I think every tourist to Ireland has heard of Guinness. They are one of the most successful beer brands in the world. They have a long history of creating a unique range of stouts which revolve around certain taste ideas. There is not only one Guinness flavor. If you’ve never been to a brewery I highly recommend visiting the storehouse tour. If you’ve been to several breweries I’m not sure how different this one will be. I have only visited maybe five different beer breweries in the world but I did not find this experience to be tremendously different than the others. But if you’re excited about Guinness then do the storehouse experience. You can also in addition or separately book the experimental beer tasting at the open gate brewery on Saint James Street. That is definitely a place you must go if you’re interested in Guinness, the company and the different flavors they have invented over these several hundred years.
Proof I was here. This is the gate to the storehouse experience which is the history and the information about the products. You have to go around this walkway here and at the end turn left to get to the entrance. It is not on Saint James Street even though the open gate brewery is. At the top you can see the round Guinness tasting room and pub which is a nice place to view the whole city. The entrance to the storehouse. They are self guided tours but you book a time to go in, get an initial presentation and explanation of the storehouse and then you walk around by yourself. The initial charter for the company The specific grain use for the brewThis fellow was very interestingly decked outNitrogen helps with the flavorShowing how they used to stack up the barrels for transportThe entrance to the tasting room A very fishy cyclist A view looking over Trinity CollegeYou can see Saint Patrick’s memorial Saint Patrick’s Monument it’s just off of Saint James StreetOutside the brewery you can get a horse carriage They are lined up to take you on a tour around Dublin This is the open gate pub which you really must visitThese are a list of the experimental beers they create and are not yet marketed. You pick three of them for the triple tasting experienceThey were all amazingly delicious I had tried the West Indies Porter before and it was interesting and OK You can see the mountains from which the water is drawn These are two beers which are brewed in Belgium
after World War II there were no functioning breweries in Belgium so Guinness went there to set up a brewery and it now makes two different types of beer in Belgium which are not exported around the world.
This one is a very thick and a little bit sweet flavor with a tang. It is an extremely delicious beer and one you must try but I warn you, this beer is twice the price of a regular GuinnessThis special export is also very delicious and very different from the standard Guinness. It has a wide range of flavors
this was only the second time I was in Dublin, the first time being 1985. Things have changed quite a bit but a lot of things have remained the same. I noticed quite an increase in tourist traffic.
I visited the custom house and also the immigration museum which gave me some very good information. The custom house, because it was controlled by the British government, became a target in the rebellion against British oppression.As you visit these buildings you will see the perspective of why there was so much pent up discussed for the rule of the country by England.The Irish were not a priority for the England government. This was an interesting display Irish immigration Museum This food was not bad. Instead of green peas they kindly replaced it with coleslawOf course I have to stop for coffee. Every place I’ve been in Ireland seems to have pretty good coffee. It’s not strong so you may want to request a double or triple shot to increase the flavor. Here you have three flags. On the left is the Dublin flag, in the middle is the Irish republic and on the right is the EU flag. This is a very interesting bookstore Saint Patrick’s ParkLook at the name of the building. It’s kind of a play on words. I wonder if an American Laundrette is any different than an Irish Launderette. Kelly’s HotelI thought this was an interesting display I didn’t know singer made a bicycle. You must visit the GPO I tried this and it was OK but I prefer GuinnessThe act of union might’ve been a response to a attempted overthrow of British rule in the late 1700sLove you from the bridge The custom house from the bridgeJust an interesting building Another interesting building This is an old company Interesting name for a pub Casinos and betting offices are everywhere Another view from the bridge The O’Connell statue.
This is the GPO with a symbol in front A piper is playing for handoutsThis is a full Irish breakfast. I always bring my own spices so it is filling Peter, a friend and myself at one of the very old pubs in Dublin. We drank a lot of course. There is this drinking game type thing called “splitting the G“. When you receive your Guinness you take the first big drink and try to leave the remainder below the halfway mark in the G of Guinness. I wasn’t trying to do this because I don’t think it’s the way to drink but it seems to be popular with some people.There are not that many people attending Catholic services anymore especially after the scandals following the 1970s. I just found these flowers to be beautiful
christ Church Cathedral
There is a Magna Carta in this exhibit area, one of the original copies. These two were trapped inside an organPart of the old church dating back 700 years This is the crest of the England monarchs. The words below translate “God and my Liege” . It’s in French because the Norman Viking descendants took the throne in 1066 as the Plantagenets, William the conquerorI don’t know what the significance of this image isSaint Patrick’s stained glass This is an original flooring The foggy dew is also a very famous song in Ireland about the rebellionInteresting architecture I decided to have something light at the pub where I stayed on the second floor 99.9% of the time the bartenders pour Guinness perfectly The music schedule at my pub which was Kennedy‘s in drumcondraI just decided to have some Indian food which was very delicious Of course a day would not be complete without gelatoI went to see several comedy shows. Craic his Irish for a very difficult word to translate but it encompasses enjoyment, entertainment, fun etc.Of course I had to visit Guinness. I didn’t find the brewery visit all that different from any other brewery visit though it had a lot of visuals and things for families to enjoy. The open gate pub is much more interesting and it’s on Saint James Street.These are experimental beers made by Guinness and they were all extremely delicious. They will not be produced unless the results of marketing surveys indicate they should. But I was impressed with the flavors and the quality. This is one of the beers available in Jamaica. It’s a different flavor than the one brewed in Ireland. Porter is a very different type of beerOf course I had to go see a music show with the guy down below as the main singer This was GaryOg who kind of specializes in rebel songs of the 18 and 1900s. He’s very famous in Ireland and I’m glad I went to see himI saw this play and it was a lot of fun but the week after that I saw “the plow and the stars“ which was here at the Abbey Theatre which is the national Theatre of Ireland and that play was on its Centennial production. It appeared first in 1926 and was about the people during the Easter rising in 1916. This is the theater before the
there is an Irish song made popular during the fight against the genocide imposed by England called “the men of the west“ and popularized by the Clancy Brothers. The other song I remember clearly is “the hills of Connemara“ which is well known by my generation in the area around Galway and to the west. The song is about making moonshine and trying to avoid the tax man. You will enjoy the hospitality of the people here. The weather is a little rough but the beauty of the place is incredible and the landscape is very diverse and some very amazing. And of course you can visit the cottage of Patrick Pearse, one of the great heroes of Ireland who was hanged by England for opposing English oppression.
Achill
They came to say hello
It looks fairly baren in this area. It’s very windy and I expect to difficult to grow very much. Carrickkildavnet castleA rescue boat practicingThe local church graveyard
Westport
This was the pub in Westport and I found the music to be heartwarming, taking me back to my childhood. The young musicians
Buncrana
He was a famous hunger striker who died in opposition to British oppression Obviously the same owner A funeral processionThere is one not only in San Francisco A view of the beach but a little cold to go swimming this time of year though there are a few who do A memorial bench obviously of someone who people respected for her kind volunteer work Irish humor Obviously an agrarian area I’m not sure if this is just for tourists or if this is something that local people enjoy as well This is the axe throwing areaThe chasin bull pub
Conemara
You have to visit this area of Ireland. It’s just incredible scenery A small café with delicious lemon pie A fierce warning It shows you how to travel along the Atlantic way from Westport down to GalwayIf you have kids this is probably one place you would like to go since the children have a lot of things to do at this estate and Castle. Anyway it’s a beautiful place to visit This is the estate house It’s beautiful water texture and reflection Gowlan east road
These beautiful yellow flowers are blooming everywhere
Patrick Pearse
Patrick was enamored with the Irish language, wrote an Irish and established to school to teach in Irish which were sometimes referred to as Irish Gaelic. He was very much opposed to a British control of Ireland and so eventually joined the Irish brotherhood which became the IRA. Below you will see a speech he wrote at the funeral of a great Irish patriot of the late 1800s. The speech launched him on his political career. He helped write the declaration of freedom from Britain and helped to organize the Easter rebellion in 1916. He was one of the few who was hanged by the English government in Dublin for his part in the Easter rebellion, the effects which sparked the Countrywide rebellion against British control of Ireland.
This is Patrick’s cottage which he built in Rosmuck, not far from Galway.These needles are sharp This is the cottage where he came as often as he could to be with local peopleThe things in the cottage were contributed by the family
Aughnanure castle
The short history is that in the 12th century the Normans arrived and pretty much integrated with the local people, mostly Irish speaking. Henry VIII started the “protestant“ Church of England which worshiped him instead of the pope and so he didn’t want the popes people coming in from Ireland and that’s what started the great increase in oppression by Britain.Ireland was very clan oriented, divided up into all these different Lord ships in the 1500s.
I tried eating with a fork, this Chinese food, but I finally got chopsticks since it was so much easier eating with them.
This is Irish moonshine and it seems to be the most famous brand. I had moonshine made in Oklahoma many years ago and this has a very similar taste, like a whiskey without the smoky flavor.
in order to see Ireland in a detailed perspective you really need to rent a car and drive around. Every time you stop in a town you need to go to a pub and talk with people. People are very welcoming and you will get a good glass of Guinness wherever you go.
A perfect pour every time. I spilled a little on the way back to the tableA harp recital to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Outside King John’s Castle a group of dancers gathered A fellow in the pub indicated I needed to listen to this song
two days before St. Patrick’s Day in Limerick
Of course the Pipers were there Daniel O’Connell statue people lining the streetIn Ireland people like to buy small cars for economy and to fit the narrow roads. In Thailand everybody wants to have a big truck or SUV even if they can’t afford it The cleaning crew after the parade A restaurant called Wokking had some fairly good noodles since it’s a Chinese restaurant, basically. However they had no sauces at all which is very strange for a Chinese restaurant so I could not give it a really high rating.And of course you need to have gelato every day
The still house. The place to come for music in LimerickJust approve I was here This is an interesting solution. Since Covid it’s difficult to get people to work in hospitality especially in cleaning. This hotel, the George, gives you five euro a day each day you do not use the cleaning for the room. This can be used in the restaurant downstairs. This benefits the hotel since it cuts down on the need for cleaning crew, it benefits the customer and it also benefits the restaurant since a large number of Hotel customers don’t use the hotel restaurant. The hotel restaurant was all decked out in St. Patrick’s Day decorations Saint Mary’s The pre-Latin written language, Ogham, a clever series of strokesI thought this was interesting since after Henry VIII the churches were modified for the protestant Bent, the Church of England and they were called “the Church of Ireland“.King John’s Castle This castle was built after King John’s reign but named for him Excavating the Norman portion of the castle This fellow is named Ocean. He plays the harp and he explains the traditions and so forth of Ireland.
Ocean explained the Ogham system of writing which is a series of strokes or lines. In the very north of Ireland, in Donegal, there is a standing stone with this old writing on it. It was deciphered. He explained it has the traces of the Irish sarcastic humor. It says, “turn around“.
The old Norman portion of the cast The festivities begin in Arthur’s Quay Park She is Patricia to celebrate Paddy’s day I met some interesting people to chat with hereAnd of course another perfect PourAll lined up and ready to be topped offIt’s nice to see English is taught properly An old store, green grocer and news agent At Doolan’s pub the Kilkennys were playingAnd then a small group of experienced musicians and singers playing for the pub goers How do you spell day? It doesn’t really matter. It’s not a language clock, it’s a time clock. I guess somewhere you punch your time card.The deep diving outfitA very skillful man Take me back to my childhood The shopping District in Limerick A little humor If you want a clean undertaking this place looks very spic and spanBeautiful graffiti It is this organization that Frank McCourt’s mother used to get charity from as you will find from reading the book “Angela’s ashes“.
““Angela’s ashes”. This book is an accounting of Frank McCourt’s childhood in Limerick and his house is a tourist attraction but it’s not really his house it’s just a museum. If you happen to be interested in this book which some describe as dark and dismal”Angela’s ashes“. This book is an accounting of Frank McCourt’s childhood in Limerick and his house is a tourist attraction but it’s not really his house it’s just a museum. If you happen to be interested in this book which some describe as dark and dismal. Get the audiobook version in which Frank McCourt himself does the reading, narration. If you do that you will encounter Irish humor as he reads it and understand that part of the culture and why he words it the way he does but it must be through his reading that you get this humor.
This was the pizza that only cost me €3.50 because of my five eurocoupons for not requesting the room cleaningAdd to now you can see the “Codfather”. Go to the Still house pub at about seven or 8 PM and you might bump into the 87-year-old Paddy Fish.
Nengha
The birds started nesting
Terryglass
Some of these boats at the harbor needed some repair A beautiful swan on the lake The garden at the church with some religious flexibility Look at these decorations. I would never expect to see gremlins or fairies here
Portumna
This is the castle which is fairly interesting but has been greatly renovated since most of the large large houses in castles fell into repair at different times in the past eight centuries. Many large estate homes after the revolution were burned by the army in order to discourage the England affiliated wealthy from continuing their power in the country.
I was very lucky there were a couple days with absolutely beautiful weather. I think you can appreciate how nice it is to drive around when you can get out, walk around and enjoy a cup of coffee outside and not have to worry about the rain. So it was on to Kerry.
This is a typical Irish breakfast. As you can see over on the upper right there is some spice and behind that is some soy sauce which I always bring down for breakfast or take into a restaurant if I’m going to have something that might require some spice or flavor. The breakfast in Ireland and England and Scotland are very bland and for me it requires some additional flavors
Adare
Not only is this house with a patched roof but on the left you can see a little gazebo type structure which is all made of wood and a attached roof This is the monastery described to below with an interesting, unique history.
Foynes
I went to this place because I was told of an interesting history, all of it true or not is something that I have not confirmed. I talked to somebody in a pub about the origins of the Irish coffee. As I remember what I read there was a fellow who got a concession at Shannon airport two provide some beverages to people who arrived from the US on this closest airport in Europe to the US. He devised the Irish coffee in the 1950s I believe. It might’ve been in the early 60s. The fellow said that the first Irish coffee was served at this airport which was the first airport connecting the US to Europe with direct flights but they were on pontoon planes which would land here in this inlet. But the information here indicates they stopped these flights in 1945 which seems to be a little too early for Irish coffee to have been invented but more investigation is in order. Anyway, there is a museum in this little town with the aircraft which flew the Atlantic nonstop. It was closed when I went there but it should be open in April.
There was a group of bikers with a variety of Japanese and BMW motorcycles. It reminded me of my motorcycle group in Japan. Just a nice view on a country road. You will notice how narrow the roads are
Tarbert Bridewell courthouse and jail
This courthouse and jail was closed for renovations
Listowel
Listowel castle Saint Mary’s ChurchSt. John’s Theatre
I was coming into Limerick a few days before St. Patrick’s Day to prepare for the celebration and to look around the town and find some pubs with some good music. I was overwhelmed with the interesting people, music, conversation and activities in town. One thing that amazed me is there are a large number of barbershops when 50 years ago there were only two. Walking around for one hour I passed 20 of them.
The Irish flag was fashioned in the later 1800s when a famous fellow went to France and was enamored with the French flag and the motto which many people I met no very well, Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality, fraternity)
Killaloe
An old church Brian was a Chieftain in the 1200s and his future relatives became the O’Brien‘s since the name meant “of Brian” or ““son of Brian”.”son of Brian“.Ponte Vecchio had some pretty nice pizzaThis is also the famous title of a movie with Liam Neeson. A lot of of the story is pretty much the same as the movie but I looked at the movie information and it does not say it is based on this book. But Liam, as you will know, is Irish and this book is written by an Irish fellow. A view of the canal Again, the texture of the water was just so interestingThe national flag along the bridge It’s a nice view from the bridge in this cute small town The guest house I stayed in won the first prize in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in their small town
Ennis
A very delicious vegetables
Ennis Friary
There is not much left of this friary since it was abandoned several hundred years ago and then used again in the late 1800s.
Clare Museum
In this town also is the county museum. What was really interesting was this Buick which Eamon de Valera, the longest serving president off and on in Ireland, purchased in the US and brought to Ireland and used for official occasions. This Buick is sometimes used in parades but it seems it may have been retired a few years ago.This history is a little bit difficult to read but he is from this area. As you may well know he was against the treaty signed with the British government for the free state of Ireland. It was granted its own ability to govern itself but under the king of England. And the north was kept as part of the United Kingdom. He vehemently opposed anything less than a complete, independent republic and fought against the treaty and caused the Civil War after the treaty was signed.
I’m not quite sure who these forks and spoons were left for. Maybe there are spirits who need to cut a good piece of beef for the main course and use the spoons for some soup.Many named Patrick in Ireland are known as PaddyFor an abandoned Abby this is an amazingly well cared for graveyardI was wondering if this is the famous Finnegan from the book Finnegan‘s awake by James JoyceSome old remaining artwork
the roads from Galway to Kilkee are narrow so you have to be careful but they are very beautiful areas to visit so I highly recommend driving these roads. The people are extremely friendly, expecting a lot of tourists from the US, some which they understand are looking for their ancestors. Go into the pubs and talk to people. They are very interested in striking up a conversation and they have a lot of interesting things to say. Galway is very close to Connemara were the people still speak Irish (Irish Gaelic) and the song that came to mind was one of the Clancy Brothers about the hills of Conmemara where people made moonshine and had to keep away from the taxman.
Doolin to Kilkee
Doonagore CastleDoonagore Castle. Don’t expect to be visiting this castle. Signs say it’s private property so I’m not sure if it’s available to visitLooking down on Liscannor from Moher cafeSpanish point
This cave was more than €17 (senior price) and it is something to do but I have been to many caves that are 10 times more interesting since this is just one stalactite as the main attraction. We go down this man-made shaft which took two years to build. One of the kids got an adult size heart hat which kept falling off.Hard hats were necessary since some of the pathway was very lowThis is it. I think it’s worth five euro but not more than that. The estimate is this has been growing for about 500,000 yearsYou can see the two different colors on the stalactite. The dark part on the left is not growing anymore possibly because the water started dripping off to the right and starting a new stalactite. There is a stalagmite below but underneath is slippery clay so it keeps breaking off and falling to the side and so probably will never join the stalactiteIt’s about 6 km to the ocean from here. The light is artificial. Small straw like stalactites forming but they keep falling offHere you can see some ancient coral petrified on the side of the cave. This is millions of years oldThe kids were having fun and asking very good questions
Galway to Doolin
Kinvara
in this little town I stopped for coffee at the wild beans coffee shop
This is a cute little town to visit for a cup of coffee and to look at the port and relax Explanation of the town and some of the history Look how the name Connelly it’s spelled. There are many Connellys in this area and many of them have different spellings for the name. On the photo below you can see another version of the name spelling even on the same building.The local church (Saint Joseph’s) was closed so I did not go in I stopped to see this ancient Abbey which is in complete ruinsBalyvaughan St. John’s Baptist ChurchYou will notice that this heart symbol is the same as the one in the statue above. I’m not sure what the significance or deep meaning is but it obviously has some story to tell. This is what the hills look like around here. It is many miles of layered limestone Hills at limestone rubble everywhere. BurrenYou might think I got a little carried away with the photos of this amazing geologic site but I study geology and I find it fascinating. There is almost an endless supply here of limestone rock for fences around Ireland. And as you travel around Ireland you will see most of the fences are made of stone.The drive was not exactly like a corkscrew but it was a very twisty road up the hill You can probably get more information from this QR codeLooking down along the corkscrew road McGann’s pub in DoolinLocal musicians in the pub playing traditional music
Galway
This harp is from the 15th century and it’s called the Brian Boru harp but he was in the 12th century so obviously had nothing to do with him. But it is the symbol of Ireland and also of GuinnessThe explanation of the people who controlled this area before the Normans invadedThe effort to increase the Irish language A view from the museum in Galway
Of course everybody has a story including hamburgers but if you look carefully at the sign it includes birds and snakes which I did not know were customers of this burger shop
I needed to stop for some gelato, cherry chocolate with mango sherbet on topMy two favorite whiskeys were a specific bourbon and then also Jamison Irish whiskey. But the fellow eye was talking to at the pub recommended this one and it is extremely smooth and a little sweet, definitely my new favorite. This was recommended to taste which I did not and it is said to be fairly expensive. I will try it at some time
In Riga, Latvia a group was formed 600 years ago of merchants and traders who became known throughout Europe and made alliances with many different cities around Europe and other parts of the world. As you go through the photos you will gradually see the story of Riga and blackheads.
Schindler‘s LiftRiga’s cathedralBeautiful stained glass windows This is the narrow list and shortest street in RigaThis explains the term “blackheads” and the significance of the founding of the merchant union Why Maurice is celebrated Riga was founded in 1201So in 1413, or thereabouts, the blackheads were started and they were a traveling merchant group of people. They are suggesting this is where the idea of the Christmas tree came from. I have not checked that information but it’s very interesting It’s unfortunate this building was completely destroyed but it has been rebuilt Completely destroying the building was in line with the anti-capitalist ideology but the remnants of the building were probably a danger in any case.The blackheads building is rebuilt as a monument to the power of the city and the country This crystal was a gift for the opening of the new buildingThis is an explanation of the beautiful artifact but I forgot to keep the photo of the artifact The grand meeting room A long time associated group in Germany is celebrated OK, now we get down to the street. This is all different kinds of street food available with prices in euro The Russian orthodox church in Riga The Russian Orthodox Church
pulling from memory, there is a story of how the Russians became aligned with the Greek version of Christianity. One of the Russian Ivan’s were shopping for religion. If he allied with Rome he would have to bow to the pope. However, if he allied with the orthodox church he could claim that he is the intermediary between God and the people, kind of like being a pope.
The train station There are reasons the three Baltic states are three different countries and a lot of it has to do with history and a major part of that history is language.
Warsaw is a large city and I was not very interested in the surroundings since very little seems to be of historical interest except for the remnants of the Jewish ghetto. There is a museum there and this is from the museum.
Santa Claus was walking around with his daughter.You can see it’s a big city by the very tall buildings On a medium sized street this is what you can see in the morning. They were filled with some kind of vodkaTrain travel is very organized. You can buy your tickets online and the schedules seem to be fairly accurate
The road from Dungloe to Culdaff going up north to where I stayed this evening has some interesting attractions and it’s worth taking this path rather than the faster road.
Going over the mountain pass this is the benefit. You can actually climb up part of this mountain and probably see some fascinating and beautiful views. Dunlewey area was stunning views of the Lake which feeds down into the river and then the oceanI went to the Glebe house and garden but the house was not open so I walked around the garden and down to the lake since it was such a beautiful day.Grianan of AileachGrianan of AileachSomeone who had an opinion posted this on the monument signThese two photos are looking down on the valley and the lake from the Grianan of AileachWalking around CuldaffThese are just some photos of the estuary going down to the beach in CuldaffExercise equipment for adults Exercise equipment for kids A portable sauna in the beach parking lot This is one of the pamphlets I saw looking through the windshield of the truck This was a first. This is a little cabinet on the beach where people can put and take books. I’m sure it’s a free service since there’s no monitoring. This is where I stayed. It’s not that expensive and it’s very comfortable.
