Laur and I are going to Dublin a week from now! To set the mood, here’s a 1994 video from The Cranberries called “Zombie.” I will admit freely I don’t know many Irish bands off the top of my head, and I didn’t wanna do the whole U2 thing for this post. (Sorry if you’re crushed by reading this, Bono.) And this is a legitimately awesome song, of course. Although I’m pretty sure the song’s not about actual zombies (they never are, are they? Sigh.)

I recently watched P.S. I Love You for the first time (2007; I know, I’m behind the times), a smooshy romantic comedy that is yet another memento mori — but what isn’t, when it comes to love?

While it primarily made me want to get to know Gerard Butler’s charming ghosty self a little better, it also made me really excited for our upcoming trip to Dublin. I know Ireland won’t be as green as it is in the movie, but I’m hoping it’s a tad warmer there. Vienna’s been really chilly for the past couple of weeks, and I am ready for spring. I have no idea whether it’s going to rain the entire time we’re there, but I’m even ready for that aspect of having warmer weather (although the giant hole in my boot is currently my biggest nemesis).

Along with the prerequisite of wandering the city for hours on end, we are developing a list of some things to see and do:

1. Tour of the Guinness Storehouse

Last week I was working at the bar and there was a group of about seven gentlemen there all day, brewing beer in the distillery. A few questions revealed that they are actually top guys from Guinness, and they were making their own special beer for 1516 Brewing Company. I’m not sure when it’s going to be ready for consumption at the bar, but it was interesting to see the whole process from the beginning. I schmoozed a little bit with them, and mentioned that I’d be in Dublin at the beginning of March, hoping to get a free tour – but all they said was, “You’ll have to check out the Guinness Storehouse!” So much for getting sweet connections as a lowly bar wench. But we’re still going. I can appreciate Guinness under the right circumstances.

2. Day trip to Galway

Laur’s friend Ceilidh suggested this because she loved Galway, a city located on the west coast of Ireland that has lots of cultural stuff going on all the time. I don’t know much about the place, but it’ll be good to see more of Ireland than just Dublin, if possible.

3. Dublin Writers’ Museum

This museum seems kind of inevitable due to my inherent English Lit grad student geekiness, even though I’ve never read much Joyce. Just couldn’t get into the whole Ulysses thing (Yeah, don’t bother clicking on that link). But since I’m in Dublin, it seems crazy not to check this out. And I can always give Joyce another shot, that handsome devil:

4. Dublin Castle

Every city in Europe’s gotta have a castle, naturally. So we’ll probably at least walk by this one, if we don’t actually venture into it. But if this castle doesn’t have its own dragon, I’m pretty sure it’s not going to measure up to Wawel Castle in Kraków.

5. Soaking in the adorable Irish accents

Full disclosure: this tourist “event” should probably be at #1 on this list. Who can resist a charming accent? Wikipedia offers this hilarious collage of Irish people, saints and sinners all mingled together. That would be one awkward dinner party:

And that’s just for starters. Please don’t hesitate to suggest other things to see and do while we are in Ireland!

Dublin, prepare thyself.