The Commitments

As we drove into Dublin, I wondered if I would feel a kindred connection to the Irish.  Would my Irish roots feel a tug?  In the Heraldic Shop I found the "Downey" family history and crest. 

There is always a little rush when you see your name in print.  Even though I am a fifth generation Canadian, was the little flutter more than just seeing my name?  As we drove passed the River Liffey and the Irish Famine Memorial I couldn't help but feel a little tug on the heart strings.



Irish Famine Memorial along the River Liffey.

I went to a traditional Irish night with dinner, music and Irish dancing.   The venue was an old Irish building with a thatched roof (think dried grass).  

Thatched roof building - is thatch really that good, or do they keep repairing it so it doesn't leak?

The show was pretty cheesy but the lead singer was hilarious.  He told us that his cousin came to Canada and saw a sign that said  "Drink Canada Dry" and he almost died trying.

Three man Irish band.

One of the cute Irish dancers picked Greggy Poo to join her on stage.  I guess I'm not the only one who finds him irresistible!

Irish dancers - the photo of Greg dancing didn't turn out (:-(

What would a trip to Dublin be without Guinness.  The tour of the Guinness factory was surprisingly good - not just another tourist trap.  They incorporated many modern features to the tour that keep you interested and engaged.  As if free beer isn't enough to keep most tourists engaged!

An old milling machine.

The exhibit on how to make the old wooden kegs showed that it is a lost art.

Guinness is a dry stout beer and the dark colour is a result of roasting the barley.  The nice, thick head on the beer is because there is nitrogen in the mix, not just carbon dioxide.   I was led to believe that Guinness was served at room temperatures - this is not true.  My first taste of Guinness was a good one - it was cold and tastes better than it looks!  There is a hint of coffee and chocolate flavour because of the roasted barley.

The top floor of the Guinness museum has a pub with some of the most beautiful views of Dublin.

In the top floor bar of the Guinness factory.

My favorite view in Dublin.

Dublin at Dusk.

 Did you know that Guinness beer started the Guinness Book of World Records? 

My favorite part of Dublin was certainly the Temple Bar  district.  This is a set of streets filled with pubs, bars, restaurants, shopping and TONS OF PEOPLE.  The night we were there, the Irish Leinster Rugby team was competing in the semi-finals against France (Toulouse).  The entire Temple Bar area was packed by 8 pm.  Much to Greg's frustration, I picked the busiest bar I could find:  the Auld Dubliner. 

Temple Bar district.
(I did not go to the Leprechaun museum, I must have run out of time)

Amongst the frenzy were rugby fans in blue (Leinster) and red (Toulouse) with  various forms of costumes, get-ups, fanatic attire and wigs -  and a two-man band.  We pushed our way to the bar for a drink, just as the band started to play U2's "With or Without You".  Ahhhh...listening to U2 in an Irish pub is as good as it gets.  I was teary eyed before I finished my drink. 

Very small, very crowded pub, can you spot the black afro wigs in the very back?

Unlike everyone else in the bar, I was sober.  In fact, the craziness was such that I couldn't even tell who won the rugby match.  People dressed in blue and the people dressed in red were equally drunk and appeared to be equally celebrating in their ballet leotards and superhero costumes.  (For the die-hard rugby fans reading this, Leinster was victorious).

Dublin's River Liffey at night.

There are some beautiful views in Dublin.  As we walked down O'Connell Street to St. Stephen's park, I once again sang Molly Malone as we passed her statue. And then I sang it again, and again...

Molly Malone showing off her cockle shells.