In 2017, the Irish people elected Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach, making him Ireland’s first, and only the world’s fifth, openly gay head of government.

I had also heard from friends, relatives, and colleagues that even in small-town Ireland, there is a sense of “live and let live” with many people simply minding their own business.

I wasn’t at all concerned about traveling while being gay. I also was traveling alone, because my husband had to work, but I am one of those who uses the word “husband” often.

As one who loves to eat, I was a little concerned about vegan options there. Mike, my husband, had been there last year and raved about the vegan fare, but I was going to less-populated areas.

I also had concerns about being someone who was planning to be in many pubs, but not drinking alcohol. How would a bartender in a pub react to me asking for a club soda?

I soon found myself surrounded by pints of Guinness. I’m sober and have been for some time, and I’m not uncomfortable around alcohol, but I am uncomfortable around people who are intoxicated.

Pub after pub, trad session after trad session, I saw plenty of pints, many friends gathering for some social time, and no intoxication. At least none that I could tell, which means none to me.

I loved this.

I also loved that in pub after pub, I was warmly greeted when I asked for non-alcoholic options. Some places had a ton of non-alcoholic beer (which I don’t drink, I mean what’s the point?), and others had sodas. Some even offered coffee!

My favorite pubs include Tig Cóilí in Galway. Every evening at 6:00 pm and again at 9:30 pm, locals gather to play trad music. I went a couple of times and really enjoyed myself. I met wonderful people and was grateful for the kindness of the bartenders. If you’re looking to have a pint or two, or a soda, while listening to incredible trad music, I highly recommend spending some time at Tig Cóilí.

Here is where I asked the bartender if they had coffee drinks. After he said yes I asked if I could order a coffee drink without the alcohol. He responded, “You mean a coffee?”, and I said yes. We both chuckled and he made me an Americano. When I went to pay he said, “No charge. You’re Irish.” So sweet.

It was in pubs in Galway, as I met many kind people, that I realized I was indeed safe as a gay man traveling around. Every time I mentioned my husband, I was greeted with kindness and curiosity regarding him, where he was, what he did, etc.

And unlike here in the U.S., every time I called Mike my husband, any question about him afterward referred to him as my husband (not partner or some other term).

Galway has a variety of places for vegan food. There’s even an all-vegan spot called Greens. I didn’t make it there but did have a lovely breakfast plate at Esquires Coffee. They were kind enough to let me stay longer as I waited for my bus north, and I added a berry smoothie which hit the spot. I also found a wonderful Mexican place called Salsa that offers several vegan options. I had the vegetarian bowl with black beans and rice, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, red peppers, and guacamole. It was delicious.

The next stop was Westport, County Mayo. The bus ride was through beautiful countryside, and I took the bus to Castlebar where I picked up my rental car and then drove to Westport.

I saw plenty of unity Pride flags. Westport is beautiful and with the flags even more so.

Dinner time came and I once again found myself outside of a restaurant with vegan options, that was closed. Both Happy Cow and Yelp said they were open, and I’m unsure whether they are permanently closed or just for that evening.

If you are vegan and travel, you know what I mean when I say that this is irritating. I wonder if owners had direct access to their listings regarding hours and closures if this would be different. That would be incredibly helpful. I ended up at a wonderful Chinese restaurant called Yum Yum Asian Street Food. My dinner was delicious and I enjoyed speaking with one of the owners and told her about Happy Cow. They offer a separate menu, which is always nice.

My favorite pub during my trip became Matt Molloy’s. It’s in downtown Westport and has trad music every night.

And every evening I was there I met wonderful people. The bartenders were super-kind, and I met people from all over Ireland. Again, everyone I spoke with was kind after learning I was gay.

Even in the smallest geographical areas, I found kindness, no one even blinked about the word husband and vegan options.

My favorite place during this trip was Achill Island. As soon as I crossed the small bridge onto the island, I stopped at a small diner for breakfast. Another full Irish vegan breakfast! Lunch at the Beehive in Keel Bay, the largest town on the island, was delicious, and it included a gorgeous view of the bay.

Before I knew it, I was in Dublin.

By this time I had no concerns about traveling as a gay, vegan, sober guy. I spent most of my time in Dublin doing history tours and just walking around.

My first stop was the city’s only all-vegan restaurant, The Saucy Cow. Fast food, and I enjoyed my spicy chikn sandwich, which had mushrooms as the chikn.

I had always wanted to go see Panti Bliss, Ireland’s premier drag goddess or go to one of her bars, but I decided to save that for my return trip with Mike.

In Dublin, I was ecstatic to go to the house where Oscar Wilde grew up. Unfortunately, it was closed, but I did get to see his statue across the street.

How one spends their time in Dublin will depend on their interests. Mine were history and walking around. Dublin is a city that offers everything you expect from a city, like acceptance and openness. It’s very gay-friendly.

And as I found throughout Ireland, there were vegan options aplenty. My favorite place in Dublin for vegan food and delicious coffee is this sweet coffee house by the Guinness Storehouse called Groundstate. Their blueberry croissants were my favorite!

My week in Dublin was wonderful, filled with history, a lot of walking, meeting more wonderful people, and feeling safe.

Whether you are a member of the LGBTQ+ communities, vegan, sober, or all of these, Ireland is a wonderful place for you.

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