On the Sean O’Casey Pedestrian Bridge crossing the River Liffey.
EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum
This evening we made our way to EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin to learn about the history of emigration in Ireland. EPIC is a newer museum just opened in 2016. It tells the story of how Irish people have emigrated throughout the world and the impact made by them. It also covers much of the history of Ireland itself. I thought it did an amazing job using multimedia experiences. The best I’d ever seen for that.
The Temple Bar, in the Temple Bar District, in Dublin.
Experience Gaelic Games
This morning after arriving in Dublin we went to Experience Gaelic Games to learn and play some Hurling, Gaelic Football, and Handball. In our time in Ireland we’ve come across Hurling frequently. On day 3 when we were on the lawn at Muckross House we saw a family with these odd stick/bat things hitting a ball around. The Hurley Stick is a pretty common thing. On day 8 when we were hiking with Pat Sweeney he pointed out the County Clare flags that were flying in support of their team taking on Limerick the next day. County Clare was the underdog, and sadly they did not prevail. Sorry Pat!
But Hurling is just one of the Gaelic games. Gaelic Football is another popular one. And while we didn’t see anyone playing Handball that is the third. Things we learned at todays session:
- Hurling is the most popular, with Gaelic Football growing fast right now.
- I loved that all Hurling players “play where they are born”. So you don’t trade players. You play for your club and if you move to the top you play for your county.
- There is no sponsorships. Ticket sales and fundraisers support everything.
- The players just play, they aren’t paid to play.
Wild stuff when you see a Hurling match in action. All of these games are odd amalgamations. We had a lot of fun playing Hurling. Gaelic Football was a bit too easy to think of like Soccer, even though it isn’t at all like Soccer. It was a really fun time learning these sports.
Ireland 2024 Log - Day 14
Weather: Very good, periods of warmth, periods of cold. Was sunny for good portions. Scattered rain shower.
Happy Birthday Mazie! 🎉
- Depart Tubbrid Castle at 8:30 AM for Kilkenny, about 30 minute drive.
- Arrive in Kilkenny early so Mazie can go on a birthday run. Tammy goes on a walk. Tyler and Jamie go to breakfast spot early.
- Cafe La Coco for a delicious breakfast.
- Brief shopping — Tyler gets soccer cleats at Intersport.
- Medieval Mile Museum walk to learn so much about Kilkenny.
- Visit Kilkenny Castle and take self-guided tour.
- Some more wandering around exploring various shops.
- Smithwick’s Experience to learn about Smithwick beer and have a glass of Smithwick Red Ale and Kilkenny Cream Ale.
- Go to Cakeface Pastries to get treats for Mazie’s birthday!
- Wander around Kilkenny visiting various stores.
- Visited the Rothe House and spent most of our time exploring the magnificent walled garden.
- More shopping and exploring for Tammy, Mazie, and Tyler — Jamie stops at The Field pub to get a Guinness and listen to live music.
- Everyone meets at The Field and we walk down to the Nore Valley Path.
- Walk Nore Valley Path to bridge and back.
- Had nice dinner at Ristorante Rinuccini including dessert that came with a candle and rendition of Happy Birthday for Mazie.
- Get car out of car park.
- Drive back to Tubbrid Castle for the night, about 10:15 PM.
Jump to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or see Ireland 2024 Collection.
Great cappuccino at Cafe le Coco in Kilkenny.
Today’s Guinness isn’t a Guinness, but instead an O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro. We had dinner at Brewer’s Corner and they served this delicious pint. Very good!
Tubbrid Castle
Tonight we arrived at Tubbrid Castle. This is the most unique Airbnb experience we’ve ever had. This 600 year old castle has been magnificently restored. We are sitting in the second level kitchen, dining, and living areas. The first, third, and fourth levels are amazing bedrooms. The walls are six feet thick. The castle itself is slowly warming now with heat installed for the first time in its centuries of existence. Amazing! I took a number of photos on arrival.
Ireland 2024 Log - Day 13
Weather: Rain. Wind. Crappy. Better as we got further South.
- Tammy and Mazie go for a run in Belfast.
- Continental breakfast in Titanic Hotel.
- Check-out of hotel.
- Visit Titanic Museum.
- Afternoon tea at Titanic Hotel.
- Visit the S.S. Nomadic, a tender for the Titanic.
- Departed Belfast for Kilkenny.
- Crossed into Ireland between Killeen and Dromad.
- Experienced rush hour traffic around Dublin.
- Fastest driving of the day — nearly all divided highways and 120 km/h speed limit.
- Dinner at Brewery Corner in Kilkenny.
- Get Tyler crêpe at Scrumdiddlys.
- Walk around Kilkenny briefly, everything closed for the night.
- Drive to Tubbrid Castle and check-in for our stay.
- Explore all the various areas of the castle.
Jump to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or see Ireland 2024 Collection.
Afternoon Tea at Titanic Hotel
After having such a delightful afternoon tea at Adare Manor we thought we would try another this time at the Titanic Hotel after visiting the museum. We knew that it would not have the grandeur of Adare Manor but thought it would be fun to try. We all felt that it was less fancy, but maybe the desserts were a little bit tastier. The tea was not at the same level but not bad, same with the scones.
