Surprise!!!
What’s too far a distance to travel for a pint of beer and a glass of whiskey? Is 3460 miles too far?
On the occasion of her 30th birthday, our Bridget and her husband Jake, set off to Ireland for a week to mark the special occasion. They were wrapping up their trip to Ireland with two nights in Dublin.
On a spur of the moment decision, with just days to plan, Chris and I decided to fly to Ireland to surprise them at one of our favorite pubs on O’Connell Street in Dublin.
We told NO ONE!
We made reservations at Murray’s Pub for dinner and drinks. We texted Bridget to tell her that we we going to treat them to dinner & drinks at 8:00pm this past Friday. We said that the reservation was under McCafferty and that the pub had our credit card to cover the evening.
On Thursday evening (5/7/26) we boarded a United flight to Dublin. We arrived at 9:40am, took the bus from the airport into the city center, walked around until our 2:00pm check-in time at the Holiday Inn Express, napped, showered and prepared for the big reveal.
When 8:00pm arrived and Bridget & Jake entered the pub, they were guided to the bar seats, and lo and behold, Chris and I were sitting there!!!
Mission accomplished!
In total, we were in Ireland for just 5 nights. It’s by far the shortest trip we’ve ever taken to the Emerald Isle. Bridget and Jake left the day after we arrived.
In true “We RVery Blessed” (Chris & Ken) fashion, we packed A LOT into our days there.
We are creating this post somewhere over the North Atlantic Ocean, enroute to Washington DC and then connecting to South Bend, IN.
Please check out the pictures and photo comments for details of our short excursion to have a pint in Ireland!!!
Why didn’t we stay in Ireland longer? Someone is getting married this Saturday!!!
Almost ready for take-off from O’Hare airport in Chicago. Because we are currently working in SW Michigan, we use South Bend Airport. It is crazy convenient and super efficient.
Almost there!!! Just about 40 minutes to go!
Ahh…the 40 shades of green!!
First stop was at Murray’s Pub to confirm the evening reservation and request specific seats. This is a Rock Shore Lager and a White Label Bushmills whiskey.
Bridget, John and Jake. John is the pub manager and just taught Bridget and Jake how to each “draw” their own pints of Guinness!!
The four of us outside of Murray’s.
On Saturday we took a guided bus tour to Belfast in Northern Ireland to visit the Titanic Museum. The Titanic was built in Belfast by the Harland and Wolff Company. The tour was AMAZING!
This is the slip where the Titanic was built. Those vertical beaks held the hull in place.
This is the Harland and Wolff Administration building. Today it is a hotel. H & W shut down all operations in 2003.
We’re no Leonardo and Kate, but we can play the part!
A photo taken through a “window” of the relic remains of Dunluce Castle (Game of Thrones).
The County Antrim coast.
Also on this same bus tour was a trip to the “Giant’s Causeway”.
The Giants Causeway is a scenic area along the northern coast of Ireland with several acres of these polygonal basaltic columns.
We put one of our “We RVery Blessed” stickers in this phone box. It’s on the inside! Do you know why this phone box is red (and not green)?
Here’s one of our stickers on a light pole on Abbey Street on Dublin.
The interior of St Brigid’s Catholic Church in Ballintra, County Donegal, Ireland. This is the church that Ken’s parents were married in.
This is called a “99”. It’s just a vanilla ice cream cone with a stick of chocolate stuck into it. They cost €3 each!
This is the Ha’ Penny Bridge in Dublin. It was built of cast iron in 1816 and it used to cost a half cent to cross from one side of the Liffey River to the other.
Inside Kilmainham Jail in Dublin. This is one of the Victorian Era cell doors.
This is the cell of Grace Gifford. She married Joseph Plunkett, one of the 16 signatories of the “Irish Proclamation of Independence” in 1916. She married him just the day before he was executed for “crimes against the crown”. She was imprisoned herself for her role in Irish Independence. She never remarried.
Chris, inside one of the Kilmainham Jail cells, as seen through the inspection hole.
Inside Kilmainham Gaol (jail).
The wall where 15 of the 16 signatories were shot by firing squad.
The Jeanie Johnston tall ship. It made multiple trips across the North Atlantic ferrying more than 5000 Irish emigrants from famine challenges Ireland to the United States. Ships like these were called “Coffin Ships” because as many as 1/3 of the passengers on board would die during the crossing.
This is a striking display of Irish people who suffered through the Irish Potato Famine. More than 1 million people died from starvation and disease, while another 1 million Irish emigrated away from Ireland. Many people don’t know, but the deaths caused from starvation and disease were preventable. During the same time as the potato blight, the English Landowners in Ireland were exporting beef and other crops but wouldn’t feed the peasant tenant farmers.
One of the famine statues. We were struck by the gaunt look of this woman.
Ahhh…Molly Malone and her “touch them for good luck” boobs!
This is a “Full Irish” breakfast. Sooooooooo good!
One of the six pillars at the General Post Office on O’Connell Street in Dublin. It was here at the GPO that the Easter Rising for Irish Independence was centered. Those holes you see in the pillar are bullet holes from the British soldiers.
A meeting of the minds of some Irish Police (Garda). Police in Ireland don’t carry firearms. On their belts are an expandable baton, mace and handcuffs.
One of literally HUNDREDS of double decker Dublin busses.
It is said that the participants of the 1916 Easter Rising met with like minded Catholic Priests in this building for the sacrament of confession/reconciliation. Today it is a pub. And Yes…we have a sticker inside on the second floor!
Yummy fish & chips!!!
Until next time, my old native home.
