Dublin
I arrived in Dublin around mid-day. It was drizzling, as to be expected, I guess.
I found my way to the Temple Bar district where my hostel was located. I had a relaxed after noon wandering around the area, checking out a few pubs. The live music started around 3.0 p.m.
The afternoon merged into the evening with more live music. Some the bands and solo singers were really good.
Tour
The next day I decided to do a walking tour put on by the hostel. I have found these to be really good in other cities. The tour took in Dublin Castle, the Protestant Cathedral, Trinity College, Parliament and a few other places.
The guide was a bit of a radical. He was very critical of the Catholic Church and the Irish politicians. He pointed to a newspaper headline saying “House Price Rise brings 45,000 out of Negative Equity”. He then went on to rail about the banks and the role they played in the 2008 Financial Meltdown. It seems that Ireland isn’t out of the woods yet.
Another Pub Night after attempting to use the Irish Rail Booking System
I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to book a ticket on Irish Rail using their on-line booking site. It is without a doubt the worst booking system on the planet. The only time you able to determine if there are any tickets available is at the point where you can make a seat allocation. This is after you enter all your person details. If there is no seat (which seemed to be almost always the case on the trains to Cork), then you have to go completely out of the site and start over. You have to re-enter your details again.
The staff at the Hostel said that the Irish Rail Booking system is national disgrace. They are right.
It the end I gave up and headed off for some beers and live music.
I think I had my fill of U2, Van Morison and Guinness that night.
Guinness Storehouse
Despite the last comment I decide to Guinness brewery tour the next day. It is a real tourist thing.
Advertising and logistics appear to be the main reason for Guinness’s success. Apparently when the company was expanding in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s it took over all the competition in Ireland and became a virtual monopoly. Nowadays there is limited choice in Irish Pubs apart from Guinness and the lagers like Heineken, Carlsberg and, for heaven’s sake, Budweiser. There is one ale, Smithwicks that is passible.
Off to Cork
Having given up on the train, I booked a ticket on the private bus company – Aircouch to Cork. I sat next to a couple of Irish women that did not talking the whole trip – nearly 3 hours. I have never herad so much concentrated drivel in a long time.
After a short time in Cork, rode through the rain to Blarney.
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