're willing to go off the beaten path, you can still find solitude in nature, silence, and untouched beauty.

And then… there are the stories.

Because in the end, travelling isn't just about places — it's about people, moments, and the unexpected. Meeting someone new. Discovering something you didn't plan. Losing the map and finding something better.

This story happened during our last trip to Ireland. Dún na nGall Abú!

Ireland: Landscapes That Speak for Themselves

Imagine green fields stitched together by dry-stone walls. Towering cliffs, crashing waves, and mountains that rise from the mist like something out of a fantasy novel.

Ireland’s landscapes are wild, poetic, and completely alive — even when it's raining sideways (which it often is). A "shower", as they call it.

And their magnificent roads… Driving in Ireland feels like being in a video game — twisty hills, blind corners, sudden drops, and driveways that appear out of nowhere. All marked 80 or even 100. I guess they just believe in natural selection.

So, after enjoying the wild and the roads, the story started.

Our host in Articlave warned us about the nightmare traffic around Derry due to a big football match (still now I don't understand why, because the match would be played in Dublin). At first, it didn't seem like a big deal — just a bit of local excitement.

But as we drove, we started noticing flags everywhere: hanging from cars, draped over windows, painted on walls… even the cows' horns seemed to be in team colours.

The closer we got to the capital, the more intense it became. Banners, roadside signs, messages of support, even giant posters of players with slogans wishing them good luck. The whole region was buzzing with energy and hope. Who couldn't become a fan in such a joyful, electric atmosphere?

But something didn't quite add up…

How could this football team spark this much passion, and I had never even heard of them?

A quick Google search cleared up the mystery:

Dún na nGall (the Irish name for Donegal) was in the All-Ireland final — but not for the football everybody thinks of. Their team plays Gaelic football, a sport that feels like a random mix of rugby and soccer.

Gaelic Football

What a discovery!

Just when I thought the 21st-century world had no surprises left, Ireland introduced me to a sport I had never heard of — one that's been around for over 140 years.

Gaelic football is played by 15 players on a pitch roughly 140m x 85m, and the goals are a curious hybrid between football and rugby posts — imagine a standard goal with vertical-long horns.

(Honestly, they look like something out of Quidditch.)

Players move the ball using a mix of skills:

carrying, bouncing, hand-passing, kicking, and something called soloing — which involves dropping the ball to your foot and kicking it back into your own hands while on the run. It sounds complicated. It is complicated. But it's thrilling to watch.

There are two ways to score:

Over the crossbar = 1 point (or 2 if you kick from 40m away)

Into the net (like in soccer) = 3 points

And it's completely amateur. No player — not even at the highest level — is allowed to earn money from it. It’s one of the last strictly amateur sports left in the world. And that, in this commercialised era, is kind of beautiful.

So...

Of course, two days later we ended up watching the final in a local pub, cheering for Dún na nGall with a crowd of slightly drunk (and increasingly anxious) locals.

These dudes looked like T-shirts that had seen too many spins in the washing machine. "People who spend their lives in bars tend to turn rather bitter," Raquel observed — a brutally honest and painfully accurate comment.

Sadly, Kerry — already 40-time champions — came out strong, scoring a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes and, as expected, secured yet another victory. But despite the loss, the Donegal fans kept their spirits (and pints) high.

And us? We'll always carry a little piece of Dún na nGall in our hearts.

All in all: Dún na nGall Abú!