1/18/09 Part 2: Irish pubbin

We got back to the hostel and met a guy named Paul who was from Temple University in Philadelphia. He was visiting Ireland at the end of his studying abroad in Germany for the fall semester. We talked for a while and then agreed to meet him at the Woolshed sports bar to watch the Eagles game and the Steelers game.

Andrew and I headed out to the “oldest bar in Ireland”, the Brazen Head, which was founded in 1198 and the pub even has its own history book. After a little while two Irish girls about our age, Mave and Laura, sat down next to us at the bar and started a conversation. They were from a town in central Ireland named Achlon(sp?), which they boasted had the real oldest bar in Ireland established sometime in the 800s.

I ordered a pint of Pauluner, a wheat beer, which tasted much sweeter than other beers and I didn't particularly care for. The girls were vary friendly and asked for an explanation of the concept of different “bases” (1st, 2nd, etc) and then gave a demonstration to make sure we knew that they understood it. Next they asked us what song had the lyrics “from the window... to the wall”, which they heard in a club the night before. I knew it was by Lil Jon' but couldn't remember the song title (Get Low). We recited as much of the song as we could recall, and then the Irish girls started singing along very loudly.

The Irish girls were obviously really drunk, and entertaining. They explained to Andrew and I how they party hardcore. Apparently the Irish girls had started drinking yesterday afternoon (Saturday), went out to a club, continued drinking late into the night and didn't go to bed until 7am. The girls woke up at noon and had a “traditional Irish breakfast” of Budweiser and sausages, followed by more drinking the rest of the day up until the point when we met them around 8pm Sunday night.

After a while their guy friends showed up at the pub and introduced themselves and we talked for a bit. I asked one of the guys to explain the game “snooker” which was playing on the TV. He explained that it is similar to pool, but the table is larger, the balls are smaller, the pockets are smaller, and players alternate hitting the red balls and other colored balls. We finished our beers, said our goodbyes, and after a hug and more from Mave, Andrew and I headed out to the Woolshed pub.

On the way there I realized I was completely out of toothpaste, so we wandered around looking for an open shop, but most were closed after 9pm. I never thought I would miss 24hr Walmart, but I guess I took it for granted in Selinsgrove. We finally found the Woolshed pub after asking for directions, but the bouncer wouldn't let us in, saying that we had to be “over 21” and that it was “house rules”. I didn't fly halfway across the world to be denied from drinking for the same bullshit reason that I am “under 21”. As if I would magically be a perfectly responsible person the moment I turn from a 20 year old to a 21 year old.

We headed to Friar's bar and grill to watch the game and sat for a while without any drinks, but then the manager bothered us about buying drinks, so I ordered a pint of Baulmer(sp?). It was a tasty cider, and I sipped on it while we watched the game. There were a couple college age students sitting behind us that we talked to. All of them were from Dublin except for one exchange student from New Jersey. They were really into American football, and we conversed during the Pittsburgh game up until we left at half time. We said our goodbyes and then ran back to the Four Courts Hostel in the pouring rain.