Séamas O'Reilly: Pondering the practicalities of the 'may the road rise to meet you' poem

"May the road rise to meet you - a charming message, hailing back to the days when Irish peoples’ lives were more in communion with the elements"

Seamas O'Reilly. Picture: Orfhlaith Whelan

On return trips to Ireland, I sometimes find myself a tourist in my own country. 

Everyone does, I suppose, since the first things you encounter in Irish airports are those baubles aimed at new visitors; baby onesies imploring nearby adults to “kiss me, I’m Irish”; non-standard Irish sports jerseys, designed with a lawyer present so as to avoid potential licensing infringements; and the various fridge magnets, tea towels, and wall hangings that blare all those phrases we use every day, like “it’s a great day to be Irish” or that one prayerful poem that begins “may the road rise to meet you”.