Guinness Storehouse, Dublin : Travel Reminiscences
Travel reminiscences of our wonderful holiday in Ireland 2009
Hubby is a beer drinker. I’m not. Even if you’re not a beer drinker, the Guinness Storehouse is well worth a visit when in Dublin.
The Guinness Storehouse is a new development based in St James’s Gate Brewery, the original house of Guinness. The 1904 listed building covers nearly 4 acres of floor space over six floors. The entire Brewery now ‘sprawls across 26 ha (65 acres). It is the largest brewery in Europe and exports beer to more than 120 countries world-wide (other famous brands owned by Guinness include Harp Lager and Smithwick’s Ale) ‘
Old tram tracks ..
Looking up to the various floors. The building is designed in the shape of a giant pint of Guinness (you need imagination here ;)) that, if full, would hold 14.3 million pints. At the top, the ‘head of the pint’ , is the Gravity Bar where you receive a complimentary pint of Guinness !!
In 2009 (the year we were there) the Guinness company celebrated 250 years since the signing of the lease on the famous St James’s Gate brewery by Arthur Guinness
Enshrined on the ground floor is a copy of the original 9 000 year lease signed by Arthur Guinness in 1759 …
Ingredients section : visitors can touch, smell and feel the ingredients …
Cannot quite remember why the yeast was in the safe! If I recall in the old days it was the only place where the yeast could stay dry …
A wall of water (fall) …
An old Masher – where the ‘grist’ (milled barley) is mashed with water to form a porridge like consistency before it goes to the next process ..
The making of Guinness is explained here …
Guinness tasting … with trepidation … in the tasting laboratory !!
Still more floors to go before the Gravity Bar. There is a lift! And there is a restaurant and coffee bar on one of the floors
‘The historical development of Guinness cooperage is accompanied by video footage of the craft’ …
Very interesting Guinness 250 Exhibition … (should have taken more photographs)
Gravity Bar on the top floor, where you get a 360″ view of the city of Dublin …
… and a free pint of Guinness !!
Line down middle is a join in the window – looking towards Wicklow and Dublin Mountain range – source of the 8 million litres of pure fresh water that flow into the Guinness brewery every day ..
Church of St Augustine and John just off centre to the left ..
Christ Church Cathedral – two bell towers – (behind right of Church of St Augustine and John)
Trinity College – small green dome (behind right of Christ Church Cathedral) – oldest university in Ireland: founded 1592
Wellington Monument and Phoenix Park …
Zoomed in to the 18th century Dr Steevens’ Hospital which is now according to Wikipedia is the administration centre for Health Service Executive, but according to our ‘hop-on, hop-off bus’ tour guide is a college 😉 Whatever it is, it’s a beautiful building, and as a hospital was ‘one of Ireland’s most distinguished establishments’
Chimneys of St James’s Gate Brewery just out of picture to the left. Tower on right is St Patrick’s Tower built circa 1805. ‘It is an old ‘smock’ windmill, which has lost its four blade sails. On top is a 4ft high statue of St Patrick’ …
Cheers !!! I drank about half the pint!!
On the way to the exit on the ground floor, there is a large souvenir shop …. with all things ‘Guinness’ …
Outside the main building again, waiting for the next bus – there were a couple of horse and carriages hoping for takers …
Worth a visit ..
One more post to go before I complete my Ireland Travel Reminiscences series … pub grub in an old bank, The Bank (!) and O’Neills Pub and our last walkabout on our last day in Ireland
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