Luck of the Irish!

We were pretty certain that our 10 days in Ireland were going to be the tail of two halves; starting in the calm cottage set on the lovely farm then ending in the slightly louder bustling city of Dublin for New Year’s Eve.

We were warned that Dublin is one of the most expensive European capitals.  (How could things get more expensive than London?! we thought.  But it did!)  We opted for a mix of a couple free museums, a distillery so Adam could watch me make faces at the awful tasting beverages, and a great walking tour of the city.  We also had to celebrate New Year’s Eve and our 9^th anniversary while we were there.

Speaking of anniversaries.  Next time you book a hotel for your anniversary, double check the fine print to make sure you don’t accidentally book twin beds.

We started our day at St Patrick’s Cathedral.  The first church on this sight was built where St. Patrick baptized local pagans.  Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels) was the dean of the Cathedral for 32 years in the 18^th century.  Surprising to us was the realisation that the church is an Anglican Cathedral rather than a Catholic one.  In fact Dublin does not have a Catholic Cathedral at all in the city!

From there, we warmed up our livers by visiting the Old Jameson Distillery.

I don’t like whiskey. Adam does.  I’ve now tried Bourbon, Scotch & Irish whiskeys.  It’s all awful.  But the buildings they’re made in are beautiful.

Mom - Barkley Creek dining room?

Walking through the city, we then happened upon the most Irish Museum ever.

Though very low tech & extremely cheesy, the museum was definitely geared to the 10-year-old or the thirty-somethings who think they’re 10-year-olds.

Before the New Year’s activities kicked off, we were able to contemplate the day with the Archbishop of Dublin.