Back to Dublin
Posted by Leonard And Me , 7.02.2018 12:07 PM
We're back in Dublin! The next two days will allow us to explore all of the things we missed when we were here six days ago. We were quite rushed in Dublin the first go-round due to pre-scheduled tour group activities. Now we were free to venture out on our own with no set itinerary....except to see the following two attractions.
The best way to follow us around Dublin is to show you the map (see above)! We vowed to get tickets and ride the Hop On Hop Off bus to quickly get us around the city. Our hotel was ideally located at stop #1 on the map. This allowed us to walk to many nearby attractions in the city....leaving the bus to get us to the others further away.
One place we "hopped off" the bus (stop #15a) was to visit the Kilmainham Gaol....a former prison and now a museum on the history of Irish nationalism. This is the Alcatraz of Ireland! Many Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, were imprisoned and executed in the prison by the British.
There was no segregation of prisoners....men, women and children were incarcerated up to 5 in each cell, with only a single candle for light and heat. Most of their time was spent in the cold and the dark, and each candle had to last for two weeks.
We weren't quite sure we wanted to tour a prison.....but it is one of the most popular Dublin attractions and was full of other tourists. The guided tours sell out quickly....and we were lucky to get tickets this morning! It turned out to be a worthwhile stop before "hopping" over to our next Dublin attraction!
Jameson Distillery Bow St. (stop #19) was our next must-see & do attraction on the map. A few friends from our tour group managed to visit Jameson the first time we were in Dublin....and said we absolutely must go when we come back to the city. This is the original site where Jameson Irish Whiskey was distilled until 1971. It is now a visitors center that provides guided tours, tutored whiskey tastings, JJs bar and a gift shop.
Jenesa and I signed up for the Bow St. Experience Tour. Of course, few things go together better than whiskey and a good story. The Bow St. Experience brings the stories of Jameson’s rich heritage to life in an immersive, 40-minute tasting tour of the home of Ireland’s best-selling Irish whiskey. The tour actually blew our minds away.....and that was BEFORE we had any whiskey! It included a lot of animated high tech visuals, interactive exhibits and entertaining presentations. At the end of the tour our Jameson Ambassador lead us in a comparative whiskey tasting....comparing American, Scotch, and Irish whiskey. What did they all taste like? Say it with me......MORE!
After a long day in Dublin....it was time for dinner at Madigan's! This pub was located right down the street from our hotel (stop #1). Live music. Great food. Guinness Pie!
Mash-topped Beef & Guinness Pie? Yup! Tasted so good I almost want to eat the picture below!
Get the recipe?