Can I go back already? I absolutely loved Ireland. Two days of great people, food, pubs, and scenery is not sufficient. We spent Saturday walking around Dublin; we saw a few pretty churches, lots of little pubs in the bustling Temple Bar area, and went to the Guinness Storehouse.

Beef & Guinness Stew for lunch- SO hearty and traditional.

Many churches throughout the city

The Storehouse was awesome and huge- seven floors! The ground floor introduced the beer’s four ingredients (water, barley, hops and yeast), and info about the brewery’s founder, Arthur Guinness. The other floors covered the history of Guinness and on the seventh floor there was a bar, Gravity Bar, with fantastic views of Dublin. The best part, though, was being taught how to properly pour and serve the beer from the tap. Our instructor even taught us how to make the foam/head of the beer into a shamrock shape. After all correctly pouring our pints, we were given a certificate. I really liked Guinness to be honest, but I was in the minority, as most of my friends did not!

Barley- a key ingredient in beer

Awesome view from the top of the storehouse!

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

On the last day, we took a half-day tour to Malahide coast and castle- about 35minutes north of Dublin. The early morning views of the coast were beautiful. Once we got out of the city and to the coast & countryside, Ireland really began to remind me of the beautiful Pacific Northwest back home.

The Malahide Estate and Castle date back to the 12th century. The estate began in 1185, when Richard Talbot, a knight who accompanied Henry II to Ireland in 1174, was granted the “lands and harbour of Malahide”. It was home to the Talbot family for nearly 800 years between 1185 until 1976. We toured the inside and saw original, fully-furnished rooms with ornate paintings, furniture, and other interesting pieces. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos. But, the outdoor photos are plenty beautiful themselves!