It is crazy to think that I am already approaching the halfway point to my time in Ireland. The past few weeks have been nothing but amazing as I’ve truly been able to immerse myself in Irish culture and become comfortable with Dublin and my Internship.
Starting off Week 4 our group took a trip to the Custom House and the Dublin Castle after Monday class. Both buildings were more interesting than I expected as both had their own unique history and stories behind how they became as they are today. Although mostly gone today, underground at the Dublin Castle we could see the ruins of the old castle towers, and moat which was my favorite part of the tour.
My internship this past week was easier and less busy than usual due to the fact that most of my bosses and supervisors were gone for most of the week at meetings out of the country or on vacation with family. Working with the rest of my coworkers in the office I was still able to be of use as I was given new tasks which sparked my interest in what they were working on. Although a simple workweek, I learned a lot about different parts of the company which was exciting. On Friday, my friends from back in California came out to visit Dublin. It was great to spend time with them and show them all of the cool places which I have found in Dublin so far. It felt weird but great to be able to show others around a new place like I am a local in the area even though I’ve only been here for 3 weeks.
Saturday we left south to visit the Blarney Castle, Rock of Cashel, and Cahir Castle. The weather was not looking too good for the day as I looked out my window at 6am to rain and endless dark clouds. Our group’s luck struck again as we stepped off the bus at the Rock of Cashel to zero rain and little clouds. Exploring all three sights was beautifully filled with castles, houses, ruins, churches and gardens. Although I decided to not wait in line and kiss the Blarney Stone, I had a great time exploring the beauty in all other parts of the grounds at Blarney and I regret nothing. Even though the bus ride was brutal, the day trip was amazing.
Next we took a trip to the Guinness storehouse and as the number one tourist attraction in Ireland, I had high expectations. The tour was very cool and I learned a lot about how guinness is made and its extensive history but it felt sort of rushed. The view from the bar at the top was stunning with views of all of Dublin but sadly the pint of Guinness we were given up there was one of the worst I’ve had in Ireland which was not what I was expecting.
Rounding out the weekend, Max, Nick, Tennyson, Molly, Kayla and I went to the Noah Kahan concert at Marley Park and It was unbelievable. It was definitely the best concert I have been to and It was an amazing experience to finish the week.
The Guinness Storehouse tour was very cool, and I enjoyed seeing the entire process of making Guinness, although it was disappointing that the tour felt rushed. I was also disappointed with the Guinnesses we were given at the end of the tour. I hoped that it would be the best Guinness I’ve ever had, but I have definitely tasted better Guinnesses at pubs in the city.
Tennyson,
I completely agree with you! The tour did feel rushed this year, and many of us also thought the Guinness was not very good.