SO LAST WEEKEND WAS MY VERY FIRST TRIP SINCE STUDYING ABROAD. 6 OF US FROM MY GROUP DECIDED TO GO TO DUBLIN...MY REASON WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAME WEEKEND AS THE ALL IRELAND AND KERRY WAS PLAYING CORK. IT WAS AN AMAZING WEEKEND..WE WERE ABLE TO DO AND SEE SO MUCH. OUR HOSTEL WHICH WE WERE ALL A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT WAS ACTUALLY QUITE NICE EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT WE DESCRIBED OURSELVES AS ORPHANS BECAUSE WE SLEPT WITH SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE SAME ROOM...BUT IT WAS SAFE!!

FRIDAY THE WEATHER WAS BEAUTIFUL WHEN WE GOT THERE AND WE WALKED AROUND SAW DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT FOUND OUT THAT LATER THAT EVENING THAT CULTURE NIGHT WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE. IT HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR WHERE ALL OVER THE CITY SPECIFICALLY TEMPLE BAR AREA THERE ARE FREE EXHIBITIONS AND GREAT SPECIALS. WE DECIDED TO TAKE GREAT ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND WENT TO TRINITY COLLEGE AND GOT TO SEE THE LIBRARY AND BOOK OF KELLS FOR FREE..WHICH IS NORMALLY 5 EURO...WE WENT TO CITY HALL, AND THE IRISH MUSEUM OF MODERN ART FOR AN EXHIBITION AND WINE TASTING. FOLLOWED OF COURSE BY A VISIT TO ONE OF THE PUBS IN THE AREA.

SATURDAY ONCE AGAIN WAS BEAUTIFUL WEATHER AND WE MADE OUR WAY OVER TO THE GUINESS FACTORY AFTER EXPLORING MORE OF THE CITY. THE FACTORY ITSELF WAS NOT IMPRESSIVE, BUT THE MAIN ATTRACTION IS GOING TO THE GRAVITY BAR AT THE VERY TOP AND HAVING A GUINESS WHILE OVERLOOKING ALL OF DUBLIN. SINCE IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY WE WERE ABLE TO SEE EVERYTHING AND I EXPERIENCED MY VERY FIRST GUINESS..IT WAS OK!

LATER ON WE WENT TO THE BRAZEN HEAD FOR A DRINK BECAUSE IT IS THE OLDEST PUB IN IRELAND...IT WAS PRETTY NEAT. THEN I WAS ABLE TO MEET UP WITH MY COUSINS WHO HAD COME IN FOR THE MATCH ON SUNDAY AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. I GOT TO SEE SO MANY OF THEM THAT I HADNT SEEN IN YEARS AND WE LAUGHED AND CAUGHT UP ON EVERYTHING. MY COUSIN, DONAL WHO USED TO PLAY FOR KERRY WAS ABLE TO GET ME 2 TICKETS FOR THE MATCH ON SUNDAY WHICH WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

OF COURSE SUNDAY STARTED OFF WITH THE SUN AND THEN SOME POURING RAIN AND THEN BY GAME TIME IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. WALKING TO CROKE PARK AND BEING IN THE ATMOSPHERE WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WEARING THEIR GREEN AND GOLD AND RED AND WHITE WAS AMAZING. I WAS IN AWE; I HAVE WATCHED ALL IRELANDS IN THE PAST BACK IN CHICAGO, BUT TO ACTUALLY BE AT CROKE PARK AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND ON THE FIELD WAS AN UNREAL EXPERIENCE. IT WAS A GREAT GAME...KERRY WON..AND AFTERWARDS WE WENT DOWN ON THE FIELD TO WATCH THEM BE PRESENTED THE SAM MCGURE CUP.

THIS PAST WEEKEND WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST WEEKENDS I HAVE HAD SINCE BEING ABROAD...EVERYONE HAD A GREAT TIME..THE PEOPLE WERE A LOT NICER TO US OVER THERE..BUT IT WAS STILL PRETTY COOL THAT WHEN WE TRAVELLED HOME WE WERE COMING BACK TO LONDON..WHICH ISNT TOO BAD. I CANT WAIT FOR MY TRIPS TO COME!!!!