Portlaoise

We've just spent 2 days in Portlaoise, and probably had the most authentic Portlaoise experience we could have ever received, thanks to Brian's uncle John Joe. We stayed in the same house Christy grew up in, though there have been some modifications to what used to be a 3 room house that Christy's parents and their 8 kids shared once upon a time. John Joe was an awesome tour guide during the day, and hosted endless moontalk sessions in the evening when Paddy, Tommy and Michael headed round for Guiness, Smithwicks and whiskey with 7up.

After 2 days exploring the (little!) town where Brian was born, we covered off a few things that had been on our Portlaoise bucket list:

• Visited Gings Hardware (a relation somewhere along the line)
• Got an education in 'hurling' (most vicious sport ever - YouTube it!) and even visited one of John Joes friends who makes hurls in his workshop
• Finally got to visit the Bog, despite being warned by cousins not to get my hopes up. John Joe the Bog guru explained the whole process of collecting the turf for the turf fires most people have in their homes. After years of hearing about the Bog, I can tick that off the list!

Things we've loved about Portlaoise:

• Watching the comedy show that is John Joe, Paddy, Tommy and Michael. Just don't expect any form of decision from them when they're together.
• Catching up with Keith, Sarah, Robbie and Brian and meeting Robert, Miriam, Helena and Anita for the first time.
• John Joe's dog Snipe
• Breakfast frys and Irish tea
• The one beautiful day of weather we got before it dropped down to freezing again!
• Getting the full guided tour of Portlaoise from John Joe

We had such a good time and everyone made us feel so welcome. Thanks to everyone who dropped in, took us out for a drink or showed us around. A special thanks to John Joe, who was an amazing host to us.

Kobi and Brian

Lunch at O'Loughlans


Drinks with the cousins

At the Bog

Brian and John Joe at Greenmill Lane

Snipe

In John Joe's kitchen

Gings Hardware

Hurls in production

Dried turf at the Bog

The Bog

Doing a bog at The Bog

Moontalk

Dublin

We've arrived safely in Dublin after 28 hours of flying and stopovers, and despite putting on our thermals and puffer jackets at the airport, the cold was like a slap in the face when we walked outside. With temperatures ranging from 1 to 7 degrees this week it's been interesting getting dressed in the morning! We need to make sure we are fully dressed at exactly the same time, otherwise one person sits on the bed cooking in their jacket while the other potters around the room. Walking around in the cold has been a fun novelty, but I don't know how people do it everyday - the dogs here don't even wear jackets, it's nuts!

Things we've loved about Dublin:

•  Visiting Phoenix Park, which is twice the size of New York's Central Park and six times the size of  London's Hyde Park. Had to laugh at the story about the Dublin City Council removing the gates to the park for a huge catholic pilgrimage decades ago, and then forgetting where they stored them. To this day, still no gates!
• Visiting the second highest obelisk in the world (after the Washington Memorial) dedicated to the first Irishman to become the British Prime Minister. He wasn't proud of being Irish, and once said in parliament "Just because you were born in the stable, doesn't make you a horse", to which another parliamentarian replied "No, but it might make you an ass". 
• Learning about Arthur Guinness and the 21 children he had with his wife Ruth. Apparently his wife was a bit deaf, and when Arthur got into bed each night he said to Ruth "Well are you going to go to sleep or what?" she would reply "what?"
• Visiting the Guinness storehouse where Brian volunteered to be taught how to pour Guinness first, and didn't get it right so the teacher poured his out and made him start again (and this guy was born in Ireland?!) We both passed and graduated from the Guinness Academy, got our certificate and our free pint, which I drank 4 sips of and gave to Brian. It wasn't as bad as I thought...if I liked beer I probably would've enjoyed it! 
• Visiting the Jameson Distillery for the lowdown on Irish whiskey. Had an awesome guide named Niall. Actually all the guides here are awesome, Irishmen are seriously born to be tour guides - they get to talk all day long, make bad jokes and play Irish songs over the PA system. Anyway, we learnt about Jameson and got a free glass the end... I got mine with ginger ale and lime which  was actually really good! But I ordered it in a pub that night and it was so strong I had to give it to Brian. Not a big bad Jameson drinker after all. Back on the Bulmers now. 
• Tom Cruise mania in Dublin as he was here to promote his movie Oblivion. Funny how many people we heard say they were excited but couldn't stand him. 
• The famine memorial
• Trinity College and the Book of Kells
• St Patricks Cathedral

The best bits?

• Catching up with Mike, Suzie, Keith and Ruth for dinner, and then drinks at the Foggy Dew
• The way the Irish pronounce Brian 'Brine'
• The amazing singers in every Temple Bar pub who sing the best covers and the funnest Irish songs (usually incorporating a 'hey di I di ayy!) 
• The price of alcohol (no wonder people are always in the pubs!) 
• Hearing Irish accents all day long
• Irish brown bread
• The coloured doors and fancy doorknockers everywhere 
• The restaurant 'Bad Ass Burrito Bar' with the slogan 'want some Ass?'
• The tours of the Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery, Kilmainham Jail
• Walking through St Stephens Green where Brian's parents used to spend time when they first met in Ireland

Despite never being so cold in my whole life, Dublin has charmed the pants off us - its just so quirky, friendly and fun. Have loved every minute! Off to Port Laoise tomorrow to see Gings, Nolans and O'Reillys.

Keep warm,

Kobi and Brian

Our Guinness Academy graduation certificates

At the Jameson Distillery

 

The Long Hall at the Book of Kells, Trinity College


St Stephens Green

The Lead Up

It's 34 sleeps until we head off on our big adventure!

The house is packed up, the tenants are moving in today, we're officially based in Busselton at the Gings, but crashing at friends' houses during the week to avoid driving to Bunbury every day.

Two and a half weeks of work left, and we're getting pretty excited. Packing our suitcases is a bit daunting, but looking forward to finishing work, spreading everything out on the floor, and getting the packing done.

Bring on April 1st!!