This week we had some very rememberable trips such as Irish House Party, Gaelic games, and the Guinness factory. The Irish House Party started with a 3-course meal which was prepared perfectly. After a nice long meal everyone proceeded to the lower level of the restaurant. Here they had chairs spread out throughout the room and a big stage in the middle. At first the stage was empty and people filing in focused on getting drinks from the bar in the corner, but as soon as the musicians and dancer appeared on stage everyone’s attention shifted. Before this, I had not ever listened to traditional Irish music. The main singer was very charismatic and good at involving the audience into the music, and when it came time for the dancer started a traditional Irish jig, the room was silenced. By the end of this night, I had learned 50 percent of an Irish song and heard traditional music for the first time. On Saturday, we attended the Gaelic games and I learned how to play both Hurling and Gaelic football at the same time. These were both firsts for me, so it was very interesting to see how the rules and way it’s played differed from American sports. Both these sports have significance to Irish culture and are the most common past times for people all over the country. Something interesting about Gaelic games is that, wherever someone is born is the club they will play for. This makes it so that not players are able to switch clubs, and the result is people just play for the passion of the game. Fans from all over the country come to watch the semi-finals and the championship of these sports. Interestingly enough, the semis for both Gaelic football and hurling are on these upcoming weekends. Finally, we had the Guinness factory tour. During this tour, we learned about the history of Guinness as well as how it is created. I learned that it is a multistep process that takes a while before it is ready to be consumed. As Guinness is the most famous drink around Ireland, I thought it was fitting that I finally understood how it was made. I also heard a fact, not sure if it is confirmed or not, but I heard that some employee made a mistake when making the Guinness and when he was done, the guests enjoyed it so much that they kept his mistake. Overall a very fun week with so many new experiences.
Hurling face off at the Gaelic games!!
Watching the performance of the Irish House Party. Fantastic experience.
Very cool glass Guinness symbol hanging down. Very interesting art!!
The entrance to the Irish Whiskey Museum.
