Ireland: Part One

Garth Brooks once told me that "Mother Earth is breathing with every wave that finds the shore" and after having spent 8 days touring the emerald isle, I believe him. Pictures cannot do this country justice. It is one of the most beautiful and hospitable places I have ever visited. While the main purpose of our visit was to watch the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen battle the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (GO Wargoats), our clan managed to take advantage of most of what Ireland had to offer. Our route took us from Dublin over to the Southwest portion of the island. Missing Galway, Cork, Kilkenny etc just gives us reason to go back. I think it is fair to say that we missed family members BML, LDL, P, l, and RBDIII too much to do it without them.

Day One - Arrival and Sightseeing
We arrived in Dublin at 8:30am local time after having slept (sort of) on the flight over. The flight was non descript - too little leg-room, over salted airplane dinner, hard to regulate temperatures - just about normal. But when you're traveling to Ireland for the first time ever there is very little to complain about. We took taxis over to The Clarence House in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. Two interesting facts that came from the driver were (1) the hotel is owned by U2 members Bono and The Edge, and (2) he (driver) can only drink 8, 9, or 10 pints of Guinness a night before it gets too filling and he has to switch to something else. In short, we were surrounded by rock stars. CMD and RBDII left immediately to go hit the links. LTD and I jumped on the City Sightseeing Tour Bus and made our way across Dublin.

First Stop: Christ Church Cathedral

LTD and I definitely used the "hop-on, hop-off" function of the bus ride - sometimes embarrassingly so since the Cathedral was just a few blocks from where we picked up the bus. We were a bit disappointed in the lack of narration but it could have been that we just didn't hear. Every seat was taken. Later we learned that over 30,000 Americans had arrived in Dublin over the last few days to watch the football game. Anyway, I've included pictures of the Cathedral because I am always amazed at the complexities of building these structures without any of the modern tools engineers use today. I know. Nerd Alert. Just go read Pillars of the Earth and you'll be impressed too.


Stop Two: Guinness Storehouse

Poetry in a pint of Guinness

Since we felt ridiculous for jumping on the tour bus to go about 3 blocks, we decided to walk to the Guinness Storehouse (get some exercise in search of beer). It was a little further than anticipated and the crosswalks/sidewalks were interesting to navigate. Still, LTD and I learned our way fast enough and made it to Guinness just before the big crowd. It was still incredibly crowded but at least we didn't have to wait in line around the building.

LTD uses all 5 senses to taste

This was a super interesting adventure -- the storehouse is shaped like a giant pint of Guinness! With 5 floors offering a very different look at the Guinness brand (advertising history, how to brew, how to pour, how to taste, a cafeteria, and a rooftop bar) we could have spent all day here.

Stop Three: Just Keep Riding
Okay, we never exited the bus after getting on at Guinness in a rain shower. We were exhausted and lines were circling buildings (remember the 30,000 Americans? There were also 1 million internationals hanging around Dublin for the Tall Ships and Irish Football Championship events). So we missed seeing the inside of Trinity College and the Book of Kells. We figure it gives us a reason to at least fly into Dublin for a night on a return trip. Still, even on the bus, we heard great commentary on Phoenix Park, Grafton Street, St. Stephens Green, and the Kilmainham Gaol (jail).

LTD with her two Charles'

That night we met back up with the men of our group for dinner at Unicorn. Unbelievable. we arrived to see Liam & Simon, incredibly interesting and smart representatives for Jameson, waiting, having already ensured that each place setting had 4 glasses of the Irish Whiskey. A tasting! We were so impressed with the whole thing. Although we were completely exhausted, some of us (the "kids") took our hosts up on their offer to show us Dublin nightlife. This included an upscale bar called the Residence and a trendy nightclub called 37. 37 was strange. We were there for a nanosecond. Breakfast of Fish and Chips at the hotel bar at 3:30am. CMD and I are off to a raging start.

Day Two: Navy vs. Notre Dame Football Game

March On

Just an FYI to readers in case you are like me and thought the old "hair of the dog" trick was ridiculous and that they best way to get over a wild night out was to practically drown yourself in water. It works. At least, a Guinness works. This stout might be magic. Our dear friends had mentioned to us that their contacts at Jameson had a hand in getting tickets. We assumed we'd be just like every other event attendee. Nope. John handed us each a flask that was already full of Whiskey and a package that included our game ticket and access to the VIP Quarterback Suite. Whaaaaat? It was incredible - seats on the 50 yard line. Access to lunch, snacks, drinks - pretty much whatever we wanted. Navy always represents themselves incredibly well and the games march on did not disappoint. Notre Dame fans were respectful for about 5 seconds. That's 5 seconds longer than I expected. The score was disappointing, but the experience was a once in a lifetime. We especially enjoyed teaching our new Irish friends the rules of the game. I think they were a little bored -- too many pauses in action. In Irish football, people never stop moving. There is always action, even away from the ball.

This wraps up days one and two. Next post will move on to travel day to Lahinch & the Cliffs of Moher! Stay Tuned. . .