Guinness, Jameson, and Shamrocks

For the last two days, Stephen and I have been jetting around the last stop of our grand European tour: Dublin, Ireland. The city is the smallest we have visited so far, but it is certainly not short of things to see and do. After crossing back into the Schengen Space of European Union customs and receiving an Ireland stamp on our passports, we took a bus from the airport in the suburbs to the city center. Buses (double-decker) are the main source of public transportation in Dublin, the first city in which we have not used a subway rail system. Our hostel is centrally located, just steps from the gates of Trinity College (the most prestigious university in Ireland).


After settling into our last new accommodations on Monday, we took a bus out to Kilmainham Gaol. This prison, in operation from the 1700s until the mid 1920s, was home to many famous prisoners during British and Irish rule. Most importantly, it was the sight of the execution of 14 men in charge of the 1916 Easter Rising, which lead to the eventual freedom of the Irish State from the British Empire. The grounds are very haunting, and the tour was a great lesson about the prison and recent Irish history.


Next stop was the Guinness Storehouse, located in the city center where Guinness is still brewed after over 250 years. The ticket gets you a walking tour of how Guinness, the most famous Irish stout beer, is produced and the history of the brand. We learned new things about Guinness, including that it takes 119.5 seconds for the beer to be ready to drink from the tap. After 7 floors of exhibits, the tour culminates in the rooftop Gravity Bar. After cashing in on your complementary pint, you can take in the breathtaking views of Dublin and the surrounding counties from the windows. For lunch and dinner, we went to traditional Irish pubs and eat some famous Dublin pub grub. We finished the night out at The Quay Bar for a Guinness and some live music with the locals.


Today, we had another full day of sightseeing in Dublin. For 4 hours, we took a free walking tour of the city center with an Irish guide from Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. We saw all the famous places in the city including Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Leinster House (seat of the Irish Parliament), Christ Church Cathedral, River Leffe, and more. The tour was very thorough and exhausting, but the nice 60 degree some weather and constant gray cloud coverage really helps in Dublin.


After a lunch at the Stag's Head Pub, we went to the Old Jameson Whiskey Distillery. The birthplace and production for over 200 years of Ireland's most famous whiskey, the John Jameson & Son experience was really interesting. On top of learning the history of the brand and the way it is made (over a 5-12 year period for each bottle!), we got to watch some "volunteers" taste test the difference between Jameson, Scotch, and Jack Daniel's. Needless to say, Jameson was the favorite. We also got a complementary mixed drink with Jameson Whiskey (I had it with ginger ale mmm).


Tonight is our last night in Dublin, so we will make the most of it with our dinner and pub hopping. Tomorrow its off to Western Ireland and Galway for the day, where we can see the Emerald Island and the Cliffs of Moher! Slainte!