History and Heritage

I have always claimed Irish as my heritage even though I had no proof. The thing I cling to is my given last name, Clover. My paternal grandparents did some research and they believed that Clover used to be spelled as Klover which would lead you to believe it might be German. That really had me curious, so I ended up taking an Ancestry DNA test to get to the truth of the matter. Turns out, I am 60% English heritage! Sure, there’s a little Irish and German but wow! I still claim Irish heritage even though there is plenty of evidence to the contrary.

At work, we took on a distributed product line that is manufactured in Northern Ireland, so I had an opportunity to go. Much like myself, my sister and mom claim Irish heritage so they came along! Yay! This was a bucket list trip that we all were going to enjoy together. The Clover Girls take Ireland! Now we need to coordinate flights, hotels and sightseeing. Since we were coming from different areas of the country, it got a little tricky.

Travel Woes

My originating airport was approximately a 1.5-hour drive from my home in central Wisconsin. I got there with plenty of time to spare, thankfully. But….my flight got delayed almost as soon as I walked into the airport. UGH! I started to panic. My flight was through Chicago and if you’ve ever been to Chicago O’Hare Airport, we can collectively *sigh*. I was going to miss my connection.

What am I going to do?!

My family was already on the plane from California so I couldn’t communicate with them. Okay, don’t panic.

Like me, there were other folks who were going to miss connections and everyone was freaking out. Then it struck me! If I drive the rest of the way to Chicago, I can make my connection, but it would be tight. Feeling bad for others, I did something absolutely crazy. I invited to drive 3 complete strangers to Chicago. All traveling alone, all men. I’m crazy.

Travel Tip: Be prepared to spontaneously change your plans, if needed. Don’t freak out! As a planner, it’s hard but just go with it.

3 awkward hours later, we arrived at the airport. Everyone was super thankful and even pitched in for gas. I made it and I was alive! I ran through the airport with just 5 minutes left of boarding….or so I thought.

Delayed. Are you F#$king kidding me?! So after all that, I was delayed 4 hours. It ended up being okay. My family got my text messages and just waited for me at the Dublin Airport.

Hello Dublin!

Once I connected with my mom and sister at the Dublin airport, it was off to the races! You know how I travel. 😉 If you don’t, check out my Tips for Traveling Abroad post. Since we were behind schedule we ended up dragging all of our luggage to our first stop. I was going to see a castle, darn it!

Malahide Castle and Gardens

This magnificent medieval castle has an 800-year heritage. Malahide Castle was breathtaking. Luckily, the tour guide let us store our luggage so that we could enjoy the scenery. If you’re looking for a quick stop, this is a great option. It was sort of on the way to Dublin from the airport and it only took about 2 hours to get the full immersive experience.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Once we arrived in Dublin, we took a stroll around the cobblestone streets and got to see the historic and gorgeous St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Cathedral was closed so we couldn’t go inside but the grounds and architecture were just dreamy.

Temple Bar

Temple Bar was such a crazy place! If you’re down to party, this is the place to be! Somehow the room I booked in Temple Bar was directly above a club. Aye yai yai, we could barely sleep!

Travel Tip: Request a room that is quiet. When you’ve been up for more than 24 hours, the last thing you want is a disturbing atmosphere.

We ate dinner at The Brazen Head which is the oldest pub in Ireland. It was here that I had my first real Guinness! The food and ambiance were amazing but it was super busy making it hard to get a table.

Our whirlwind day ended walking the streets of the lively Temple Bar area enjoying a yummy Gelato. The next day I had to head to the train station to get to work so my sister will fill you in on the next couple of destinations. 🙂

Jameson Tour – as told by my sister Brandi

The Jameson Distillery was incredible. Complete with tastings, hands-on demonstrations with hops, and a special effects history guide. The tour ended with a professional handcrafted cocktail. Yum!

Guinness Tour – as told by my sister Brandi

Guinness Storehouse was a self-guided tour that showcased 7 separate floors dedicated to the history of the iconic beer. We also experienced how it’s made and the tour ended with a perfect pour-your-own beer. The top floor featured a glass-walled circular bar overlooking Dublin. What a memorable experience!

Final Thoughts

Traveling with family can be stressful but it can also be beautiful. We made so many wonderful memories. I can’t imagine how much less fun I would’ve had if I experienced this bucket list destination alone. See Part 2 of Clover Girls take Ireland for more from our trip!

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