Baile Atha Cliath

Inside the west wing of Kilmainham Gaol.

Saturday was a free day in Dublin (Baile Atha Cliath in the Irish language). Some members of our group headed to Kilmainham Gaol with Sara. Kilmainham Gaol was built in the late 18th century as a state-of-the art prison and has a unique place in Irish history as it housed figures from Ireland's major independence movements, including the leaders of the 1916 Rising, most of whom were executed on prison grounds.

Others in our group walked to St. James's Gate with Brian to learn about the brewing and marketing of Ireland's most famous beverage and to take in spectacular views from the 360-degree observation room atop the Guinness Storehouse. Much of this group made the trek out to visit Kilmainham Gaol the following morning as well.

Later in the day we were fortunate to experience a special treat. Leinster, one of the four provinces of Ireland and the one in which Dublin is located, was playing in the finals match of the Heineken Cup, Europe's rugby championship. Surrounded by enthusiastic Leinster supporters in a local pub, we watched the home side defeat Leicester (an English team) 19-16. As you can imagine, it was a big night in Dublin!