The land of the Irish

Ireland is one of the top countries I wanted to visit. Maybe because I am Irish, maybe because I like potatoes, or most likely because I like beer and live music and Irish pubs. 

Definitely because I like beer and live music and Irish pubs.

Getting to Ireland was the most hectic and terrible travel experience of my life. I missed my train by seconds. It was a scene from a movie where I see the train and am running to it and it just slowly starts moving, only feet away from me. After dishing out more money for a more expensive train ticket I made it to the airport. Ryanair is the cheap European airline, which mainly made this trip possible, however there is a 10 kilo bag limit for the plane. They literally have a scale at the gate to check. I made it through wearing five sweaters and my travel books in my pocket. After flying Austria to London I only had an hour between flights. Well, in London they make you go through customs and then go back through security. After the very slow custom line I ran like a crazy person and by a miracle made it to the plan 15 minutes before take-off. As I sat down out of breath and sweating on the plane I realized nothing else mattered, because on this day I would be in Ireland. On that note I smiled and ordered a beer.

My first night at O'neills I ordered a Jameson, a Guinness, and a Shepherd's pie and it was the best thing I have ever tasted. I was sitting next to two older gentleman, my grandparents age or so, who immediately began chatting and for hours they told me the stories of Ireland over many a Guinness. 

They told me it is weird, if not rude, to sit down at a pub and not introduce yourself and talk to the person next to you. This is the number one reason I love Ireland - the people. The Irish are loud, and friendly, and very fun. For example walking to my second hostel I walked up and down the street looking for the entrance and I must of had a stressful look on my face because a stranger came up to see what was wrong and ushered me to the door. 

Dublin is a very lively city with much to see. 

A Jameson and Guinness

Shepherds pie and gravy amazingness

Me first Irish friends at O'Neills

Temple bar is a very large cluster of bars, near the Liffey river

Oliver St. John Gogartys ( bar connected to one of the hostels I stayed in )

The temple bar, bar

Dame lane - less touristy string of pubs

The Irish love their tea

Cake cafe

Many of residential doors are painted with vibrant colors. The folk tale is that men used to come home so drunk from the pubs, that all the doors looked a like and they would accidentally go into the neighbors house... And in bed with the neighbors wife! So to avoid this terrible problem, doors were painted bright colors to make if easier to find at night !

St Patricks church 

Trinity college bell - the college that houses the book of Kells !

Grafton street is the main shopping area of Dublin 

Samuel Beckett bridge

I did the Guinness brewery your, which is pretty cool!

Guinness stew and Guinness at the brewery 

View of Dublin from skybar at Guinness storehouse

I also went to the old Jameson distillery. I did not do the tour, but I enjoyed a fantastic Irish Jameson coffee.

Irish Jameson coffee 

Me and Molly Malone. Apparently it is good luck to touch her left breast. She sold fish by day and sold something else by night (if you know what I mean). She has a famous Irish song about her:

In Dublin's fair city,

Where the girls are so pretty,

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,

As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

"Alive, alive, oh,

Alive, alive, oh,"

Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".

She was a fishmonger,

But sure 'twas no wonder,

For so were her father and mother before,

And they each wheeled their barrows,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

(chorus)

She died of a fever,

And none could relieve her,

And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.

But her ghost wheels her barrow,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

Christ church 

St. Andrews church 

As the Irish say...

Sláinte

(Cheers)