Saturday, June 29 The Guinness Brewery

Sara, Dana and Mark having a pint of Guinness at the Gravity Bar at the top of the Guinness Museum.

We woke up, cleaned up and had breakfast. After that we bought bus passes and took a bus out to the Kilmainham Gaol, or prison. This is a very popular museum of Irish history and, on line, they were completely sold out for at least two weeks. When we got to Kilmainham, I got in the ticket line and begged the guy behind the ticket counter for three tickets. I told the guy that I was an O’Hansen from County Cork and that I was a genuine rootin tootin son of the old sod. The guy behind the ticket counter said that he was sure I was not Irish but it looked like I had a gift for the blarney. Sara and Dana cried on cue when he again said that he couldn’t help me with my ticket request. Sara and Dana’s sorrowful sobbing brought him to tears and he somehow found three tickets for tomorrow’s 3:45 PM Kilmainham tour. It sure helps to have two beautiful daughters who can cry on cue when you are travelled in a foreign country.

After we left Kilmainham we went to the Irish National War Memorial Garden.

This garden is a memorial to those Irishmen who lost their lives in World War I and World War II.

This war memorial is dedicated “To The Memory of the 49,400 Irishmen Who Gave Their Lives In The Great War 1914 – 1919.”

As we were walking from the Irish National War Memorial Garden to the Guinness Museum we came across St. James Church.

I didn’t know this but apparently the Celtic Camino starts at this church. You get your first stamp at this church and then walk down to the ferry that takes you from Dublin to A Coruna, Spain and from there you walk to Santiago. The volunteer at the pilgrim office at this church put two stamps in my pilgrim passport and wished me Buen Camino. I made the mistake of calling the route from A Coruna to Santiago the English Camino. The volunteer got really pissed, told me it was the Celtic Camino, and tried to take my pilgrim passport away from me. I had to hot foot it out of the pilgrim office to avoid losing my pilgrim passport.

I went into the church and at the shrine to St. James, said a prayer for Jay, Mary and Wiley.

We then went to the Guinness Museum where we had lunch before starting the self guided tour. Interesting factoid.

Another interesting factoid. Elisabeth Guinness, the wife of the guy who stated the Guinness Brewery, gave birth to 21 children. I can’t even fathom that.

Sara and Dana at the Guinness Museum.

The Guinness Museum is Europe’s best tourist attraction? Not the Louvre or the Roman Coliseum? You have got to be kidding!

Dinner tonight at the Fade St. Social.

Parmesan skinny fries.

Roasted cauliflower with goat cheese.

Sirloin steak with green beans.

Serrano ham and goat cheese rolls with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

Soft shell crabs with a remoulade.

Grilled prawns.

Dublin had a massive Gay Pride 🏳️‍🌈 parade today.

The Dublin Uber drivers will make a fortune tonight.

I hope you had a great Saturday.

Good night from Dublin.