A Trip to the Land of Leprechauns & Guinness
On April 27th Linkies once again embarked on the traditional yearly Link Trip. The destination of choice for this year ended up becoming Dublin, Ireland. It promised to be 3 days full of activities that was sure to excite people of all interests.
Written by Joël Figaroa from the Link News Team
For the unaware Linkies among us, the Link Trip is an annual trip organized by our very own Link Trip Committee in which a location is chosen for a trip spanning multiple days. Members of the committee are tasked with finding ideal spots, usually within Europe, that may be of interest. The yearly trip gives Link members a great opportunity to not only discover more places in Europe where they perhaps would not visit on their own, but also gives members the opportunity to socialize and make friends with other members they perhaps have not had much contact with before.
For this trip in particular there was even a scavenger hunt organized in which different challenges could be completed for points. At the end of the trip the group with the most points scored got to win a prize!
Arrival & Day 1
On the 27th Linkies left the chaos of King’s Day behind them and boarded the plane to Dublin. After arriving to the hotel the group got the opportunity to wind down and prepare for the following day.
The plan for the first full day in Dublin promised to be a great start to the short vacation. While the first planned activity of the day was the Dublin Zoo, it wouldn’t be a Link trip without some side quests. While making their way to the zoo the group spotted the huge Wellington monument in honor of Arthur Wellesley and took the opportunity to take pictures and admire the monument. After this attraction there was another curiosity spotted by some members, a herd of wild deer. A detachment of the group were sent to investigate and admire these majestic creatures.
After these side quests the group made their way to the zoo, where a group picture was taken right before everyone dispersed to look for their favorite animals in the zoo. The zoo offered many animals from many different climates and environments. Being the gamers that they are some members even took it upon themselves to rate the enclosures and facilities using the knowledge they have from playing Planet Zoo . Some favorites amongst the group include the cute red pandas, ring tailed lemurs, and big ones such as the zebras and elephants. The huge herbivore habitat was also a big point of interest.
At 18hrs the time came to leave the zoo, this gave the group the rest of the evening to unwind and have free time in Dublin to do what they please. A large part of the group went out together to sample some of the local pub/bar scene in Dublin. Another group chose to call it an early day and went back to the hotel to rest up.
Day 2
The second day of the trip was an early one for many. A perfect way to start a morning at 10:00 of course being a scenic hike at the Howth Cliffs just outside of Dublin. Scenic is how you’d usually describe the hike but sadly it seemed that Link brought the Dutch weather with them on the trip and it turned out to be a foggy and rainy morning. Luckily even with the less than ideal weather, there were only positive comments made about the hike and the scenery experienced by the members. Members got to experiences some slightly hidden beaches, the obvious cliffside views, and a landmark lighthouse.
While the hike was taking place, the Linkies who definitely can not call themselves morning people slowly made their own way into the center of Dublin to do some exploration and sight-seeing. A highlight of the exploration being the renowned Dublin Trinity College, whose campus can only be described as impressive.
After awaiting the arrival of the hike group most members came together for the next planned activity, a sight-seeing and informative boat tour of the Dublin harbor area. The tour was given by a gentleman who could’ve made a career out of being a comedian but instead chose to use his talents to give fun historical facts to tourists on a boat. These facts included mostly historical ones about the history of Dublin itself and how it has developed into the city it is today.
While one group was on the boat tour learning fun facts, another group of Linkies were taking a tour of the Guinness Storehouse . Where information was given about the history of the drink, how it became the known brand it is today, and the cultural impact it has had on Ireland.
After all of these tours and having grabbed dinner there was one more activity planned, namely, the Haunted City Tour. An interactive scavenger hunt style tour that takes you to many locations within central Dublin while teaching you historical and often gruesome stories of events that transpired in Dublin. These stories often took place in buildings that are still standing.
When all was said and done, there was still reason to celebrate at the end of the night! There were two members who happened to have their birthdays right during the trip. At midnight the whole group gathered together to congratulate the two and sing them a happy birthday before heading off to bed in preparation for the departure the next day.
Day 3 & Departure
After checking out of the hotel in the morning members had some hours to do some more exploring around Dublin and get some last minutes souvenirs and pictures.
The winners of the scavenger hunt were also made known, the group with the most points at the end of the trip was the group of Gaia & Stefan! They would go on to claim their prize once everyone was back in The Netherlands. Their prizes being a title of lady- and lordship in Ireland, this means that Link officially now has two members who carry the titles of Lady Gaia and Lord Stefan!
At the end of the evening everyone had arrived safely back in The Netherlands. The group gathered for one last message from the president, thanking each member for taking part of the trip and hoping that they enjoyed their trip to Dublin .
If you enjoyed this trip or are looking forward to the next Link trip I’ve received a tip from Trip Co. that they’re looking for additional members! Perhaps you could be the one planning next year’s trip!