They were asking if you were around,How you was, where you could be found, I told them you were living downtown, Driving all the old men crazy…

Okay, starting us off for today is some business advice from the Science/Law student…if you offer a poor service don’t suddenly double your prices to price-match the competition just metres up the road.  One of the Internet Cafes near my hostel run by the local Indian population was charging 50c an hour and their internet was slow, computers crap, chairs crap – but it was cheap.  I was going there most times, if they were open, instead of the place which had comfy chairs, newish computers and speedy internet (but costs €1 an hour) run by the local Chinese population.  So what does place A do?  Double there price to €1 an hour and I walk the 20 metres extra to quickly scroll the internet with my ass in a comfy chair 😉

So today I woke up at the normal time, scoffed some breakfast and then had to change rooms to 104 (a 12 bed room) up stairs.  Unfortunately as I don’t function well in the morning I managed to change my key card over before I got my bags out of my first room – stupid error if you ask me.  However, a change of room seems to have been a good thing as so far, at 4pm, my room although having 2 extra beds only has myself and 2 girls (who are thus quiet and clean :D).  Even if the room fills out I don’t think they can be as inconsiderate as the french guys I had the displeasure of sharing 4 nights with.

I headed off to Croke Park (the 4th largest stadium in Europe and the home of the GAA – Gaelic Football, Hurling, etc for those who do not know).  I strolled my way there with the vague help of a poorly detailed map, but I got there eventually and also got to see some of the more suburban sides of Dublin as I wandered.  It is interesting though that all stadium in UK and Ireland at least tend to be “down an alley” and between houses instead of in the middle of  a park/estate that you find in Australia.  Probably due to population concentration.  Anyway, I spent a good 90mins touring the GAA museum before I took the tour.

The museum was great!  Right up there with the many sports museums I have been through  – as good as Lords or the MCG.  The one point that appeared to be stressed is that the GAA is about more than just sport. It is about Irish culture and Irish heritage.  It includes all the sports with strong Irish history, but also promotes the Irish language, dancing and music.  GAA also played an important role in defining Irish nationality during the push to a republic.  It really puts sport in its place.  I wonder how the likes of AFL would’ve changed if Australia had fought for Independence with guns instead of words.

The stadium tour itself was probably not the best I’ve been on. The stadium was amazing though.  Recent re-developments have made it unmatched in dressing rooms, players lounge and the like from all the stadiums I have seen.  When you compare the fact that this is a stadium for amateurs, not professionals it is even more amazing.  The players lounge at Old Trafford was shit, but the chippies, shop attendants and electricians who hurl on a weekend have true luxury.  I wonder if they could’ve spent some of this money on actually PAYING the players that earn them such great sums of money to build such a complex, hmm….

I then strolled, even more randomly, across to the Old Jameson’s Distillery.  Now the real distillery is in County Cork since 1971 so its more a museum than a factory but it was still interesting.  I was able to learn the ins and outs of Irish whiskey, complete with a few good (and not so good) jokes from our young guide Kevin.  For the price of €10 it was quite cheap when you factor in that I got a free Jamesons and Cranberry Juice at the end…YUM!  Supposedly thats how people in Dublin who don’t drink it straight like it, but thankfully it was there on the tray as I don’t think I would’ve had the guts to order such a drink from a big, butch Irish Barman haha