Arthur Guinness Day

(Happy birthday Arthur!)

On September 26, 1759, the man who made Dublin what is today was born. However, it is for the sake of marketing to silly tourists that they decided to make a holiday out of it. Nonetheless, on Thursday afternoon we set out to the Temple Bar area of Dublin to join in the celebration. We watched a man named Dave Browne perform, who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest guitar-playing session of 114 hours. Then, at 17:59 (5:59pm), the entire bar toasted to Arthur Guinness, while drinking a Guinness, of course. We spent the rest of the night enjoying the great music and lively atmosphere of Dublin's Temple Bar area. 

Tucans and Guinness. They're related.

A duo called Huckleberry Jam. Great Irish tunes.

Happy Arthur's Day!

A rare sighting of Arthur Guinness.

Molly Malone & Boston College.

Exploring Howth and Glendalough with Tanner and Co.

This was such a fun and adventurous weekend in Ireland! My good friend Tanner Flyckt was with us this weekend. He is studying in Madrid for the semester and decided to hop on up to Dublin. His trip almost got off to a rocky start. I had to chase the bus down once I realized that Tanner had no clue he was at the right bus stop. On Friday morning, Sarah, Tanner, and I headed off to Howth (Same place where Mike and I golfed) for a hike. The pininsula has a handful of hikes to choose from. We decided on the "Bog of Frogs" route; the longest and seemingly most scenic. The hike takes you around the edges of the coast, providing stunning views of the Irish Sea, Dublin Bay, Dublin City Center, and plenty of wild blackberry plants along the way. Tanner and I had our fair share of them...they were delicious; most definitely not poisonous, right?

DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit). Creative name if you ask me.

Livin on the edge.

Berries and cream, berries and cream, I'm a little lad who loves berries and cream.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ryjpbd4D4bg

Good looking guys on the cliffs.

Meadow 

I bet you know what happens next!

Friday Evening, the entire Boston College group headed downtown to find Tanner some authentic Irish pub music. While in the Dubliner, he ran into some SMU (his home university) girls who were only in Ireland for three days on their semester at sea. We started with some Guinness. You gotta have a pint if you are in Ireland. The taste and quality is far superior to the imported version we have. Tanner raved about the dark, frothy nectar; it didn't taste anything like he had expected it to. At one bar, the BC group as a whole came together for a collective dance. At another, it was so crowded that we were forced to kneel in the window sills. Twas a fantastic night indeed. 

Flags

Irish counties with crests

Temple Bar District

Guinness has the best adds!

On Saturday, the BC group headed an hour south to the Wicklow Mountains, specifically Glendalough. Tanner and I barely made both of our buses. Our late start could be attributed to Tanner's less-than-comfortable sleeping situation on the floor. We were thankful the bus drivers operate on "Irish Time". Here, being on time for something means arriving 15 minutes late. Once in Glendalough, we began to blaze our own trail. After hopping a fence and hiking uphill for a half hour, two things struck us. First, the mountainside was getting too steep to climb. Second, Tanner had to stop for a prolonged bathroom break. Once we turned around, we were met with a beautiful landscape of green trees, rocky switchbacks, glorious ruins, wild sheep and goats, and an invigorating stream complete with several waterfalls. We came across a shallow pool and Tanner stripped down to his boxers, knowing that if he didn't get in, it would be THE regret of the trip. I followed suit. The water was so fresh, cold, and clean. Invigorating and rejuvenating are the only words that properly describe the experience. Once out, we dried off quickly in the warm breeze blowing over the ridge. This has to be one of my favorite experiences on the trip so far. We simply were enjoying nature to the fullest. Soon reality struck and we only had 15 minutes to make our bus. We ran at a blistering pace for 12 of those minutes; our drying boxers clipped to the outside of our backpacks made for quite the sight. There were only 2 seats remaining on the bus and we caught it just in time!

Definitely the set of a fairy tale.

Hey what's Tanner doing?

This place rocks!

More precarious than it looks.

Crime Scene Investigation 

On the edge of the waterfall. Thank goodness for the self-timer feature on the camera!

Tanner in the tub.

The face of refreshment.

                                   

Hey, I'm on the side of a wildly scenic mountain enjoying a nature bath.

Colorful sheep.

Two friends enjoying God's creation.

King of the hill.

Sunday morning, Tanner and I headed off to the Guinness Factory. When I told people I was traveling to Dublin for a semester, the number one thing everyone said to do was the Guinness tour. It definitely lived up to the hype! The Gravity Bar on the top floor provides stunning views of the entire city. They give you a pint for going on the tour. Tanner and I made some friends who didn't care to have their pints. We exercised our civic duty and gladly accepted the free beer. After perusing through the gift shop and deciding on some awesome shirts, it was then time for Tanner to venture back to Madrid. It was such a great weekend and having Tanner out here made it all the more fun! I will be repaying the favor as I want to visit him in Madrid. Stay tuned!

A manly stache.

Don't read too far into that humongous gap...we had a tremendous weekend.

Hang a Roger

Another weekend in the books!

Galway and the Cliffs of Moher

After waking up at an obscene hour and nervously awaiting a very tardy cab driver, we found ourselves on a bus driving through the sleepy countryside of Ireland. Clouds of fog loomed close to the ground, almost thick enough to hide the flocks of sheep and cows resting in the fields. It was a beautiful ride from Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland, to the tiny seaside city of Galway on the west coast. When we arrived, we immediately boarded a second bus and headed out towards the Cliffs of Moher (Pronounced "moor"). The monstrous coach bus wove precariously through narrow, winding roads until finally reaching perhaps one of Ireland's most scenic locations. We spent six hours hiking along the cliffs of moher, stopping often for photos and to simply take in the scenery. It was a long, but fantastic day. And who would've thought it'd be so sunny and warm in Ireland?

Sarah's feet

We hiked all the way to the tower at the end

 

 

This is most of the Boston College crew at UCD

That night, we returned the Galway where we spent the night at a B & B, run by a sweet and hospitable woman named Francis. After refueling with a breakfast of fruit, bread, tea, and scones, we set out to explore the quaint town of Galway. The wind was powerful, but the coastal city was charming and lively. We walked along the shore and explored the university there. We even found a sports store selling Boston College gear!

The Irish love Boston College!

Adorable waterside homes

 The University of Galway

A very windy day

Luke & Mike's First Golf Adventure

Last Friday there was nothing on the orientation schedule so Mike and I thought it would be a fantastic idea to go golfing somewhere scenic. We decided on a course called Howth Golf Club. Howth itself is a rounded peninsula to the north of Dublin with spectacular views of the Irish Sea, Dublin Bay, and the city. We left our dorm at 8am and took two busses (Dublin Bus is loving our business thus far on the trip). It was hilarious to carry our golf bags through downtown to make our bus connection. We got many confused looks from the locals wondering why anyone in their right mind would lug their sticks through the city center. Life's an adventure! Two hours into our trip, the bus driver let us off at the wrong course. We climbed this huge hill on the way to the clubhouse, only to take a taxi back down to find the right place. Once we got there, Mike and I were amazed by the beauty of Howth. It was a crisp, clear, and windy day. The course is built into a hill, so the views only got better as we walked higher and higher. The actual golf was far different than we are used to in the states. Mike and I lost many a ball in the overgrown rough and also underestimated how hard the grass was in the fairway-our shots continued to roll for a great distance. Frankly, we were too blown away with the beauty Howth to get too frustrated about the quality of our golf. Lastly, people we met on the course were as friendly as they could be. I remember this older gentleman giving us tips on the course and enthusiastically reacting to the weather we had that day. The people here are fabulous; as friendly as they can be. However, I might comment on the incredibly intimidating speed at which the three elderly women played behind us. Thankfully they only played nine. It was an excellent adventure indeed!

View of Howth from the Bus. The weather would improve.

What a Course!

North Dublin behind me.

Mike tending the flag (mostly just posing for a picture).

Dublin Bay with a certain Mike Murphy in the forefront.

This is the last known sighting of this golf ball.

I want to go back!

WE ARE IN IRELAND

Twas a great rip indeed.

The first of many Irish golf adventures!