Family Visit

During the last week of November, my parents and my brothers were able to come visit me for a few days, and their trip happened to fall during Thanksgiving (we had Italian food that night).  It is really strange being in a place that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving because it normally served as a buffer to the start of the Christmas season, but in Ireland, the seasonal craziness began the day after Halloween, with trees and lights going up all over the city and commercials and ads popping up all over the place.  My family's trip also coincided with the University of Dublin Choral Society Michaelmas Concert, which was an unexpected, and unplanned, bonus.

UDCS Concert

I was glad that my family got to experience and see Dublin firsthand, and I got to do and see some things that I had yet to do since arriving here in September.  Some of these things included going on a bus tour of the city, visiting the historic Kilmainham Gaol, and going to the Guinness Storehouse.

Learning how to pour the perfect pint, I succeeded, Justin did not.

On the Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour

Interior of Kilmainham Gaol

 

 

 

 

We spent Friday of that week in Northern Ireland, on a bus tour that went along the scenic County Antrim Coast and to the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge (which is a wood and rope bridge suspended 100 feet above the ocean), the Bushmills Distillery, Dunluce Castle, and the Giant's Causeway.

County Antrim Coastline

County Antrim Coastline

County Antrim Coastline

 

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge

Jeremy, Mom, Justin, and Dad on the Bridge

Bushmill's

Dunluce Castle

Giant's Causeway

Giant's Causeway

Giant's Causeway

We capped off the visit with dinner and drinks with the MacNeill and MacDonald families.  I was really happy to see my family and glad that there were able to see Dublin, I know that they are planning a return trip in the spring to hit the links of the Emerald Island, and I am looking forward to going home for the holidays in less than a week.