Our Ireland Adventure Day 2

St. Patrick's Day and Old Jameson Distillery Tour

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. We returned to the Saddle Room at the Shelbourne Hotel for our complimentary breakfast. We were greeted by a very young and enthusiastic server named Patrick. The food and service was excellent. Paul had his usual eggs over easy, a hash brown patty and toast. I enjoyed the house Eggs Benedict. We split a banana for good measure. 

The Old Jameson Distillery tour was next on the agenda. We had purchased a two-day “on and off” bus pass. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, the buses were parked for the day. Therefore we caught a taxi.

We were there early enough for the first tour at 10:00 am. Nigel, our guide was very passionate and knowledgeable about his job. We were both very engaged the entire forty minutes. I now consider myself a Jameson aficionado. The tour ended with a tasting and then a free sample. What a great bargain at 16 euros per person.

We learned that we could not by any alcohol in the city until after noon. Paul and I embarked on a walking tour of Dublin. We headed towards the parade which was schedules to begin at noon. The television estimated that about a half a million people would attend the parade. Our taxi driver thought it would be more like a million.

Not sure who was correct, but there was a horde of people lining the streets everywhere. After a short time, Paul and I settled to watching the parade from the Woolshed Bar and Grill. Since there was no way we could get near enough to view the parade from the street, their big screen tv was the next best thing. 

Back to the Old Jameson Distillery after our lunch. Paul picked out a bottle to have personalized with our name. I found a heavily discounted discontinued T-Shirt. As we were leaving, we discovered an opportunity for a free long-sleeved shirt. It was made even better by the fact that I was able to silk-screen it myself.

We headed back to the hotel only to find out that we could not cross from the north side to the south side of Dublin until the end of the parade. Even the taxi we hailed, apologetically informed us that he could not drive to the Shelbourne until the parade traffic was cleared.

Nevertheless, we finally walked back to the hotel, asking directions from the numerous “Garda Síochána” (Irish Policeman) along the way. Exhausted but happy, we took a nap. 

Then we walked the short distance to Doheny & Nesbitt  for our evening meal. The place was hopping, but they found us a small table. We quickly began conversing with the locals at the next table. The establishment made a special meal to accommodate Paul’s vegetarian needs. Our friends at the next table were very gracious and presented me with a green cap before they left. There was live music at the bar and grill but there was no way to squeeze into the small listening area. Nevertheless he was good.

Tomorrow off to the Guinness Storehouse and our new hotel, the Faithlegg House Hotel. 

Photos from our St. Patrick's Day Dublin Wandering:

Related Posts: 

• Our Ireland Adventure Day 14
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 13
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 12
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 11
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 10
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 9
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 8
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 7
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 6
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 5
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 4
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 3
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 2
• Our Ireland Adventure Day 1