"In the name of the father, and the truth!" That phrase has been in my head all day but I will begin with the story as this is near the end. Today started with a gorgeous church. Not gorgeous in that it is ornate, but in the sense that you know it was built off the sweat of proud, Irish partitioners. I have been to insanely ornate cathedrals, Sagrada Familia, St. Peter's at the Vatican and Sacre Couer to name a few. While those are a spectacle for the senses it is cathedrals like St. Patrick's that I find even more so beautiful in their simplicity, loyalty and resolve. I stop off at the gift shop and grab a rosary (weird collectors item for an atheist such as myself) and some gifts for friends. Naturally I selected a green one for this one to match the beautiful ground surrounding it. Then off to Christchurch cathedral which is an Anglican Church situated about 2 blocks from St. Patrick's. Christchurch is a different church. Definitely darker and feels medieval. The beauty in this church is not in the worship are but rather down below where there is a myriad of raw stone cut archways reminiscent of la Concierge in Paris, but less polished. It is dark and dungeon like. They offer below some Tudor costumes, a medieval chair on loan fro St. Patrick's, other relics of the period and most interestingly a petrified cat and mouse found in an organ's pipes. The same cat and mouse referred to in, "Finnegan's Wake." We finish up and head onto what may be the most touristy thing we will do but amazing because we get hammered, The Guinness Storehouse." This place ended up amazing. I have lived by a man that makes beer and has offered to show me how for two years. Now he has moved his business or closed it and I never learned... until now. The tour is fascinating and shows the process from the making of to the packaging, advertising and shipping. Along the way there are tastings (a draught, stout, rye and a special brew made only for the Guinness warehouse. We saw an Irish percussionist and Irish dancing and then headed up to learn how to draft a Guinness. I am official and had to polish off yet another pint of the beautiful black blood that has now taken over my veins. We headed up to The Gravity Bar to finish off our pints and take a look at the gorgeous views of Dublin and the massive size of a brewery (about the size of a city block). Soon after we jetted out of there, hopped in a cab onto the reason I came to Dublin, Kilmainham Gaol. I have long been a fan of the movie, "In the Name of the Father." It is the tale of the Guildford Four and McGuire Seven who were wrongly imprisoned by the British Government IRA bombings that they didn't commit and even all had solid alibis for. Basically the case that incarcerated them was fabricated and even the IRA informed the British that they had innocent men in jail. It was shot here. I know there are parts that I will see that remind me of scenes between Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlewate and Emma Thompson. I couldn't wait. Then the guard lets us know the last tour is sold out. I must have looked as if he just shot my cat in front of me as he soon offered us tickets to the museum which for him, "was the best I can do." So I won't get to see the actual Gaol. We go in and run into an angel on earth named Martha who tells us to go wait in the courtroom for 10 minutes then she comes and moves us to a different location. Now mind you, we have still not paid for any thing and now here we are about to head into the gaol. We are now God now going through a labyrinth of tunnels til finally we are in the main gaol. It is a bit too much. It is exactly the same. We get to walk around for a bit and I even close myself in a cell. Very disorienting. Everyone starts to leave and I position myself to be the last one in. I ask the guard if I can take a quick photo of the empty prison. He obliges and tells me to take a moment. I do. It is fantastic and a bit overwhelming. We exit only to go to the execution yard. All that is here are two crosses in each end of the yard, a large door and an Irish Flag. It is a somber area with a plaque of names of those who were executed there. Finished there you exit by going back through the entry of the actual goal. We find Martha and thank he both with words and euro for her immense kindness and then head onto Merrion Square. In Merrion Square we meet up with a very jaunty Oscar Wilde statue. Edie tucking into a pub for a quick bite and of course another Guinness. Exhausted we head home for the night. We have an early morning driving to Galway tomorrow.