Ireland 🇮🇪 - JournoHQ

Ireland 🇮🇪

7 years ago

@jenmck

No entries have been mapped yet.

Bar Rua

Feb 14 2019

Jordan and I finally arrived in Dublin today (Yay!) after many delays in our connecting flights. We met up with Rachel and found our hostel for the night. The hostel was very colourful and was much like a university dorm.

Cheers! 🍻

We came across and souvenir shop with a wide selection. Not to mention there was Irish music playing in the background. 🎶 We recognized many of the traditional Irish songs from home. (Think ceileigh music). I bought Daniel this hat. ☘️

A restaurant called Bar Rua, where we stopped for dinner and the Bailey’s Coffee. ☕️

Today was also Valentine’s Day. ❤️ I was wishing I could be with Daniel today, but since that wasn’t possible, I treated myself to a Bailey’s Coffee. 😋

Later that evening we ventured out for a beer.

The three of us spent the afternoon exploring the area close to our hostel. I loved the look and feel of the city, especially the cobble stone streets.

@jenmck

Galway

Feb 15 2019

Beautiful views of the western countryside and some Irish music. It reminded me so much of home.

Driving throufh the National Park, heading to the Cliffs of Moher. The winding road to the cliffs was steep and narrow.

A statue of the Irish poet Oscar Wilde and his cousin.

Lynch’s castle.

A boat with a white stripe is a Galway hooker.

There was plenty of cattle in the countryside. Cows could even be seen high on the mountains.

In Galway city.

Exposed limestone. On the Western coast of Ireland, where the ground was once hard and rocky, clay was layed over the limestone to make the ground fertile. A few inches below the grass lies limestone. Not a great place to set up your tent, said our guide.

McKeeman is infact an Irish name. In Gaelic, Mac Keeman means “Son of Simon”. Fitzsimmon is a translated version of McKeeman.

The Cliffs of Moher

The path along the cliffs was lined with a rock fence on the outer side and an electric fence on the inner side. You really had to watch your step!

We were told this post is often pictured on post cards because of the large amount of signs attached to it.

The King’s Head. A restaurant in honour of the man who beheadded King Charles I.

A castle 🏰

The roofs must be replaced once every thirty years otherwise they will catch fire or collapse.

The rain held off long enough for us to see the cliffs. The winds were strong and the ground was wet and muddy. It was worth every second.

The symbol on the Claddagh ring. Wearing the ring with the heart facing down your finger represents a search for love, while wearing the ring with the heart facing up your arm represents love found.

One last stop after dinner. The sun was beginning to set.

We saw lots of sheep! 🐑

Three people have lost their lives at the Cliffs since the New Year.

In the gift shop at the Cliffs, there was a program to discover the meaning of your name.

Stone walls are extremely common in the countryside.

@jenmck

St James's Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland

Feb 16 2019

Today we had a more relaxed day. We toured the Guinness Brewery, the Jameson Distillery, and visited some pubs to hear live music.

The Temple Bar. Overcrowded and overpriced.

Jordan and the ostrich. 🐦

Rachel and the turtle. 🐢

Ready for a night out. 💃

We sampled three types of whiskey. A scotch whisky, Jameson whiskey, and Jack Daniels whiskey. Jameson was by far the best of the three.

A view from the Gravity Bar at the Guinness Brewery.

Time is an important factor in the brewing process.

We cashed in our drink tickets for a flight of three beers. Equivalent to one pint. 🍺

Advertisement of Guinness over the years was a theme of the third and fourth floors.

The seal and I.

Whiskey and gingerale to finish off the tour.

Before whiskey was stored in glass bottles, it was stored in barrels.

A view from the second floor of the Jameson distillery. Here we had a brief tour of the history and the fabrication of Jameson whiskey.

The drinks were cheaper and the music was better, and it was close to our place.

The Galway Girl.

The second bar we visited called Murray’s Bar.

The atmosphere at Temple Bar.

@jenmck

Dublin

Feb 17 2019

Today we finished off our Dublin pass by taking advantage of the Hop on Hop off bus service. We visited EPIC museum, Christ’s Cathedral, the Dublin Castle, and Trinity College.

A traditional Irish meal. Guinness beef stew and brown bread.

The ceiling.

The Dublin Convention Centre. “It looks a bit like a Hoover.” - Bus Driver

A helicopter pad. The aerial view of the pad has the appearance of a Gaelic symbol.

A candle lit in memory of my late grandparents. 💕

You won’t find the letter J in the alphabetized books.

A rainbow. 🌈

The castle courtyard.

Inside Trinity Library.

Facebook’s European headquarters.

The crypt. Very eerie.

The entrance to the Dublin Castle.

This bridge was designed to look like a harp, a national symbol of Ireland 🇮🇪 (and of Guinness). It was transported to Ireland in one piece by boat.

We returned to the exhibition later in the afternoon.

Technology was an integral part the museum which made for a self-paced and interactive experience.

Christ’s Cathedral.

The spire.

A moat!!!

The oldest harp in Ireland.

The EPIC museum of Irish Emigration. We started our day here, but an unexpected power outage interrupted our visit.

The classiest of mirror selfies.

@jenmck

Belfast

Feb 18 2019

Today we traveled to Norther Ireland by bus. The total trip was 13 hours. We began with a Black Taxi tour, then went to the Giant’s Causeway and the rope bridge.