Sabbatikos

We bought tickets to see the Book Of Kells at Trinity College, as well as made reservations at the Guinness Storehouse months before leaving for Ireland. Advanced tickets and reservations are a must for both these venues.

We strolled around the beautiful campus of Trinity College as we made our way to see the Book of Kells, a 1200-year-old ornately illustrated book of the four Gospels of the New Testament. It is said to be one of most exquisite examples of medieval Christian art. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photos of it and only two pages are on display at any one time. While the historical significance wasn’t lost on us, we were generally underwhelmed.

Part of our tour also included the library at Trinity College, known as the Long Room, which is a breathtaking architectural and literary landmark. Built in the early 18th century, the main chamber extends over 200 feet in length. The Long Room features a barrel-vaulted ceiling that adds to its grandeur, with wooden arches that made you feel you were at a magical Hogwarts Library. Lining the Long Room are usually over 200,000 of the library’s oldest books, displayed on two levels of dark oak shelves and surrounded by a prominent collection of busts depicting notable philosophers, writers, and historical figures. Unfortunately, many of the shelves were empty as the books and shelves were undergoing cleaning and restoration.

The Long Room also houses Irish artifacts such as the beautiful Brian Boru Harp, one of Ireland’s oldest surviving harps. This was an apt foreshadowing of next destination – the Guinness Storehouse (who chose this harp as their emblem in 1862).

We chose to walk to the Guinness Storehouse, which, while possible, was much further away than we had realized. But we arrived in time for our reservation and were able to explore the interactive and kinetic exhibits about the history of Guinness, their ingenious marketing, and how their beer is made.

We also attended the Guinness Academy where learned the sacred six-step ritual for how to pour a perfect pint. We also got a chance to enjoy the fruits of our labors and earn our certifications.

Eventually you wind your way up through multiple stories of interesting and engaging exhibits to the Gravity Bar atop the brewery. The Gravity Bar is a circular bar designed with large floor-to-ceiling glass windows, providing 360-degree vistas of Dublin’s skyline, including iconic landmarks like the River Liffey, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Wicklow Mountains in the distance. The view was lovely, although we needed to spread out, and jockey for position as seating is first come first serve. If you see somebody with a near empty pint, be sure to get ready to snag their table. We enjoyed a pint or tow and took in the view before exiting through one of the best gift-shops of branded merchandise I’ve ever been in.

We caught an Uber back to our hotel in Dublin, changed our clothes and headed out for dinner. Tomorrow we planned to rent a car and drive outside of Dublin to visit the Game of Thrones Studios in Northern Ireland. Little did we “Knowth” this would be one of our favorite days in Ireland.