Erin Go Bragh

Odd phrase to use going to a Australia vs Ireland game... I was torn between who to cheer for. Let me take a step back first. I got return flights to Dublin for 12 pounds... that's less than $20... It cost me more than that to get to the airport and back!! Craziness but definitely cool.

So I got to Dublin on Saturday and caught up with my friends. We had a pint or two and made plans to catch up the next days - as I was staying in a different hostel. We began the day in true rugby tour fashion... a visit to the Guinness Brewery!! I had been before about 7 years ago and still think that as brewery tours / museums go, its the best I've been to. It has awesome views of the entire city from its 7th floor bar.

Afterwards we set off to walk to Croke Park (roughly 3.7km...). Following the massive crowds we ended up in the stadium. It was close to 70,000 fans, most of the Irish, as you'd expect. After the opening sequence of the match, it was easy to tell that this was the best atmosphere (bar the UNC/Maryland game at the Dean Dome in 2000 - the snow game) I had ever watched a sporting event in. Even the Irish national anthem (in Gaelic) made your heart stir. They had military bands as well as traditional drummers. It was a great game to watch. I figure Australia would struggle and probably lose. But Australia drew the first points, scoring off an errant Irish pass. The game was tight but at the end, in the 79th or 80th minute, Ireland scored and tied the game at 20. It was slightly disappointing to see Australia lead all game only to let the win slip by. But it was a great game.

The next day my friends flew out early for Scotland, so I had a day to experience "Dublin". Early off I set out for Trinity College and the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is an illuminated (ridiculously, meticulously illustrated) text of the four gospels of the New Testament. It was written circa 800 and is widely regarded as the best example and pinnacle of Western calligraphy. Well just look it up on wikipedia for more. Its pretty cool, historically and artistically irreplaceable.

After Trinity it was off to Dublinia and the Viking World. This is a slightly cheesy museum that illustrates the history of Dublin, its Viking roots all the way through history until today. Not the best exhibition I have ever seen, but still fairly good and fun. Being that it was now an appropriate time of day (after 12), I set off for the Jameson Distillery Tour!!

So While the current working Distillery is down in County Cork, the original distillery wsa located on Bow St in Dublin, where the tour is. Its not a flash tour or very involved. It does inundate you with Jameson ideology and the like. But at the beginning they ask for several volunteers. Of course I volunteered and I managed to get picked! At the end of the tour - which if you have ever studying brewing/distilling/or read more than one label on a whiskey bottle then you got the gist of it - we went to one of the bars for a bit of tasting... As a volunteer I got a bit of Scotch Wiskey, bit of Jamesons and bit of Americna Whiskey (Jack Daniels). We did a tasting and then were asked to pick our favourite. of the 8 of us - 5 pcked Jamesons and 3 picked the Scotch - 1 scot and another Americna and I. What can I say, I liked the smoky flavour.

After Jamesons I was a bit lost on what to do and had tons of time. So I went back to the National Library and spent several hours in an exhibit on WB Yeats. It was really interesting and nice. Plus I needed somewhere to sit down for a bit... Next came a visit to the National Gallery. I wandered through all of the art rooms and then the Edvard Munch touring exhibit. Which of course included the black and white lithograph of Scream.

On the way through security check at the airport I passed on last sign about what not to carry on the flights. You know the one - no knives, firearms blah blah blah. But at the bottom of the list was something i had never seen on a list before.... CATAPULTS... a freaking CATAPULT!! I mean, I think if someone can manage a catapult in their luggage or even in the airport - they should be able to bring it on the plan. After asking an Irish friend of mine, apparently its something smaller, like a child's toy that shoots things. I still like the idea of a huge medieval catapult being pulled through the airport... No doubt Ireland is a gorgeous country with loads of character and fun.

Think about this one for a minute...

"Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak." -Brian Williams