Day 3 - Kilmainham Gaol and the Guinness Brewery

Today we did two tours and rode the Hop-on Hop-off Bus on a loop around Dublin. The first stop was the Kilmainham Gaol. Kilmainham is a section of Dublin that was once in the distant suburbs and Gaol is the Irish spelling of “jail” and in fact that is what it is.

Old Entrance to the Kilmainham Gaol

At this point it is necessary that I talk a little about Irish history to explain the significance of the jail. As I said yesterday, Ireland was under the control of Britain for 700 years and they tried many times over that period to revolt. The most recent revolt was the Easter Rising of 1916 when a segment of the republicans (people favoring an independent republic of Ireland) were able to take over several main public buildings in Dublin, chief of which was the main post office. These rebels declared independence from Britain but they were not large in number and more significantly they were not supported by the general public. As a result they were overwhelmed by the British after 6 days of fighting with quite a bit of downtown Dublin heavily damaged. The rebels ultimately surrendered and were marched off to Kilmainham Gaol where 14 of the leaders, including all 7 of the signees of the Proclamation of Independence, were tried for treason, found guilty and executed by firing squad during a 10-day period in April. One of the men had been seriously wounded in the battle and probably dying, was tied to a chair and nevertheless executed also.

Section Where Rebels Were Held

As a result of the brutal executions, public sentiment turned against the British and they lost their hold on the Irish public, so much so that by 1922 Ireland was able to formally secure their independence from the United Kingdom, except for the 6 counties that form Northern Ireland who decided to stay in the union.  The executed rebels of the Easter Rising are now Irish heroes and known to all the schoolchildren in Ireland, much as our children know our Revolutionary War heroes.

In Front of Main Gate

After the jail tour, we took our bus around Dublin and back to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour and a tasting. Guinness is a dark Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James' Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. Today it is brewed in almost 50 countries and is the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland. Its unique flavor comes from precisely roasted barley (much like coffee) and in the use of a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide to form the smooth, creamy head.

We had our tasting of a free (i.e., included with the price of the tour) pint of the “black stuff” on the seventh floor of the plant which has one of the best views of Dublin. I have to say that it was the best Guinness I have ever tasted and also quite potent, but I am a light-weight drinker. It also is actually a ruby red color when you hold it up to the light and not black.