IRELAND: THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME

IRELAND! My favorite trip of all. Surprisingly the easiest trip to plan as well. I never had any want or pull to go to Ireland, but my best friend is Irish, so I thought why not when the opportunity was presented. From the flight there alone, I knew it was going to be my favorite trip. 

We got to the airport and got through security in 10 minutes. We got great seats on the plane, and we arrived in a good manner. Once we flew into Dublin, we got on the bus and headed to our Airbnb. The minute I touched Irish soil, every person was the kindest I had witnessed traveling. So many friendly faces and all were willing to help. 

Dublin was very rainy, but we had already prepared for that. We had asked a couple locals for a good breakfast spot and they were on their way to breakfast at the same time! So, we tagged alone and got invited in because they knew the owner. The breakfast was delicious, and someone in my group even got a Guinness for breakfast (really living in the culture).

Next, we found our way to the heart of Dublin's St. James's Gate Brewery. Guinness Storehouse, to learn more about the drink of the land: Guinness Beer. Once we got there, we checked in and walked through the storehouse. I really enjoyed the tour, which goes in-depth talking about Ireland's most famous export, cheering on a celebration of Irish culture.

For those who don't know, this storehouse was built in 1904 as a fermentation plant for Guinness. It is a landmark recognized in the Dublin skyline. It played such a large role in Dublin's economy and provided so many jobs for thousands of people. The founder, Arthur Guinness, signed a 9,000-year lease on the brewery in Dublin, having faith in the establishment. We ended the experience with complimentary Guinness and even joining in an Irish Stepdance! 

                             

After spending a couple of hours in the Storehouse, the rain stopped and we decided to walk around and look at more landmarks. Some were Trinity College and the Temple Bar! It was so surreal to be in the same library as the late Oscar Wilde. The Temple Bar looked fun but was so crowded by the time we got there, we hadn't even gone inside. I am glad though, because we chose a much more local bar and made tons of friends. And we even got our final meal on the same street where Ed Sheeran used to play. After dinner, we went out, and I made friends with an Irish bartender named Cillian who bought me a pint as a last-night gift! I had a great time and I cannot wait to come back! Thank you for reading and I will see you in my next blog!

Bibliography:

1.https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/whats-hoppening/reasons-why-the-guinness-storehouse-is-the-best-visitor-attraction-in-dublin

2.https://thetemplebarpub.com/temple-bar history/#:~:text=Why%20is%20the%20Temple%20Bar,vast%20whiskey%20and%20beer%20collections.

3. https://thetemplebarpub.com/temple-bar-history/#:~:text=Why%20is%20the%20Temple%20Bar,vast%20whiskey%20and%20beer%20collections.

4. https://thetemplebarpub.com/temple-bar-history/#:~:text=Why%20is%20the%20Temple%20Bar,vast%20whiskey%20and%20beer%20collections.