Kiersey Arrival to Ireland

My parents came for a two week visit and to help bring in my third decade on this planet. First Ireland and then Scotland. We had much to catch up on and I had much to show them of my new found homeland. With the folks fresh off the plane, the first stop for this Kiersey clan was the Jameson Distillery. Might as well start the day out with some whiskey! The first cold snap of autumn came though so whiskey is the way to warm up those frozen hands from dragging the suitcase so far. They had brought us a few goodies from back home. I knew to volunteer in the beginning for some whiskey tasting, and got my dad to do it as well. We slept through most of the history video and had an informative tour of how Jameson is made, and at the end you get a wee dram of whiskey. For being a volunteer we got to try American, Irish and Scottish whiskey. Out of the 12 people, only 2 liked the Jack Daniels more then the Jameson or Johnny Walker Black, and of course they were Americans. These Americans prefer the Irish though! After the tour we went to the bar to sample some various different whiskeys, and the best was the Midleton (150 Euro a bottle; good stuff). The cute Italian girl was recommending all sorts of kinds for us to try and my dad of course chatted her up, while my mom found an auld fella and the end of the bar for her to chat with. A few months later when I went back with a friend, the little Italian girl remember me and certainly remember my father, he does make an impression.

After sampling now 6 different kinds, we were ready for some more walking along the River Liffey to Ireland's oldest pub, Brazen Head. We tucked into a dark corner with our carvery lunches and a pint of the black stuff. What better way to spend a weekday! With our energy up we walked all over St Patrick's Cathedral grounds (it is under renovation) and Christ Church Cathedral. I shared my ghost stories of the original steps of Dublin at St Aedeons before heading to Dublin Castle. We did the tour there and the jet lag started kicking in for them, they nearly fell asleep on their feet! After checking out the original underground ruins our last stop of the day was the Book of Kells at Trinity College. By this point I think I have done all the touristy things Dublin has to offer. Check those off my list! The Book of Kells was interesting enough hidden away in the darkened room with the intricate text written on calf skin, but what was really cool was going into the old library above it. There is nothing more comforting then the smell of old leather and parchment, the peace and quiet and just the dim light that libraries always have. The old books lining every wall shot straight up to the barrel vaulted ceiling. By this time they were ready for their cat nap before Ben came home for supper because they had been up for nearly 36 hours. A glass of wine with dinner and they were ready to sleep like logs for days snoring away.

Early the next morning we took them to Hobarts, the most awesomest breakfast place, for a full irish breakfast. Nothing like starting your day with a heart attack on a plate. They even liked the white and black pudding. Afterwards we walked over to our old place, talked to Snowy our little neighbourhood kitty and picked up the hired the car. First stop was the Waterford. Mom really wanted to go to the crystal factory which happened to be giving tours, so we took the next one. Glass blowing has always fascinated me. What they can do with sand at high temperatures is truly art. Since we were not expecting to get a tour, or shop for so long, we did not get to see much of Waterford, which is a bit of a hole, and headed to Wexford to our castle.. We stayed the night in Killiane Castle in Drinagh just outside Wexford town, which was built back in the 13th century. What Ireland trip is complete without a good tour in a castle. We had an early night with a bottle of wine in front of the crackling fire just catching up since it was nearly 18 months to the day since I had seen my folks. The next morning we took the coastal route back to Dublin so we could enjoy the scenic route.

Back in Dublin we did the quick tour of my office so they can see where I work and then it was into town for a pub crawl. They had to get a flavour for the non-touristy pubs.
Three Brother 'Ogan: Brogans, Grogans and Hogans.
I had Sean and Franchesca meet us in Brogans for some of the best Guinness in Dublin. Next stop was Grogans where Colin and Karen meet up with us after his birthday dinner. A few scoops later we were off to Hogans. We were some of the last out, but go figure, midnight on a Sunday is not exactly early, but the folks had to get up at 5 to head out west. It was important for my folks to met my abroad 'family' since it is them we spend our holidays with.

Their last few days in Dublin (after returning from Scotland - see other post), I had to work, but I kept them busy with bus tours and a full itinerary. Good dinners , great drinks and even better company helped me bring in my 30th birthday. The day of my birthday was the day they flew out so they were the first to give me my birthday wishes. It was nice to spend such a momentous birthday with family there to share it with!