DAY 14: Last Day of British Isles ‘Cation 2017 – Exploring Dublin & Discovering Our Roots

Observation of the Day: Dublin is like being in the middle of an early U2 video. For those of you who are old enough to remember -- you might recall how these videos had a gritty, industrial feeling. Dublin is just like this. Not pretty like Paris or sophisticated like London or exciting like New York. It feels much more like the city of hard knocks. The people are friendly, but not overly so. And the overcast skies seem to add a somber tone to the place.

That said, the Dubliners sure know how to deal with the bleakness – they drink a lot of beer & spirits and eat a lot of baked goods. There seems to be a pub or bakery on every block. It may be why the Irish don’t seem as “posh” as their English cousins although HM reported today that she thought English girls are prettier than Irish girls, but Irish boys have English boys beat hands down!

And as an added note, apparently the Dubliners are sucking up all the Internet connection from the rest of the country. Everywhere you go, and I mean everywhere, they offer free WiFi, while the interior of the country is struggling to run businesses with spotty WiFi!

The Dubliners know how to keep the blues away. Bachelor parties are particularly colorful. Keep in mind all
these photos were snapped during early afternoon!

Note the seriousness of the man in the tutu as he tries to avoid falling flat on his face.

Today, Friday, was our last day of ‘cation 2017. We started the day at the world famous Guinness Storehouse (https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/) just blocks away from our apartment. We were so happy we had done the Jameson tour on Wednesday as it really helped us better understand many of the things we saw at Guinness as it’s not a personalized tour, it is self-guided. For those of you who have visited the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, it feels very similar – some history, a bit about their process, but mostly a commercialized experience. Not a criticism, just an observation. We would still recommend a visit if you are in Dublin.

McCarty clan: Selfie-stick Guinness edition.

The man who started a beer empire. Incredibly, he fathered 21 kids with his wife, of which 11 died.

 

Guinness says many things go into making its brew special including the barley, the locally grown hops and the water from the Wicklow Mountains where we had been just yesterday (Thursday) when we visited Glendalough.

The tour takes you up, up, up in the Storehouse.

One of our favorite parts of the experience as it held more meaning to all of us, was checking out the history of the “Cooperage” at Guinness. We learned they recycled their barrels for 10 years & that it was a smeller’s job to decide if the barrel was still in condition to be used. 

The Cooperage held extra meaning for us after our visit to Jameson.

 

Having met the head cooper at Jameson on Wednesday, we had a real appreciation for this!

The Guinness tour ends at what they refer to as the Gravity Bar on the top floor of the Storehouse. It provides 360-degree views of Dublin as you sip your complimentary Guinness pint. A real treat.

 

The view from the Gravity Bar was impressive, lots of construction happening in Dublin!

 

JM showing what happens when you drink one too many Guinness pints!

After our Guinness visit, we decided to embark to see Christ Church Cathedral, a major landmark here, and then onto the Irish Family History Center (https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com) located at the EPIC - The Irish Emigration Museum to try to learn more about both our families’ roots.

Christ Church was a major disappointment when we arrived. While the building itself is beautiful, dating back to 1030, we couldn’t believe how they had allowed vendors to set up on the grounds to hawk burgers, pulled pork sandwiches and the like. Not exactly the reflective place we were expecting. As the girls were a bit “toured” out, we decided to move on.

Christ Church is a beautiful medieval landmark.

 But we're thinking this is not what Jesus would've wanted.

We walked on to the Family History Center, enjoying the stroll along Dublin’s main “river” which is actually a canal. While not as picturesque as the Seine or even the Thames, there’s something about water which soothes everything, especially with the many pedestrian bridges crossing it.

JM and his girls: Ha'Penny Bridge edition.

McCarty clan: Strolling the Dublin Ditch edition.

  

JM & EM on the family roots hunt.

As has been mentioned before, we knew JM’s grandfather on his father’s side was from Northern Ireland, near Belfast. We had his birth certificate and we even had found his birth recorded in the county records where he was from -- Downes. After working with a specialist at the Center, JM and EM found the record of his great-grandfather’s marriage. They also learned he started as a pub owner but somewhere along the line, became an undertaker & he married a widow, so JM’s grandfather had a stepbrother. He also learned his great-grandmother’s father was a farmer.

A definite trip highlight!

I, while born in Puerto Rico, also have Irish roots via my father. A young, passionate genealogist named Dan sat with HM & I and helped us start digging. With very little information, we finally figured out it was my grandfather’s grandfather who was originally from Ireland and immigrated to the U.S. in 1872. Dan also dug up U.S. census records dating back to 1880 which captured BOTH my grandfather’s immediate family and his father’s family. He printed all these records for us. Due to the time constraints on our session, we weren’t able to figure out exactly what county in Ireland my great-great-great grandfather came from, but the young genealogist provided us some more resources to search. All in all, this was an amazing experience, especially as it cost us $20 total!

By this point, it was 2PM and our stomachs were talking. We found a delicious Asian fusion place in the History Center and refortified.

Our next stop was Trinity College to see the famed Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is a 680-page illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels, hand-lettered by ancient Irish monks around 800 A.D. It is really something to see the incredible detail in these books. It is believed to have been the work of 3 to 4 artists. There are no pictures allowed, but if you’re in Dublin, it’s worth the visit.

The Book of Kells is utterly impressive. Source: Google images.

After the Book of Kells, we visited the library’s Long Room that holds 200,000 books and 14 sculpted head busts. It also has one of the few remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. It is really unique spot.

The Long Room looks like something out of a Harry Potter movie.

JM and his girls: Trinity College Long Room edition.

My favorite part of Grafton street: the flower vendors!

At this point, we were done with history & just strolled on Grafton Street (Dublin’s shopping street) and then went on to the famed Temple Bar which is literally blocks from our flat. We enjoyed our last pints in Ireland along with all kinds of folks – rowdy guys celebrating bachelor parties, more subdued girls celebrating “hen” (or bachelorette) parties, curious tourists like ourselves and plenty of locals out for a pint. It was a fun, happy chaos with the bar thumping along with great music.

Temple Bar is in the heart of the district with the same name.

It is crazy, happening spot.

Last pints in Dublin. While JM chose a traditional Guinness, I'm drinking one of their newest lagers,
Hop House 13, which is totally delicious.

JM and his girls: Temple Bar edition.

As none of us were up to a meal out & we have an early flight tomorrow, we visited M&S Foods again to make our own supper at home & reminisce about all our adventures. As always, we are blessed to have the time & resources to spend time as a family in these wonderful places. We thank everyone who joined us on this journey and thank God for keeping us safe throughout it. We are all really to go home & see our family – both human and furry!

HM Final Thoughts: I loved Ireland but I’ve decided while I’m a city girl in places like Paris and London, I’m definitely a country girl here. I loved exploring Galway and its coastline. The Cliffs of Moher took my breath away (despite my mud sinking episode). Kenmare’s sheep & cows stole my heart, while the castle in Enniscorthy enchanted me. Although the industrial streets of Dublin haven’t exactly captured my heart, I’m proud of my Irish heritage & feel privileged to have explored from the coast to the country to the city.

EM Final Thoughts: I love Ireland and not my sister. Just kidding. I loved the country with the sheep and cows. It was cool going through all the different regions cause we saw all the different ways of living. I especially liked living in a castle! Plus I loved learning more about dairy cows from my dad. And it was cool in Dublin how we were able to trace back our ancestry. I’m proud to be more than half Irish! And I’m happy to report, today we did 23,000+ steps!

Last views from our Dublin flat!

  

Random pic of the day

One last note from the Irish....Sláinte! 

DAY 13: Back to the City

Observation of the day: The Irish cows produce the most delicious dairy products. We have enjoyed supporting the local economy sampling Irish butter, cream, cheeses, yogurts and of course, ice cream. After being so spoiled, we will probably now pay more for Kerry Gold at home!

Irish cows kick butt! We loved our local yogurt in cute glass containers which are becoming part of my small vase collection!

The king sadly says farewell to his castle.

Our ‘cation is winding down with our last couple of days in Dublin. Thursday, we sadly said good-bye to our castle and headed north to Glendalough upon the recommendation of an Irish friend of a friend. It was a lovely stop.

Glendalough is monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin around 500 A.D. Although this country is hugely Christian and primarily Catholic, there have been many trials and tribulations regarding religion over the centuries. In the 1300s, the Anglican English destroyed St. Kevin’s monastery, but some holy men still held out. It was finally abandoned during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. It was restored in the 1870s, but most of the buildings here now date from the 10^th to 12^th century.

Although a very small percentage of the Irish population speaks Gaelic, all signs must be in English and Gaelic.

Glendalough means "Valley of the Two Lakes." After visiting, we totally understood why St. Kevin chose this spot to worship. We were reminded of Assisi in Italy.

Beautiful spot for a dad & daughter walk.

Although the pictures don't do it justice, the Upper Lake was very pretty.

Today, the site has a peaceful feeling to it. The settlement sits between two beautiful lakes and the entire site is protected as a national park. The beautiful woods reminded all of us of Yosemite National Park which we visited a few years ago. It provides hiking trails and beautiful paths.

We've been sooooo lucky with the weather. Although overcast today, we had no rain. 

Enjoying the natural beauty.

The ruins at Glendalough.

In the settlement area, we walked through the cemetery and marveled at the ancient crosses marking graves. Many of these are still well tended, I’m assuming by relatives of those who have long passed. We also sought out St. Kevin’s Cross which is carved from a single block of granite. According to legend, if you hug this cross and can reach your fingers around to touch the fingers on the other side, you’ll have your wish granted. Of course, we all had to have a go at this!

We clearly can't get enough of them!

Aside from the serene landscape, we were happy to have more sheep and their lamb to enjoy. They surrounded the cemetery, baaaing every once in awhile, but basically, minding their own business.

JM and his girls: Glendalough edition.

HM first attempt at the St. Kevin's cross hug.

She figures out how to make it happen! Whew!

EM was hoping to outdo her sister...

But settled for the same solution!

Although barely, as the cross is that thick, JM was the only one who could really hug it.

At around 2pm, we headed to Dublin to find our next home away from home – a city apartment in the heart of the Temple Bar district (https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p6473944?utm_campaign=HAUS_TRV_RES_HASC_reservationaccept_PPS&utm_content=propid_text_o_lprop&utm_term=20161216&utm_source=SYS&utm_medium=email).

By now, JM and I have become pros on the road, with him navigating and me driving, we made it to our flat by 3:30PM. As our landlord couldn’t meet us until 5pm, we found a close parking spot (a miracle!) and had lunch at a local microbrewery nearby.

Afterwards, we divided and conquered. JM and EM met our landlord & HM & I headed to return our car rental at their city location. While not as diligent as JM with her warnings & knowing the difference between right & left, HM got the hang of navigating fast and by 5:40PM we were done with our Ireland driving experience. We are proud to say we put lots of kilometers on our car but no new dents!

EM points out our Dublin "home", a cute apartment
facing the river/canal.

After getting settled, HM passed out as she had a headache. JM, EM and I set out to purchase an extra suitcase as we are all overstuffed. We found the local mall & had fun finding one at an old-style “catalog” shopping store where you find the item online or in a old-fashioned paper catalog (remember the Sears catalog!?) they have, give them the SKU # and then they send it down to you on a conveyor belt to check it out. JM and I recall these stores from when we were kids, but this was a first for EM. As it was getting late and we were all tired, we went to M&S Foods which is short for Mark & Spencers Food from London and bought some supper items to enjoy in our apartment. 

Steps for today: 15,011!

Friday is slated for touring Guinness and seeing Trinity College & the Book of Kells.

Random pic of the day

The Irish love their dogs, but they love their sheep more!