F.U.N. in D.U.B.L.I.N

Well, I may not have went down through Dublin city at the hour of twelve at night or spied a Spanish Lady, but spending the weekend walking through the streets, shops, and sights has had a profound impact on me.
We arrived at our hotel and checked in. We got our room assignments and were able to go to our rooms! It was sweet because the beds were super comfortable! I am going to tell you that I had the best night sleep ever in the bed that I had. Okay - hold on - this is not a tale about my slumber.
All my life, I have heard stories and songs of Dublin city. I have heard about the events but now I was standing in history! Here are some of the things that I saw while in Dublin:

1. Ha'penny Bridge - While I was walking to a bar called Pravda, the group that I was with and I crossed over this bridge. It is the most famous of all the Dublin bridges because it was built in 1816 and was the first iron bridge in all of Ireland. As I was walking over, although it was chilly, I couldn't help but stop and look across the water. Just that sight of Dublin all colorful and lit while being reflected in the moving water was something no artist, poet, or photographer could capture. It was just there and it was so beautiful!
2. Guinness Factory - How can one go to Dublin and not see the factory where history was made? When my brother was studying in London, he went to Dublin for a weekend and traveled to the Guinness Factory. He said he'd never seen anything like it! When I went, I saw how Guinness was created, what it was created from, and the history of Arthur Guinness (the founding father of Guinness beer). The entire factory is in the shape of a pint which I found most humorous! It was quite clever really. The complimentary Guinness was the best tasting Guinness I've had in a long time!
3. GPO - This was not a long visit but Tom Keith just wanted us to see one of the most historical sites in the city of Dublin. It was the site of the 1916 uprising and I could still see the bullet holes in the pillars! There's a memorial statue inside to the brave men who fought for independence!
4. Trinity College~Book of Kells - This was a very special trip for me because when I was little, my grandpa McNamara would always talk of the Book of Kells and what it meant. He said he'd never seen it but that it was his hope that he would be able to before he died. He never made the trip. So while I was standing at the display case looking down at the brilliant colors and texts, I thought of my grandpa and how happy he would have been to be standing there with me. I really liked the pictures and the artwork of the Book too. But the Long Hall was spectacular! Thousands of books on shelves that were so worn you couldn't even read the titles!
5. Parliament - The Parliament building was much like what we have in Washington, DC except it had European influence (obviously). The chamber looked like the meeting place for the representatives of Congress and there was another chamber that was very similar to the Senate seats. It was very cool to see the leaders of Ireland and think of the similarities and the differences between their country and ours.
6. Kilmainham Jail - I heard a song about Kilmainham Jail called Grace. While there, I saw the cells, the execution wall, and what solitary was like. It reminded me of Alcatraz Penn in San Francisco a good deal. I really enjoyed being there! It was spooky and historical! Nothing beats that!