Ireland!!!

So after only a few days of being in Wales we had an extended weekend trip to Ireland. We left Bangor around 10am to catch our ferry in Holyhead. The ferry ride wasn't bad at all it lasted just under two hours. We arrived in Dublin around 2pm on Wednesday September the 7th. We checked into our hostel and went on a quick walk around Dublin to become somewhat familiar with the city. After that we pretty much had free time until the next morning when we had a more in-depth tour of the city. The first night a few of us went to a pub across the street to experience Irish food where most people got fish and chips and I got Shepard's Pie! Which was delicious.

Us outside the Guinness Brewery!

The next morning our program director took all 29 of us on a walking tour of Dublin showing us Trinity College in Dublin which in the Library houses the Book of Kells. It is also home to one of the three globe within a globes. (The three locations are Trinity College, Vatican City, and The UN in New York.) Next we ventured around to see various statues, monuments, and the historic knockers and knobs (Hardware on the oldest houses in Dublin).  After this long tour we split up and some of us went and toured the Guinness Brewery, which is a pretty cool building even though beer is the most vile tasting substance ever.

Our group at Trinity College

Friday morning we took a tour of the Trinity College Library and the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is"an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of theNew Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created by Celtic monks ca. 800 or slightly earlier. The text of the Gospels is largely drawn from the Vulgate, although it also includes several passages drawn from the earlier versions of the Bible known as the Vetus Latina. It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of Insular illumination. It is also widely regarded as Ireland's finest national treasure."(Wikipedia)
That afternoon we left for our second destination which was Galway! Galway is a beautiful coastal city that has an amazingly beautiful cathedral. Where the first night was pretty laid back a bunch of groups made big dinners in the amazing kitchen that the hostel had. 

A few of us looking down into the Atlantic Ocean

Saturday morning we hopped on the bus which took us to another Ferry that took us over to Inishmor the largest of the Aran Islands. Where we got to bike around all day and visit the Dun Aengus, where you pretty much feel like you are on the edge of the world. We hiked up to the top of the 600 ft. cliffs. The view from them is honestly breathe taking. The only thing more breathe taking is laying on the edge looking down the cliffs straight into the Atlantic Ocean. Even though it was kind of a rainy day biking around the island was a blast.

The Cliffs Of Moher

Dunguaire Castle Ledge around the top. Very Narrow

Sunday was a chillaxed day with a trip around to Dunguarie Castle and The Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher where pretty cool but I have to say that I love Dun Aengus a lot better! Sunday was a long day due to the fact that some of us decided to stay up all night so that we would be tired for our 3am bus ride back to Dublin to catch our ferry home. When we did arrive back in Bangor I was there an entire 17 hours before starting my next adventure!