Our first stop today was at the General Post Office (GPO), less than a mile from the hotel. I had wanted to visit hear because of its significance during the Easter Rising of 1916. This was a historic event in Ireland, and lead to the eventual break of the Republic of Ireland from the United Kingdom. Tomorrow, we drive out of the Republic and into Northern Ireland, the U.K. We took a self guided tour of the GPO, and were really blown away by the details of a week of intense and bloody fighting. I recommend a stop at the GPO for any history buffs. We even paused to send ourselves a postcard from this historic place!
After a nice stop back at the hotel for a break, we became true Dublin tourists and headed to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour. It was a nice long walk with several cool things to see along the way. The Guinness factory is truly overwhelming – simply massive. It is, of course, very touristy in what they say is the most visited attraction in Dublin. It was pretty interesting, and I would certainly recommend a stop here, particularly for the amazing view from the top at the Gravity Bar. But, truth be told, we preferred our next stop at Jameson Distillery.
This was far more intimate, with a tour group of close to 15 total. We learned a lot and were educated on the nuances of Irish Whiskey with very small tastings that were perfectly sized. Our tour included a drink at the end, and Stacey loved her “Summer drink” of Orange Jameson and Sprite! I sipped a neat Jameson slowly. If I had to choose, I’m going Back to Jameson.
Last night, Booster recommended a bar called The Cobblestone as a small place with traditional Irish musicians playing tunes. It was close to our Jameson tour, so we popped in. Great recommendation from Booster! It was a drinking pub with a musical problem! We stayed for a few songs and left a CAPS sticker on the wall amongst many others.
Stacey did her research, and made us a reservation at The Church restaurant. It was a delightful experience. A restaurant has taken over the former home of St. Mary’s church, built and opened in 1702. The food and service were perfect, and we just couldn’t get over the setting. Stunning. We were given a pamphlet summarizing the history, and we found that Arthur Guinness and his son were married in St. Mary’s – now The Church restaurant! Our day had come full circle.
Tomorrow we head northwest to Derry where we begin our journey along the coast of Northern Ireland. Can’t wait!
