Ireland:

Around the time we arrived in Dublin, I was beginning to get very sick from something I had caught in London. This restricted my exploration a bit in Ireland, however, we still had time to see plenty of amazing things. Of course, the Guinness Storehouse is a must see in Dublin:

I had no idea!

I also had no idea that the world record books were formed after an argument between a Guinness director and friends over what the fastest game bird in the world was. I didn't even know there was an affiliation.

Here is a shot from the "Gravity Bar" at the top of the storehouse which provides a 360 degree view of Dublin.

The storehouse was great because it combined the history of Guinness in Ireland, the process through which Guinness is brewed, the history of Guinness advertising, and of course, a free pint, all into one day's tour. Another interesting visit was to Kilmainham Gaol, the old jail in Dublin. The jail once housed incredibly famous historic figures from the days of the Easter Rising, the Irish Civil War, and earlier decades, many of whom were executed at the jail. It was surreal seeing some of their graffiti and cells, all of which are marked now for tour purposes. The jail tour was also guided which was cool (and actually pretty unusual from my experiences thus far) because our guide was exceedingly knowledgeable. Here are some photos:

This formula was part of the then-new long drop hanging method with which, given an individual's height and weight, executioners could calculate the proper drop necessary to break a prisoners neck without decapitating them, thus avoiding prolonged struggle and pain or a gruesome spectacle. As twisted as it sounds, the system was actually developed by medical professionals with very humane intentions.

This is a cell from the oldest part of the jail (1796)

This wing was added to the jail decades later

Artwork inside the cell of Grace Gifford, wife of the revolutionary Joseph Plunkett who was executed in 1916 following the Easter Rising.

Some prisoners were executed against this wall by firing squad, as marked by the cross.

Now that I have successfully ruined your appetites, we'll move on to some less grim material... One of the nicer days we took a walk to the Dublin "Castle" (it really isn't a castle anymore) and the campus of Trinity College in Dublin:

The flags of all the Irish counties line the castle

And while the city of Dublin is very cool, the reality is that the countryside is where Ireland blows most of the world's nations out of the water: 

We made a visit to a traditional Irish cattle farm in the Burren, a unique rocky landscape in County Clare.

The weather wasn't exactly perfect during our stay, and the Cliffs of Moher were cold, wet, and windy, but nonetheless spectacular.

I can't remember the name of this castle for my life, sorry. Cool location though, huh?

My picture taking was a little better in Ireland; however, I still missed out on pictures from the National Archaeological Museum, the Irish Wax Museum, the Irish Natural History Museum, and a few others. We also visited a ton of cool pubs, both new and old, from which I have no photos. I guess you'll all have to go to Ireland to make up for it then; I would highly recommend it. The friendly atmosphere in Irish pubs (and on the streets too, for that matter) is truly unparalleled. Sigi and I had a ton of laughs and met tremendous people. My only regret is not exploring more of the countryside, which in truth was a result of me being sick for a while. Still, there is always time to return...