We've had a busy couple of days. Woke up yesterday in Larne and headed out for Islandmagee, once the seat of the Magee clan. It was a beautiful morning, so the drive was great and we took our time exploring some cemeteries and coastal areas on the peninsula. Interestingly enough, we found no Magees in the cemeteries - only a McGee ans some McKees - but we found many graves with Jim and Gywen's family names.
Leaving Islandmagee, we took a beautiful drive through Carrickfergus amd Belfast toward Dublin. Unfortunately, the weather got worse the farther south we went. We stopped along the way and caught the last tour of the day at Newgrange, a 5200 year-old Neolithic burial site. It was pretty cool, and it's amazing to imagine how the people moved all of the rocks to the area and built these massive strictures.
After Newgrange, it was of to Dublin and the home of our good friend Orla, who cooled a wonderful Irish meal for is. It was great catching up with her and learning more about her life here in Dublin. After dinner, we spent a good amount of time returning the car to the airport and finding the eight bus to take back to our guesthouse.
This morning we took the complete 90 minute bus tour of Dublin, then jumped back on the bus to go to Trinity College. There, we had a nice, colorful tour before seeing the Book of Kells and the long room in the library. After a quick lunch in the student union, we hopped on the bus to the Guinness Storehouse for the tour and complimentary pints at the amazing Gravity Bar, which features 360 degree views of the city. It was a great place to relax and watch the sunset.
After catching the bus back to the area of our guesthouse, we headed out to a rehearsal of the newly formed Dublin Gay Men's Chorus. It was fun listening to them prepare for their Christmas concert, and after rehearsal we joined about 10 of them for drinks in a nearby pub, The Flowing Tide.
It's difficult to believe we only have one more dull day here.
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