Day Three in Dublin started with a horrible migraine on my part. While Joseph and I had grand plans to start the day early, unfortunately I could barely move and get out of bed so we started much later than intended. We wanted to do Kilmainham Gaol, a former jail turned museum that held the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, however, apparently it is a very popular spot, and it was booked up for the rest of the day AND the day after. Womp, womp. Luckily, Joseph noticed we weren’t too far from Guinness Storehouse, so we took a nice stroll through the garden of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. It was a beautiful, sunny day (yes, sunny!) and the fresh air was good for my migraine, plus the garden was beautiful.
Photo Courtesy of Joseph
We stopped at a huge pub for lunch and just in time as the sun quickly went away and rain began to pour. After a bbq chicken wrap, because, you know, when in Ireland, we walked down a few more streets until we get to the Guinness Storehouse. It is MASSIVE, with a huge gate, and many Guinness trucks around it, so you can’t miss it. Plus there are street signs pointing to it the entire walk.
This impressive building has been the home of Guinness Brewery since 1759 where the brilliant Arthur Guinness somehow managed a 9,000-year lease – that’s right, 9000 years. It was constructed as a fermentation plant in 1902 and remained the fermentation plant of the brewery until 1988, then a new plant was built near the river. In 2000 it became the Guinness Storehouse and is now the top tourist attraction for foreigners in Ireland. Take that Blarney Stone!
The Storehouse tells the history of Guinness through interactive exhibits going over ingredients, the iconic advertisements over the years, brewing, which brews do best in which markets, etc. The whole history and process is quite interesting and I can see why it is one of the top attractions, as just the building itself is spectacular. Tickets cost around 20 Euros for adults, with discounts during the morning and non-peak times – because there is nothing like an ice cold Guinness at 9:30 in the morning! The ticket includes a free pint at the several bars located throughout the seven floors or you can pour your own pint AND get a certificate stating you are an official Guinness pourer. However, we decided to skip this step because the line can be quite long.
We decided to head to the top of the Storehouse for the 360° view of Dublin for our free pint. The Guinness Storehouse boasts one of the only 360° views in Dublin and it honestly is such a beautiful sight. Luckily the rain from earlier had dispersed and the sun was out and shining, so despite the fact it was very crowded, we were able to snag a few pictures.
To be perfectly honest, I had never tried Guinness before, much to my friend Dan’s disbelief. In college, I wasn’t the biggest beer drinker nor fan and when I studied abroad in France, I stuck to fruity beers instead of dark beers and stouts. Despite the fact I have now acquired the taste for good beer, Guinness was still a bit too strong for me (and Joseph!) Despite me dragging Joseph here despite not liking beer, he was a trooper and drank half of it! I also drank a little over half of mine, and believe me, ice cold Guinness like the ones served at the Storehouse, but after my migraine and feeling miserable all day, I just didn’t want to push it!
Despite not feeling well, this ended up being a wonderful day! While the Guinness Storehouse may be a bit of a tourist trap, it honestly is something that can’t be missed and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Dublin!
Have you visited the Storehouse? Do you believe it is worth it? Let me know in the comments below!
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