Ireland’s gorgeous countrysides and coasts are what draw tourists by the millions, but the history is deep in Dublin.

(Want Berry Tramel in your inbox? Subscribe here.)

DUBLIN, Ireland — Time for a confession. Last summer, my faith in the Thunder was not strong.

Oh, I knew the Thunder would be better. I figured the Thunder would make the playoffs. But one of the best teams in the NBA? The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference? Sorry, I didn’t see it coming.

Which is how on Monday, I came to be in this ancient city on the North Atlantic. For years, Trish the Dish and I have wanted to take an Ireland trip. We even planned it for 2020, until Covid arrived.

But things came together for 2024, and we compared calendars with the Dish’s sister and cousin and their husbands, who are vacationing with us, and came up with the first of May as the best time.

Sorry, Thunder. 

But with Jenni Carlson, our Thunder writing is in great hands. And I’ll be sending daily dispatches from the glorious land of Ireland.

We’ve got a couple of days planned in Dublin, then are headed to Galway on the west coast, then to Cork in the south, before returning to Dublin.

Ireland is a fascinating place, with a wild and unique history. Its gorgeous countrysides and coasts are what draw tourists by the millions, but the history is deep in Dublin, from prehistoric Gaelic Ireland to the Vikings to British rule to Irish independence.

Charles Barkley didn’t think much of Jalen Williams’ postgame outfit Saturday, but it was just the latest indication that the Thunder’s rising star is comfortable in his skin.

More from @JenniCarlson_OK: https://t.co/UxMjzU8z4y

— Sellout Crowd (@selloutcrowd_) April 29, 2024

A quick tutorial. The Republic of Ireland is its own nation, having established its independence from the United Kingdom in 1922, adopting a new constitution in 1937 and officially become a republic in 1949.

Ireland shares a border with only Northern Ireland, which remained a part of the U.K., along with England, Wales and Scotland. That trio is on the island of Great Britain. The island of Ireland consists of about 7 million people; about 5.2 million of those live in the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland’s many historic troubles stem from religion. Catholics have comprised a huge majority of Ireland residents, but that percentage has fallen from 84% in 2006 to about 69% today.

In Northern Ireland, the most recent census showed 45% Catholic, 43% Protestant. The political divide between the two countries has subsided in the 21st century; “The Troubles” was a conflict between unionists, who wished to see Northern Ireland remain part of the U.K., and nationalists, who wished to see the Irish united. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended much of the 30-year conflict.

It’s much safer to tour Northern Ireland these days, but we’re staying in Ireland.

We landed in Dublin around 9:30 a.m. Monday, after an eight-hour direct flight from Dallas. We barely slept on the plane, so we were running on fumes.

But after a taxi ride into downtown and checking into our hotel, we hit the streets of Dublin, with weather cloudy and temperatures in the low 50s. Lunch came at a local joint called Cheeky Piglet, where the hit item was sort of a massive Egg McMuffin — bacon, thick sausage, egg and cheese, on a homemade buttered bun. I assume there will be lots of fish and chips in our future, but Dublin offers tons of options.

Dublin is a cosmopolitan city, with about half the city’s population of 570,000 younger than 25. And it is culturally diverse, befitting a city of universities.

Dublin’s metro population is around 1.26 million, which makes it almost the size of Oklahoma City.

Dublin’s city centre consists of mostly narrow, curving streets, with cars on the left of streets. That’s going to take some getting used to.

Dublin is a vibrant scene, without a modern vibe. Its architecture dates back centuries.

We visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the epic landmark built in 1191, which served as a Roman Catholic church until 1540. But Ireland was under British rule, and St. Patrick’s eventually became an Anglican cathedral, after King Henry the VIII’s break with the Catholic church and the English Reformation.

Today, St. Patrick’s seems more like a popular museum than house of worship, though services still are conducted. St. Patrick’s is not as opulent as some of the Italian churches we visited a decade ago, but it’s a stunning place that mirrors much of the story of Ireland.

We stopped in a couple of shops — I’m a sucker for Ireland-produced items. I found a gorgeous coat and proved I’ve got exquisite taste; the price tag was $1,100 euros, which is about $1,184 U.S. Don’t worry, though I tried it on, I didn’t buy it.

We walked around Trinity College, one of seven ancient universities of Ireland or Great Britain. Trinity and the University of Dublin are interchangeable terms, and basically it’s Ireland’s equivalent to Oxford or Cambridge.

Trinity, sitting in the middle of a bustling city, maintains tranquility with limited and grand campus entrances, leading to a collection of quadrangles, the foremost of which is an ancient setting. Other buildings are more modern (and look like U.S. college campuses), but the ancient quad is stunning for its architecture.

Trinity is home to the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript and Celtic Gospel book in Latin, from about 800 AD. We have tickets to see the Book of Kells on Tuesday.

Trinity educated the likes of Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and Jonathan Swift. Trinity was founded in 1592, and its history shows some of the Irish troubles — from the 1880s until 1970, Catholics barred its own members from attending Trinity, which was seen as requiring Anglican oaths for graduation. Ireland is a complicated place.

By late afternoon, we were dragging, having been awake for about 28 hours with no sleep. We dragged ourselves back to the hotel and turned in early.

The Irish coast and countryside await. But we’re not yet through with Dublin’s charms. And maybe I’ll find a coat I can afford.