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Brandon O'Brien

Travel and Adventure Journal

I wanted a place to journal all my travels and adventures around the world. I always enjoy going back and reflecting on my past travels and getting to relive them through my words and photos.

You're reading posts I wrote on July 2 throughout the years. Return home.
Goodbye Dublin, Hello Kilkenny

Goodbye Dublin, Hello Kilkenny

Tuesday, July 2, 2013 @ 7:05 PM in 2013 Europe

Day 6

I arrived in Dublin during a downpour and left Dublin during a downpour. Fortunately I only had some rare light showers during most of my stay there and it hadn't started raining yet when I left for the bus station. I did most of my packing and organizing last night so this morning all I had to do was eat breakfast and take off.

The bus terminal was a short walk from my hostel and I made it there around 9:30am. Unfortunately I didn't realize there was also a 9:30 bus but I was just a few minutes late for it. I ended up hanging out at the bus station until 11:30 when the bus I originally planned on was set to leave. By the time I was getting on the bus it was raining pretty hard. I thought for sure I'd be in the rain all the way to Kilkenny but fortunately it let up by the time I got about 45 minutes outside of town.

It was still very overcast by the time I got to Kilkenny so I made my way to the hostel to get checked in and drop off my pack. It ended up being about a 20 minute walk through town from the bus station but it wasn't too bad. I got to the hostel and checked in and set off to explore a little bit.

On my way into town I passed by the Smithwick's Brewery Tour at the St. Francis Abbey brewery. For 10 euros I got a 1 hour guided tour through the facility and the old St. Francis Abbey. Afterwards I got a complimentary pint of Smithwick's Pale Ale.

Most of the brewing is done off location at the St. James Gate (Guinness brewery) in Dublin. They said that they're going to finally halt all production here by the end of the year and take everything down. I'm glad I was able to see the tour while it was still up and running.

It was about dinner time when I got out of the tour. I saw a Turkish Kebab place when I was walking around earlier so I thought I'd give that a shot. I was craving something filling and cheap and this definitely hit the spot. I had a mix of lamb and chicken and they also served it with some sauces, onions, cabbage and lettuce. It was a huge amount but I ate the whole thing.

The weather looks a little iffy so I might just stay in at the hostel tonight. Kilkenny is definitely more laid back than Dublin was and I don't really see there being too much happening on a random Tuesday night. The hostel also seems pretty empty but so far the majority of the people staying here seem to be Americans.

I booked this hostel for 2 nights but might extend my stay here after hearing about how I can rent a bike and ride out of the town a bit to see some sights.

Teaser photos:

Busaras Terminal in Dublin
Busaras Terminal in Dublin
Kilkenny Castle and River Nore
Kilkenny Castle and River Nore
St Francis Abbey
St Francis Abbey
Pint of Smithwick's after the brewery tour
Pint of Smithwick's after the brewery tour

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Tags: daily journal, ireland, kilkenny

Posted from: Ireland

Observations so far

Tuesday, July 2, 2013 @ 9:44 AM in 2013 Europe

These are random things I've noticed in my 5 days in Dublin (in no particular order.)

  1. It seems like everyone smokes here. Definitely different than in the states.
  2. Dublin seems to be filled with tourists.
  3. native languages of people staying at my hostel: #1 - Spanish, #2 - German, #3 - French, #4 - English
  4. Seeing someone who's overweight is a rarity.
  5. So far I haven't come across any other long term travelers. Everyone is here in Dublin for a short time to party.
  6. Fresh fruit means apples, bananas or oranges. Finding anything else is either really rare or extremely expensive.
  7. Buying a bottle of beer is cheaper than a bottle of orange juice

Tags: observations,

Posted from: Ireland