Finally, a recap. It only took me five weeks. And, in an effort to keep this somewhat concise as we traveled a long way for a difficult marathon, I’ll get right to the topic at hand. Pre-race eve was typical: … Continue reading
Last year, a seed was planted of running a marathon outside of Galway; that dream became a reality, and with six of my friends I traveled overseas to run in one of the most remote areas of Ireland. His Lordship and I decided to make a vacation of it, spending the two days after the race to sightsee in Dublin.
And by “sightsee” I mean “drink” and “party.”
So, let’s wrap it up shall we?
Restaurant Recommendations:
Galway: Ard Bia at Nimmos. Hands down, this was my best meal on the trip. For our first night abroad, our Irish (and Galway native) leader Maura made us reservations at a Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant on the water. My main course consisting entirely of vegetables was incredible (I licked my plate clean). And thank God, since this was probably the only vegetarian course I had on the entire trip.
Apologies for the lack of brightness. I swear, it was delicious.
Dublin: The Oyster and Champagne Bar at the Cliff Townhouse. After a day of pub crawls sightseeing, His Lordship and I returned back to our hotel for oysters at the bar. All of the oysters are native to Ireland waters and served with traditional mignonette—and only mignonette, which comforted my traditionalist heart to great extent. That’s right, no cocktail sauce. And, apparently I lied in the statement above, as we both ordered salads as our last meal in Ireland. Probably something to do with all of the meat and potatoes consumed the days prior. Color me healthy.
Must See Tourist Attraction:
Connemara: Kylemore Abbey. Connemara is situated in an hour’s drive from Galway. On said drive you can find the Kylemore Abbey and it’s grounds, including a small cafe, garden, and cathedral, where groups of musicians travel to sing as the acoustics are unreal.
I’m moving here.
Dublin: Jameson Distillery. Well, sure, it’s kind of gimmicky, but isn’t that the nature of the common tourist attraction? Also, the Irish coffees at the bar inside the distillery are the jam.
Number of Pubs Visited: All of them. In an effort to not sound like a lush, we’ll go with an even number of 12. That sounds about right.
Including ye oldest pub, est. 1198.
Number of Sheep: All of them. Including a black sheep named Finula.
Number of Digestives Eaten: Six. Which I don’t recommend the night before a marathon.
Number of Miles Run: 29.39. The Connemarathon, which I overshot by .19 miles, and a 3 mile shakeout run on the Galway Bay shore they day before.
This sums it up. Tanks a mil, Ireland. I’ll be back someday; preferably not to run a marathon.
A year ago, my friend Drew told me he was interested in running his first half marathon—the Blue Ridge Half Marathon—in Roanoke, Virginia, where he and his wife (my sister from another mother) live. As previously stated, I love Roanoke … Continue reading
