08/22: Flying to Dublin

We had one last breakfast at our hotel in Glasgow before our cab picked us up for our ride to Glasgow airport. Ryan Air check in was already open but it was in a different terminal, which was odd. But we checked our bags and went back to the main terminal to wait for our gate to be assigned. The flight was nearly an hour late leaving but we had no real plans for the night. We got a cab to our hotel in Dublin and went in search of something to eat. We were headed towards a sushi place but saw a pub called The Lombard and went there instead. It was a good choice with very good fish and chips. We stopped by a convenience store for some drinks, which was next door to Offbeat Donuts. We picked up a couple of delicious donuts, which surprised us given it was late in the evening.

Jameson Bow St Experience

The next morning we had breakfast in the hotel and walked across the river to catch the LUAS which would take us to the Jameson Bow St Experience. We ended up there early so we stopped into Christophe's where J. R. had an Irish coffee and Janie a hot chocolate and we also had Guinness cake. We browsed a souvenir shop and bought Rebecca the Claddaigh ring she had been wanting. We checked in at 10 AM for our tasting. We had an entertaining guide and it was a very informative tour before the tasting. We sampled original Jameson, Jameson Crested and Jameson Black Barrel and a Distillery Reserve sold only at the storehouse. We also were treated to a Jameson and Ginger at the bar after our tour.

Dublin Cathedral

We walked past the Dublin Cathedral and thought about doing a tour but it looked pretty crowded so we took some pictures from the outside as we went by.

Temple Bar

The weather was warming up as we walked to Temple Bar. There was a crowd outside and we thought we would not be able to getin but most were just taking pictures. J. R. held back near a table that appeared to be leaving but Janie found one being cleaned so she snagged it. We were seating near two sets of fellow Georgia Tech fans as we ate pizza and had a few pints of beer.

Dublin Castle

We walked back towards Dublin Castle, a major Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction in a former motte-and-bailey castle that was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin.

Waterfront

We walked back to our hotel past Trinity College and dropped off our Jameson purchase then headed back across the river to the pop-up store at Epic Irish Immigration Experience to look for some game day gear. We were not impressed with the selection but found a couple of half-zips and a baseball cap for the game. We headed down to the Samuel Beckett Bridge, which is designed in the shape of an Irish harp.

Helluva Pep Rally

There was a pep rally scheduled in the afternoon for the Georgia Tech football team. We showed up a little early to listen to the Irish music but then it turned into just a DJ playing loud music. Eventually the Tech band and cheerleaders and dance team showed up just as the rain began to come down heavily. The storm passed before Andy Demetra, the voice of the Jackets, finished his talk and introduced the team captains and Coach Brent Key. After the pep rally, we were tired and didn't want to go back out, so we just ate in Thyme, the hotel restaurant.

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