A Trip to the Emerald Isle- Four Days in Ireland

By Anastasia Kaliabakos

In my 21 years, I have not done much traveling. I often joke with my friends that I would have loved to be a wealthy 18th-century European man who could partake in a “Grand Tour”- a trip through Europe granted to upper-class young men when they had come of age (21 years old). Alas – the constraints of modern life, both monetary and responsibility-wise, prevent me from probably ever doing such an impressive trip. However, a couple of weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to travel to Ireland with my two godsisters, their mother, and my mother for four days over the course of my college Easter break. In a break from my traditional historical or political articles, I wanted to take this unique opportunity to catalog my trip to the Emerald Isle and impart what I have learned about the importance of cultural exposure upon my readers.

Blarney Castle, County Cork. Photo credit: Anastasia Kaliabakos

After a six-and-a-half-hour flight from Newark, NJ to Dublin, we five native New Yorkers, albeit sleep-deprived and jetlagged, were prepared to take on the capital of Ireland and all it had to offer. We dropped off our luggage at our hotels and immediately embarked on a quest to find a coffee shop. Upon a local’s recommendation, we stumbled upon a gem on Pearse Street called Bread 41. After fueling up on pastries and coffees, we walked around the city for a few hours, stopping by the famous Grafton Street for some shopping and Dublin Castle (which, to our immense disappointment, did not really look like a castle) for some typical tourism. Later on in the afternoon, we made our way to the Guinness Storehouse, where we were able to learn all about how Guinness, the most popular beer in Ireland, is made and distributed. Towards the top of the storehouse, we had the opportunity to learn how to pour a proper pint of Guinness and enjoy it while looking over the Dublin skyline. After that, we made our way to dinner and then back to our hotels. The street we were staying on, Fleet Street, was lined with many pubs, including the famous Temple Bar, so before bed, we were able to hear the authentic nightlife of Dublin from above.

Saint Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh. Photo credit: Anastasia Kaliabakos

The next day, we woke up around 5:30 am to make it to a tour bus that would take us to the other side of Ireland! We drove a couple of hours (passing the famous Barack Obama Plaza on the way) to the Cliffs of Moher. The views at the cliffs were absolutely breathtaking. We spent over an hour walking along the walls that lined the cliffs, taking in the natural beauty that surrounded us. I had never seen such a vibrant green landscape in my life. Afterwards, we went to a cute town called Doolin Village for lunch, and subsequently made our way to the Burren, which is a karst landscape of bedrock incorporating a vast cracked pavement of glacial-era limestone, with cliffs and caves, fossils, rock formations and archaeological sites. After exploring the rocks at the Burren, we made our way to Galway, where I had fantastic Irish Soda Bread ice cream and was able to see the Spanish Arch (or “Sparch” for short). After taking the bus back to Dublin, we walked around to find a place to eat and once again were able to see a lot of pub life on the way.

The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare. Photo credit: Anastasia Kaliabakos

Trinity College Library, Dublin. Photo credit: Anastasia Kaliabakos

On day three, we visited Blarney Castle in County Cork. We were able to tour the castle and the gardens surrounding it, and even got to kiss the Blarney Stone, which is supposed to bring the kissers eloquence, according to legend. After perusing the castle, we explored County Cork, and even got to visit the Titanic Experience in lovely seaside town called Cobh, since it is known as the Titanic’s last port of call in 1912. Upon our return to Dublin, we took the TRAM for the first time and harkened back to our Greek heritage by dining at a Greek taverna called Mykonos.

On our final day, we visited Trinity College Dublin and took a tour of the Book of Kells exhibit and the Trinity College Library, meeting up with a friend of mine who is studying there on the way. It was incredible to see the library in person, and I even found out that the library was the inspiration for the Jedi Archives in Star Wars. We then headed to the Dublinia Viking Museum, where we were able to learn about the history of Vikings in Ireland. I was even able to dress up in Viking armor! For lunch, we attempted to eat at Darkey Kelly’s, a pub named after an alleged female serial killer who was burned at the stake in 1761. However, we could not get a table and ended up eating at a pub close by, where I was able to eat an authentic Irish meal of Beef and Guinness stew. We then took a tour at the Jameson Distillery and even got to take part in a whiskey tasting (I personally did not like anything I tried, but I am sure whiskey enjoyers love that aspect of the tour). We ended our last day with shopping for Irish sweaters and a trip to Temple Bar for a pint of Orchard Thieves and some live music. I had never been to a bar before, so it was fun to have that first experience in another country.

Overall, I learned I would definitely want to visit Ireland again. It is such a beautiful country with such a rich cultural history. I was amazed at all the information I was able to learn about the history of Ireland in such a short amount of time and realized that I still have so much more to be exposed to. I also discovered how important it is to experience different cultures for yourself, especially in the often polarizing and stratified world we live in today. We only have one life, and it is good to put ourselves out there to learn as much as we can about our world and about the other people who inhabit it along with us.

Anastasia “Stacey” Kaliabakos is a current senior and Dana Scholar at the College of the Holy Cross. She is double majoring in classics and philosophy and is a member of the college’s Honors Program. On campus, Stacey is the Chief Opinions Editor of The Spire, co-Editor-in-Chief of the Parnassus Classical Journal, and co-President of the Delta Lambda chapter of the national Eta Sigma Phi Classics Honors Society. Anastasia has been featured in NEO Magazine, The National Herald, and The WestView News.