The Dublin Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is located off of Dame Street and until 1922 was the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland and now stands as a major Irish government complex. The history is remarkable and is topped off when a local Irish girl serves as the tour guide. Today the Castle is a tourist attraction but is still used for state functions. It has been the venue of many meetings of the European Council and is still used today for Ireland's inauguration of their President. Their current President, Mary McAleese, is Ireland's second female president (yes, second) and the 8th President of Ireland. Although many of us would consider the shamrock the emblem of Ireland, the national emblem is the harp. The Coat of Arms of Ireland is described as the gold harp with silver string on a St. Patrick blue background. The shamrock is "three-leafed old white clover" worn during St. Patrick's Day. If the harp and shamrock are not enough, the Irish are proud of the leprechaun, Celtic high crosses and the Claddagh ring. The Claddagh ring is a token of love and it is a traditional Irish ring for wedding ceremonies.
After our lesson on Irish history, it was time for lunch and but what else a pint at the famous Guinness Brewery. A few tips regarding the Brewery:
- purchase your tickets in advance online in order to skip the long lines that will await you
- Expect to spend a minimum of four hours at the Brewery
Even if you're not a fan of Guinness, the brewery is a must see for anyone visiting Dublin. With seven massive floors of history, pouring your own pint and enjoying the amazing views of Dublin in the Gravity Bar it's worth the £15. Located in the heart of St. James's Gate Brewery, Guinness Storehouse is the Home of Guinness, where you'll learn what goes into making each and every pint.
The building was designed in a shape of a giant pint of Guinness. As you make your way through the Storehouse you'll walk through the brewing, cooperage and transport of Guinness, the extensive advertising campaigns, have the opportunity to pour your own pint and as you reach the head of the pint take in the spectacular views of Dublin in the famous Gravity Bar.
A few fun facts about Guinness:
- 3 million pints are made each day
- It takes 119.5 seconds to pour a perfect Guinness pint
- Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on the brewery at St. James's Gate. It cost him an initial £100 with an annual rent of £45 - this crucially includes water rights. The brewery covers four acres.
- First Guinness Book of Records was published in 1955
- By 2001, almost 2 billion pints of Guinness a year were sold around the world and over 1 million pints were sold in Great Britain alone.
After an enjoyable afternoon at the Guinness Storehouse we hopped on the bus one last time to drop us off closer to our hotel. The evening included a stop at Ryan's on Lower Camden St. Although somewhat off the beaten path it is a traditional Dublin pub that lies on the corner of the fashionable Camden Street area. The atmosphere is laidback, relaxed and filled with locals. For dinner we decided to give Milano's Pizza a try. Although a number of Milano's are now scattered throughout the city, the Milano Temple Bar is situated in the main hub of the Temple Bar area. Set on two levels, the restaurant has a lively and friendly atmosphere in small quarters. It is an ideal place to start the evening out in the Temple Bar district. The pizza served is traditional romano style pizza.
To end the evening we wandered the streets of Dublin only to come across The Old Storehouse, a lively Irish restaurant and bar. The bar was packed shoulder to shoulder with people laughing, dancing and singing along to acoustic guitar player. It was one of our favorite bars as the atmosphere was full of laughter, overflowing pints and great live music.
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