I spent the weekend after I got back from the continent in Dublin, doing some kinda touristy things. I went with some friends to Kilmainham Gaol, which is a former prison where many Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, were imprisoned and executed by the British (side note- after living in Ireland for over 3 months and working with Irish people for 7 weeks, I have observed that the Irish tend to have very low opinions of the English, and after learning more about their history, I can see their point of view).
The inside of Kilmainham Gaol
We also went to the Guinness Storehouse and went on the tour. It was cool to see how the beer is made, and I enjoyed looking at the Guinness ads. We also got a pint of Guinness at the end of the tour. Unfortunately for me, I really don't like Guinness. I've tried a few times, and I really wanted to like it because you can't really think of Ireland and not think of Guinness (or, at least, not think of beer), but I just can't seem to like it. I much prefer lighter beers and lagers. We then ate at what is said to be the oldest pub in Ireland, the Brazen Head.
One of the Guinness ads
The following weekend I went on another day tour (like the one to the Cliffs of Moher), but this went to the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, and Cork City. It was raining a lot that day, especially in the morning, but it was so worth getting up at 5 am to see another part of the country. The Rock of Cashel is in Co. Tipperary, and has a round tower, a chapel (Cormac's Chapel), and a cathedral.
Me at the Rock of Cashel
Blarney Castle is located in Blarney, in Co. Cork, and is where is famous Blarney Stone resides.
The castle itself is medieval, with the Blarney Stone built right into it. Legend has it that kissing the stone gives you the "gift of the gab," or eloquent speaking. Around the castle there are a few gardens, including a poison garden, where weed and opium are grown. It was really great to go to Blarney Castle, not only because I feel it is an important thing to do when visiting Ireland, but also because it was one of the places my parents and grandmother went to when they visited Ireland 25 years ago. It was really nice to be somewhere they had been, even if our visits were a quarter century apart.
Blarney Castle
Kissing the Blarney Stone!
After that, we then traveled to Cork City, the second most populous city in the Republic of Ireland. Like many Irish cities, it is built on a river, the River Lee. Cork is referred to as the "Rebel City," for their political views in the English War of the Roses, and as the "real capital" of Ireland because of its anti-treaty forces during the Irish Civil War.
Cork City
We went to a pub for lunch, and I had fish and chips (which I've now had quite a few times), and then explored the city for a little while. We went to the English Market, where there are a lot of food vendors and boutiques. It was then time to get on the bus and head back to Dublin.
It was really nice to be in Ireland again, do some touristy things in Dublin, and see some of the south of Ireland.
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