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This past weekend, I went on my second trip out of the country, to a place that I have been longing to go to for years… IRELAND!!!

I am 50% Irish and I was an Irish Step Dancer for almost eight years, so naturally I had to go visit the homeland. So, my friend Phil and I left a rainy Barcelona early Friday morning and arrived in sunny, beautiful Dublin.

As soon as we checked into our hostel, we decided to head to the center of town to get some lunch. As luck would have it, we happened to choose the same restaurant that some of our friends were at, so we ate with them then decided to go to the Guinness Storehouse together for a tour of the factory. It was very similar to the Heineken factory that I went to when I was in Amsterdam, but interesting itself all the same. The best part was the 360-degree view of the city that was at the end of the tour of the storehouse. It was the top most floor of the building, and offered breathtaking views of the entire city.

As we made our way back to the hostel, we passed the beautiful Christ Church Cathedral, which was founded in 1028, and St. Audoen’s Church, which was built in 1190 and is Dublin’s Oldest Medieval Parish Church. After a quick nap at the hostel, we went out for the night with our friends on a pub-crawl, and had a fabulous first night in Dublin.

The next morning, Phil, our friend Hendrik and I set out on a mission to get to Kilmainham Gaol, a jail from 1796, but on the way found the National Museum of Ireland of Decorative Arts and History, so we decided to go in a look around. This museum is housed in an old army barracks, so it was HUGE! Inside we saw some cool things from the history of Ireland, such as old army uniforms and equipment, old scientific instruments, furniture, and clothing. My favorite part was the exhibition of ancient stone crosses, which had crosses that were over 1,000 years old.

After the museum (and quite a lengthy walk), we finally made it to Kilmainham Gaol. This old jail housed many common criminals, but also those that were involved in rebellions against the British when Ireland was owned and controlled by Great Britain. Although some parts such as the floorboards and metal grates have been restored, it was really interesting to see a jail from so long ago.

After visiting the jail we made our way to Trinity College, whose beautiful campus sits in the middle of the city. We then made our way through the city center to the incredible Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, a sight that I refused to leave Dublin without seeing. Unfortunately it was quite dark once we finally got there, but this glorious cathedral was mighty and beautiful all the same. Afterwards, we met friends at Ireland’s oldest pub, The Brazen Head, which has been there since 1198!

Although it was short-lived, I loved my weekend in Dublin. If I would have known how much I was going to love Ireland, I would have planned my trip for a longer weekend, and I would have travelled to other areas of the country such as Galway, Belfast, and Cork. Since I didn’t get the opportunity to see these places, now I have an excuse to go back again!!

Location: Dublin, Ireland