Phoenix Park, Jameson Distillery, and the Gorgeous Cliffs of Howth

Hi all!

I have been in Ireland one week today and it has been one hectic week! I can say that I already am in love with this city and its people. We have explored much of the city including both tourist hot spots and local hidden gems alike. The program has offered us a lot of opportunities to learn about Irish culture and tradition so far.

This past Friday all the Elon students took the Luas a bit outside the city to a local sports "pitch." In Ireland a "pitch" refers to a field. At the field, a local semi-professional player taught us the rules and basics of both Gaelic Football and Hurling before taking us out to the pitch to learn how to play. Below is a picture of the field where we played!

 

On Saturday we had our first free day so a few of us headed out to Phoenix park. After an hour long walk we arrived in the park and laid in the grass with exhaustion! Once we regained some energy, we explored the enchanting gardens and ventured to the Wellington Monument where we relaxed and listened to a man playing acoustic guitar. 

          Me, Madeline, Megan, and Maggie in the gardens at Phoenix park

The Wellington Monument

                                                      

 Next we trekked back towards the Liffey and went to the Jameson whiskey distillery. The distillery no longer produces whiskey but it has been recreated to display how the distillery operated under John Jameson & son. After we followed the distillation process to the end, Madeline and I were chosen to be whiskey taste testers. We were given scotch whiskey, American whiskey (which we were told was Jack Daniels), and of course, Jameson whiskey. We tasted each of the three, voted on our favorite (mine was honestly the Jameson), and presented with an Expert Taster Certificate!
   
                                     

Madeline and I with our Taster Certificates

On Sunday, our program provided a group trip to the lovely seaside cliffs of Howth. We arrived in the afternoon by train to a sunny, beautiful day. Upon arrival we headed to the water to see the seals that swim right up to the docks! We then walked over to the local Farmer's Market where we ate dumplings and shrimp from the Malaysian stand and bought mini cupcakes at the sweets stand! I ate an Irish Strawberry cupcake that was to die for. We then headed up the hill to the cliffs where we hiked up a rocky path on the edge of the cliff! The views were absolutely incredible. We were so lucky to have such a beautiful day! Our tour guide was so patient with all of our obnoxious tourist shenanigans but after all the commotion I came away with some fantastic photos!

Shannon, Brette, and I with our mini cupcakes

The cliffs of Howth

                                         

                                                     

Our first trip outside of Dublin was wonderful and after a small taste of rural Ireland, I can't wait to explore the rest of the countryside! Right now I'm off to do a food trail! It's kind of like a scavenger hunt but we explore the different restaurants and vendors throughout Dublin. If you know me you know that I am a huge food enthusiast so I'm very excited for this. Thanks for checking out my blog, hopefully I'll have more to add soon! Cheers

Week 1

Greetings from Dublin!

This has been the busiest 72 hours of my life but I'm finally settling in!

Monday we got here and took a neighborhood tour of the area. There are so many cute coffee shops and small pubs to explore nearby and Grafton Street isn't too far of a walk from my dorm. I am living with another Elon student and two French students! They speak English pretty well so we mainly speak English considering how badly my French has gone down hill.

Tuesday we had orientation at the Dublin Business School. There are about 40 students from Elon studying here and I don't know most of them, so it's been great getting to meet new friends! After orientation, the FIE program took us out to a delicious three-course dinner at a fancy French restaurant. It was absolutely delicious! The girls and I then proceeded to head out to a nearby pub called Whelan's which is the pub from P.S. I Love You! We recognized the pub as we explored and even saw Gerard Butler's autograph on the wall by the bar! I had my first regular Bulmer's there and it was delicious (I lovee the cider). I also tried a Carlsberg which was also good (but not a cider). The local Irish folks were so friendly and fun to talk to. It was a great first night out at the pub!

Today we went on a double-decker bus tour of the city. The sun was shining for most of the day which made for beautiful scenery and great picture-taking! We saw Saint Stephen's Green, Saint Patrick's Church, Phoenix park, and obviously many of the colorful buildings and doors characteristic of Dublin. 

The most beautiful Georgian door in Dublin! The ivy had all turned because of the Fall weather and was a brilliant crimson color. Also, we had the most beautiful weather to take pictures!

 Saint Patrick's Cathedral! The gardens here were absolutely fantastic.

Megan, Jon, and I at the gardens. This was during our Dublin City bus tour! 


We've been going from one thing to the next so far and have certainly been tossed into city life here in Dublin. Tonight we had our first class and focused on Irish politics and their comparison to those in the U.S. I am looking forward to having a set class schedule so I can start getting to know my professors and start really exploring the city and the countryside! That's it for now, I'm exhausted after last night at the pub so I should go to bed. I'll add more soon!