Hello Folks!
I tried the “Whiskey and Castles” tour 2 days ago. It is a new tour running for a few few months and is really interesting! It submerses you in the authentic Irish culture…the whiskey is so popular here!, and you visit the oldest distillery in Ireland, as well.
We left Dublin, from Suffolk Street, at 8.30. We were just 5 people, me and 2 American couples, and our driver Darren, a young guy with Italian origins.
He drove us to the Midlands of Ireland and at 10.00 we arrived in the 19th-century warehouse home of Tullamore DEW whiskey, on the banks of the Grand Canal.
It was the typical Irish day, with a light rain and wind.
So we entered and had a chat all together in the bar, while waiting for our tour 🙂 Of course nobody knew I was from the company..(and yesterday I had to do my report, as usual).
Our guide joined us and we had an interactive tour, through visuals storytelling and artefacts, from the birth of the brand till nowadays, that it is one of the most famous whiskeys in the wold!
The tour finished with a tasting of three of Tullamore’s famous produce, and the second one is not sold outside the Tullamore DEW attraction, so you can just taste and buy it there! And, of course, she explained to us how to taste it!
So we moved to the bus and Darren drove us to the Birr Castle! 🙂
It was built in 1170 and is still the home of the 7th Earl of Rosse and that is why the residential areas are not open to the public.
Our guide, a young woman, showed us all the rooms, telling the history related to the family members, in such a passionate and lovely way that we were captured!
And the dwellings were amazing! You could breath the history in that rooms..the library full of books and family photos, the music room (with an ancient Irish harp, as well), the dining room with a porcelain collection and a secret door!!
Unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures inside..so I can’t show you…
And what about the surroundings? Great!!! There are award winning gardens outside!!! It is simply unforgettable! I have never seen a place like that in my life…
And of course I had my lunch right there! 😉
Ah , and if you go there, don;t forget the GREAT TELESCOPE of the 3rd Earl of Rosse, completed in 1845!!! And the SCIENCE EXHIBITION, as well.
So, after 2 hours we were on the bus again to join our last destination: KILBEGGAN DISTILLERY!
That’s to say the oldest licenced distillery in Ireland!! founded in 1757
FANTASTIC!
Another place full of history and whiskey aroma, as well! 😉 because it is working still!
On the reception they give us a map and a brochure for a self guide tour and so we went inside.
All the old machines are still working with their unique sound and wood smell that helps you to imagine how could it be in the past..
To not to speak about this 19th century waterwheel still running! It is so good to see that this great companies preserve the past.
Without the past we are nothing, in my opinion!
Here we had the last tasting session, before to start our way back to Dublin
You really should try this tour!
So now I have just another day tour…the Belfast one..
so see you on the last episode of Delia’s Tours!
Byeee
