On our way to the Guinness Storehouse this morning, we passed by St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Founded in 1191, it is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland (which is not Catholic). It is the tallest and largest church in Ireland. Between Henry VIII and Cromwell, the Catholic Church has lost many of its churches.
We arrived at the Guinness Storehouse abound 9:00 am for our tour. The beer has been produced at St. James Gate Brewery since 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease for the property as well as water rights from the Wicklow and the Dublin mountain ranges. We learned the process of combining barley, yeast, hops and water to brew Guinness.
Next, we entered the tasting room where we were give a wee glass of Guinness. Before we could take our first sip, we were given instructions on how to get the most out our of our tasting. Since I don’t usually like dark beer, I was surprised I like it.
On the Advertising floor, we enjoyed the humor used in their advertising campaigns over the years.
The fish was actually pedaling the bicycle. Notice the message in the lower left corner, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.”
We ended our tour in the Gravity Bar which has a great 360 degree view of Dublin. We were offered a pint of Guinness or a soft drink. Since it was only 10:00 am by this time, I opted for my usual morning Diet Coke.
While making our way to Kilkenny, we stopped in Glendalough for a hike around the remains of one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. This early medieval monastic settlement was founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Ireland’s great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 AD.
The Round Tower was a bell tower in the monastery used to summon the monks to prayer. Notice that the doorway is about 12 feet above ground. Some say this was to help the monks escape Viking attacks by allowing them to climb the ladder then pull it up after them to prevent the enemy from entering.
In the picture below you can see the Tower, St. Kevin’s Church aka St Kevin’s Kitchen, and the remains of the Cathedral, the largest of 7 churches in Glendalough. The setting of the monastery was beautiful and was surrounded by hiking trails to lakes and other points of interest.
After we arrived in Kilkenny, we had a lovely dinner at our hotel with our fellow travelers. Tomorrow I look forward to exploring the town, including the Kilkenny Castle.
No comments:
Post a Comment