Colin Caricato: Dublin Week 4- More castles and Guinness tours « Management in a Global, Societal and Cultural Context

Week 4 has promised a lot, and as we near the halfway point, let’s recap what has happened this past week. By now, I’ve pretty much gotten into a routine, the large main UCD gym is finally letting everyone in, and I know how to get around by bus in all of Dublin with pretty much no trouble. This past week has been both exciting and exhausting, so let me fill you in on all of the juicy details.

At my internship, I’ve been making great progress lately: I’ve finished creating all the onboarding materials for new hires and employees, and now I’m starting to write and refine blog posts about how businesses can use voice agents and other AI systems to drive growth and boost revenue.

Thursday was particularly exciting when we went to The Stag’s Head. We listened to a folklore and fairies storytelling extravaganza followed by a delicious three course meal. Afterward, my friends and I headed to the Temple Bar area. Although I didn’t go to Temple Bar during the first week like many others did, I went inside briefly this time to use the bathroom and got a good look at the place. Honestly, I was glad I hadn’t gone that first week for the typical tourist experience. I would recommend that anyone visiting Dublin do what my friends and I did: stop by Temple Bar to see what the tourist buzz is about, check out the prices (an 11-euro pint is no joke), and then move on. By then, you’ll have learned from other pubs around the city that a pint shouldn’t cost more than 7.50 euro, even on a busy day.

The weekend brought us to even more castles than week two. During our weekend excursion, we visited some incredible historic sites, including Blarney Castle, Cahir Castle, and the Rock of Cashel. Blarney Castle was beautiful, though I didn’t kiss the stone this time around. Cahir Castle stood out to me because of its long overlook that gave us a great view of the surrounding town and river, making it feel almost like stepping back into medieval Ireland. The Rock of Cashel was just as impressive, sitting high above the landscape with its ancient stone walls and cathedral ruins that made for an unforgettable view of the Irish countryside.

This past Tuesday, we did one of my favorite things on the entire trip so far and visited the Guinness Storehouse, which is actually located near my internship. We went on an audio tour that was surprisingly engaging, walking through each stage of the brewing process from the fermenting tanks to the roasted barley, wheat, and hops that give Guinness its signature taste. One of the coolest parts was seeing how the ingredients are combined to create such a well-known beer. At the end of the tour, we got to visit the bar at the very top of the building, where they gave us a free pint of Guinness to enjoy while overlooking the Dublin skyline. While I thought the quality was great, I have to say the taste was a bit overrated for all the hype around getting it straight from the Storehouse itself. On the way there, I took the tram for the first time with a couple of my friends. It was a cool experience overall, though I noticed the second tram car we rode in was way more humid than I expected, which made the short ride feel a bit stuffy.

This coming week also brought some good news at my internship– we finally have our own office. The only issue is, the wifi hasn’t been working very well in that area of the building. This has created some challenges for me and my coworkers, as it affects our ability to get work done in a timely manner. Not to worry, though, because one of our coworkers has a plan to provide us with sustainable Wi-Fi in the meantime. I’m sure the Wi-Fi on our floor will be fixed soon! Most importantly, I’m also looking forward to traveling to Belfast and Derry this coming weekend to deepen my understanding of the region’s history and culture, and I’m excited to bring these fresh perspectives into everything I pursue moving forward on this abroad experience.