Ireland may not boast the warmest climate. What it lacks in temperature, it makes up for in fine hospitality, stunning landscapes and mighty craic.
It may be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. And even though the weather is one of its weaker traits, it didn't stop us from having the most unique and memorable childhood summers.
So we rounded up the 16 memories of an Irish childhood summer everyone can relate to.
Sending songs via Bluetooth
Remember sitting on a bench with a friend and spending hours sending songs to each other? And the songs wouldn’t even be great, Basshunter and Crazy-Frog were the popular tunes, not to mention the DJ Sammy songs with the squeaky voices.
Going home once the street lights turned on
You could roam the roads in the evening but once those street lights came on it was a race to get home as quickly as possible before mammy whipped out the wooden spoon.
Mammy having a (yet another) salad ready for dinner on a hot day
When your mammy wasn’t bothered making dinner in mid-July she’d take any cold food from the fridge, throw it on a plate and call it dinner.
This dish usually consists of ham, cold boiled eggs, cucumber, lettuce, cheese and we can’t forget about the coleslaw.
Paddling pools
You’d spend all summer begging for a paddling pool only for it to end up with millions of dead flies in it.
And you’d have great fun splashing around with your siblings until there's an accident or a brawl.
Making friends on holidays – and being devastated to leave them
Looking back on memories of summer holidays, it’s safe to say we can all recall at least one friend we made along the way, if not more.
Making friends and being devastated to leave them is standard practice for summer holidays, in Ireland or abroad.
You’d add them on Bebo and promise to stay in touch, only for them to give their Luv to someone else.
Farmers tan
Another one of the memories of an Irish summer is that everyone has sunburn. We don’t get much sun, and collectively, we’re a pasty bunch.
But when the sun shines burnt backs, farmer tans and red faces are inevitable.
99s – a summer dietary requirement
As a child, a summer in Ireland wouldn’t be complete without ingesting as many 99s as physically possible. Is maith liom a soft-serve ice cream with a Cadbury’s chocolate flake.
The summer staple can be found at any seaside and many of us had the option to run inside as fast as Mo Farah to get some change whenever the ice cream vans roamed housing estates.
Summer smells
Nostalgia is a funny thing. Sparked by landscapes or favours, foods and, often smells, one can conjure memories of Irish summer holidays in just a fleeting moment.
Nothing screams summer more than the waft of freshly cut grass, the smell of sunscreen, fish and chips down by the pier or the silage if you’re a culchie.
The clown car approach
One of the most unforgettable memories of an Irish summer is children being crammed into the back of a car.
Whether you were off to the beach, to the nearby chipper, or to whatever adventure activities you had lined up, it seemed the capacity of a car could triple.
First shift
Summer romance. It’s safe to say that most of us have a memory of a first kiss during the summer months whether it was at a teeny-bop disco or down a field.
We also remember going back to school in September and gushing to our pals about it.
Irish beach days
Ireland isn’t exactly a beach destination. Yet that is not to say it doesn’t have some of the most stunning beaches you’re ever likely to come across.
Most of us can recall the days spent at the beach. We were freezing cold with sand blowing in the wind, trying to enjoy our ham sandwiches in tinfoil (with the crusts cut off).
Then get exhausted jumping over waves and afterwards melt away the goosebumps with a rubdown of a rough, line-dried towel. You’d hear mammy saying: “They’ll sleep tonight!”
And we'll never forget the absolute state of the car once you arrive home with it covered in sand.
Rain, rain and more rain
Ireland is associated with many things: the craic, lively pubs, traditional music, hiking, hospitality, and of course, rain. But that didn’t stop us from going out and playing.
Two stones or jumpers as goals
For every lad out there, a goal post was always a top priority on a Christmas list. But most of the time you had to improvise with two jumpers in a ball to mark the goal spot.
‘Let them get absolutely filthy outside in the soil’
A lot of mums and dads are concerned about dirt and germs these days - but back before iPads it was a guarantee that all children would come back inside head to toe in mud.
Making your own ice-lollies with Miwadi
They are a great alternative to shop bought ones and it was mighty craic choosing the favourite flavours, mixing with water, pouring into moulds and waiting for them to set in the freezer.
Chalk
The hours of craic you’d have with a bit of chalk. Drawing a massive hopscotch grid on the pavement and inventing a convoluted scoring system kept us busy for hours.
