Cricket and Dublin for the Weekend

Hello Everyone!

Well it has been almost a week since my last post, and I apologize for the delay, but it has been a crazy week or so! I ended my last post talking about our plans for a cricket match, and while the first one was rained out, we were able to see a match on Thursday. It was.....interesting. A very slow game that I can promise you will not ever grow in popularity in the states. If people get fed up with the pace of baseball, cricket puts it to shame. We went on the morning on day 1 of a 4 day match. Safe to say the stadium felt like a library. Seeing a match was useful from the standpoint that I now understand the game, but it is not my cup of tea. That being said, it is still fun to see sports that are big across different cultures and observe the differences.

After cricket and the test, we headed off to Dublin for the weekend! We arrived Friday afternoon, and what a cool city Dublin is. We started our stay off at Aviva Stadium, where we had a stadium tour, followed by lunch and a 2 hour class session in one of their suites overlooking the stadium. Being in the suite was almost surreal - we took 2 different breaks during class, and to walk outside and overlook one of the most technically advanced stadiums in the world was one of the most unique things we have done since taking a leap across the pond. We left Aviva stadium and headed to the hotel, followed by a night out on the town in Dublin. Most of the group went to the oldest bar in Dublin, The Brazen Head, which dates back to 1198. There was so much history in the bar, and just thinking that I am only one of billions that has passed through that very building was kinda funky to think about!

Aviva Stadium (No snow, just a tarp, although it felt cold enough to snow!)

We were up and out on Saturday morning, with an incredible session at Croke Park, the home for Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. I do not know much about Hurling, but Gaelic Football is a cross between soccer and rugby. The interesting aspect about the stadium is that only amateurs play there. Our tour guide was telling up that no matter how rowdy the crowd may get during matches, they will never taunt the players because they know how much work they put in on nights and weekends outside of their day job to prepare for their matches. Now, don't let the fact that amateurs play there fool you. Croke Park, seating roughly 82,000 people, is the 4th largest stadium in Europe behind Camp Nou (FC Barcelona), Wembley Stadium, and the Santiago Bernabeu (Real Madrid).


We started off the tour 14 stories above Dublin, with the brand new Sky-Tour offered by the stadium. There is a walkway around the top of the stadium, with a self paced audio tour, that lets you observe historic sites around Dublin from a spectacular vantage point. At one point, the tour walks you out over the stadium, looking down on the seats, similar to the Skywalk at the Grand Canyon. Boy were we high up!

The "Sky-Tour" overlooking the field at Croke Park

After the Sky-Tour, we did a more traditional stadium tour, and ended with our tour guide telling us about Bloody Sunday, which was a retaliation effort by the British after the Irish killed a few of their special agents. British soldiers marched into the stadium on a Sunday match day, and opened fire into the crown, killing 18 people, including one player on the field. There was so much passion in our guide's voice and expressions that you could tell it was still an event that runs deep in all citizens of Ireland.

We concluded the the stadium tour and headed off to the Guinness Factory tour! I was thinking that it was going to be a tour of where they currently brew the beer, but it was a tour of the original brewery that they have since turned into a museum. I could tell we were close to the current factory, and may have even been in the same building, but we did not see any of the current brewing equipment or areas. Either way, it was a fun tour that ended with a glass of Guinness, which, I will admit, is not my favorite. There is something special about drinking a Guinness in the factory in Ireland, but one was all I could stomach. Too dark for me!

Outside the Guinness Factory

Our group enjoyed another night in Dublin, and most of us ended up in pubs in the Temple Bar District, which is a rockin' part of the city! It is a half mile stretch of pubs and clubs that gave all of us a true feeling of Dublin. A great visit to a great city!

Currently, I am writing you from a train as we are all headed to Blackpool, home of this year's Open Championship, on the Royal Lytham & St. Anne's golf course. We will be attending on Tuesday and Wednesday for practice rounds, with Thursday up in the air. However, Thursday night we will be attending a U.S. Men's Basketball exhibition game against the U.K. in Manchester, about 30 minutes outside Blackpool. I cannot wait to see the modern day "Dream Team!" With Andre Iguodala on the team (former U of A standout), we are hoping if tweet him enough letting him know that there are 42 U of A students coming that he will come meet us or even meet some of the team. Chances are slim, but why not try?

 I could not find my memory card for my camera before we left, so I only have iPhone pictures, but still shows a little bit of the past week!

The upcoming week is promising, and I am anxious for it all to unfold! We are going to have the opportunity to see elite athletes at the pinnacle of their sport laying it all on the line.

I was able to Skype the family the last few nights, and it is always good to see them! I am bummed to be missing the Tucson monsoon season (my favorite time of year), but lord knows we are getting enough rain here. The hotel for this upcoming week only has 30 minutes of free WiFi a day, but I will try and get another post out during the week.

Until next time,

Ben