Darby O'Earl and the Little People

Well, it's just a few days before the Fando clan makes our way to the lush, green shores of Eire, by way of Delta Airlines. It won't be long before I pack my shillelagh and we're off.

I'm looking forward to much about the trip, but there are still a few things that leave me apprehensive. Some positives and negatives about a trip to the Emerald Isle from the US.

Positive: Guinness as it was intended to be drank: warm and as sour as a month-old lemon. Also, Murphy's, which I'm rather looking forward to.
Negative: I'm not a massive beer drinker, so I'm hoping the locals don't mock me too much when I stop after a pint or two. It's the allergy meds, don't you know.

Negative: Switching lanes in Ireland. Driving on the left will be a switch after years of right-lane driving in the US.
Positive: I'm on the wrong side of the road so much, this breaks about 50/50 for me.

Positive: A massive dose of Irish music and culture. I'm looking forward to sitting in a pub absorbing the good vibrations of the fiddle, guitar, drums, and penny-whistle.
Negative: I have a huge fear of leprechauns derived from Lucky Charms commercials. The music sometimes triggers hallucination-fueled panic attacks. (If you see a tallish, wiry haired bloke in a pub fending off imaginary little people, do me a favour and buy me a pint to calm me down.)

Negative: Jet lag.
Positive: Chalking insomnia up to the fact that it's only 9 PM at home.

Positive: I love Irish (and British) food. I'm looking forward to bangers (sausages), steak and Guinness pie, colcannon, champ, various beef dishes, rashers of bacon, etc. etc...
Negative: Counting how many McDonald's there are on the M7. Also, carrots and parsnips.

Positive: A good, transatlantic flight.
Negative: Any transatlantic flight. Also, we won't get to fly Aer Lingus. I was looking forward to the free Guinness.*

Negative: Irish traffic
Positive: The Littlest Fando won't understand many swear words in heavy Irish accents.

Positive: The friendly, discursive Irish personality.
Negative: Trapped in a corner of a pub with a barfly named Sean who's convinced your his second cousin and have to be caught up on all the family news since 1973.

Positive: Seeing all the Irish castles.
Negative: Kissing the Blarney Stone

* I'm not actually positive they do this, but surely an Irish airline would serve free Guinness. It's like mother's milk, Boyo!**
**Actually, that doesn't sound very appealing at all.