As we arrived in Dublin on Saturday, we met Peter, the driver who took us to our hotel — the Davenport.  Peter was really a great introduction to the city.  As I mentioned before, I am here on my honeymoon with my new wife, Anna.  He really made us both feel right at home.  And he was rather forthcoming with some important information (i.e. great pubs!).

Peter spoke a lot about immigration — mainly focusing on the impact of it as a result of European integration.  He stated in the 1970s and 1980s, you could come to Ireland and everyone that you saw in the street was Irish.  However, nowadays, you get pretty much every race across the board.

He talked about how this has affected their traditions — in the sense that Ireland was beginning to lose most of them.  TV has tended to cut down on the story telling — which, as we found out later during a dinner, is a very important part of the culture and raising of children.  Furthermore, it’s crucial in developing one’s imagination.

If you have had experiences in how the Euro has changed your country and its traditions — please share them.  At the Financial Bin, we would be extremely interested in hearing your story.  Please share it at: Ireland@FinancialBin.com, message us on Twitter, or reply to this post.

Cheers!