Following our delayed flight and now limited timeframe, I made a conscious decision about my blog writing. Normally, I’ll get through the day’s travel, write the blog post that evening, post it the next morning, and then rinse and repeat until the trip is over. I decided that I would just focus on getting to as many of my donor landmarks as possible, take my pictures, and worry about the writing later. It turned out to be a good strategy given the circumstances.

We woke up early in Dingle to do as much of the Slea Head Drive as possible before needing to be in Dublin (4.5 hours away) for our 2:00 p.m. Guinness Storehouse tour. The drive is Dingle’s top attraction, a scenic circular route of about 25 miles that offers panoramic views of the Atlantic, the Blasket Islands, rugged cliffs, and rolling green pastures.

Our first stop was Ventry Beach, which had great views of the Atlantic as the sun came up. In my opinion, a quiet beach early in the morning is one of the best things in the world. I thanked my colleague and favorite North Dakotan, Dylan Berg for his donation. Dylan and I love chatting fraternity strategy and have built a great relationship over the years.

It was time to find some additional landmarks to begin thanking donors from our missed days. Ireland made it pretty easy to visually make up for lost ground. Paidi O’ Se’s Pub is near Ventry Beach and offers amazing views. The pub was owned by Paidi O’ Se, a famous Irish football player and is famous for its connection to Gaelic culture and local athletics. I thanked fellow sports guy and Ole Miss grad William Kneip for his donation.

We didn’t make it very far before wanting to get out of the car to take in more views. Frankly, we were in search of coffee but were having horrible luck. Roger Heineken had grabbed two of the donor spots in Killarney, so he is one of the lucky ones to get multiple surprise locations during this trip! Roger has been a great supporter of Iron Phi over the years and is a member of the Iron Phi Hall of Fame himself, raising $10,000+.

Cashel Murphy is an ancient, four-thousand-year-old stone settlement and a national monument. The site features remnants of ancient structures, including beehive-shaped huts, a tiered wall, and an underground passageway for food storage or hiding from enemies. Speaking of enemies, we also ran into about four thousand gnats (known as “midges” in Ireland) during our climb to the top. I have never seen Ryan more excited to leave a place, and I have never met a friendly (and quite informative) local more determined to not let us. There have not been any admissions, but I assume Ryan may have been the first individual to use the underground passageway in centuries.

I’ll tell you who is not an annoying midgie. It’s that Josh Ehlen guy! One of my top supporters who originally sponsored Ross Castle in Killarney. Thanks for your awesome support Josh.

Around the bend, and functioning historically as a landmark for fishermen, a striking white crucifixion sculpture is perched on the cliffs. Approaching the cross, we were blessed with an extra two feet of shoulder on the side of a cliff to be able to pullover and take a picture! I thanked my former colleague Stephen Bloomer who is doing retirement right, becoming a master grandpa, homestead tender, beekeeper, and honey maker. It was later that I realized that we had ironically just been standing in beehives.

I’ve already mentioned narrow roads a number of times. They were definitely a main theme of the trip that offered many laughs, gasps, and exclamation points. Wendy and Wes Faust were the perfect people to thank on a narrow road for a few reasons: 1) Leading up to the trip, Wendy made it very clear that I should buy the full insurance coverage for the rental car (which I absolutely never do normally, but did on this trip, and didn’t have to utilize for the record), and 2) I’m confident that Wes could lay across many of these roads and touch both sides. The Good and Faust families have become good friends through Live Like Lou and had a fun weekend trip to Milwaukee earlier this year.

Dunmore Head, the westernmost point on the Irish mainland, was a filming location for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where scenes for Luke Skywalker’s remote island home planet of Ahch-To were shot. Google AI tells me that the rocky coastline served as the location for his submerged X-wing fighter, which I also hear was easier to park and turn around than our trusty Ford Kuga intermediate SUV with full insurance protection.

Coming off that comment, this may also be the point where you are wondering how much of this blog has been written by AI and whether or not this is actually Steve typing. Let me clear the air by asking you one question. Would AI know that I’m typing this particular blog post on a plane, above Greenland, just after eating a mediocre steamed chicken lunch? Exactly. In all seriousness, AI has been great to learn about all of these stops and can be incredibly helpful for travel planning.

I know Debbie Purdy loves a great trip, and I loved thanking her with this amazing viewpoint.

Coumeenoole Beach was also at this stop and is quite stunning. I thanked Kyle & Ashley Schilling who deserve an extra special thank you this year. Tillie and I traveled with the kids through Chattanooga, Tennessee over the holidays this past year. The Schillings opened their house for us to use while they were back in Ames. We had a wonderful time and have since really enjoyed crossing paths with the Schilling crew elsewhere.

Coumeenoole Beach is not a beach where you’d want to swim, given the waves crashing into it, but it is one that offers exploration of its nooks and crannies. I remember Ryan stating, “I’m really not a fan of caves, but that one down there is one that I’d consider.” We both laughed, turned around, headed back to the car, and proceeded to offer emotional support to each other as we backed the car off that cliff.

Dun Chaoin Pier, a picturesque pier with zig-zag steps leading down to the water, is one of the most photographed spots on the Dingle Peninsula. It is a magical little spot which once again offered walls not even close to being tall enough from keeping you away from danger on the other side. I thanked Kerrie Herren again for his very generous donation.

With a 4.5-hour drive in front of us and a Guinness reservation, we had to make a decision at this point to cut our Slea Head drive short and head east to Dublin. We were bummed to be cutting the peninsula drive short, but hours of Third Eye Blind Radio and 90s Rock Anthems quickly changed our mood.

When I first posted about this Irish adventure, it was no surprise that the landmarks associated with Guinness were the first to go. What an amazing brand that really captures the spirit of a country. I mean, the harp itself is the National emblem of Ireland. Planning for the trip, it was a no brainer to schedule a tour of the Guinness Storehouse and its legendary Gravity Bar, located at the top of the building, offering a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the city.

It was great to thank Suzanne Alexander at Guinness, and I have etched in my mind to buy her one the next time I see her.

Also outside was the friendly toucan from the classic Guinness marketing campaigns developed in the 1930s. Known as a member of the “Guinness Menagerie,” the toucan can often be found telling people that it’s a “Lovely Day for a Guinness.” The toucan is correct, and I’d add that it’s always a lovely day to thank Mike Scarlatelli for a donation. Unfortunately, I had to cut the Ceann Sibéal viewpoint from our Slea Head Drive, but I wanted to make sure to thank Scar soon after arriving in Dublin. I’m also very excited that Scar is our newest member of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award voting committee.

This was also the point of the tour that others started mistaking me for a tour guide because of my mustache. If you weren’t aware, mustache = responsible. I was happy to help where I could, but I ultimately pointed most inquiries to Google AI.

Arthur Guinness began brewing Guinness at St. James’s Gate in Dublin in 1759, signing a 9,000-year lease on the brewery. The terms of the lease granted him use of a limited supply of water, and when Dublin Corporation tried to cut off the supply due to overuse, it’s written that ‘Mr Guinness violently rushed upon them wrenching a pickaxe from one and declaring with very much improper language, that they should not proceed’.

Ironically enough, this is the same approach my good friend Brad Carlson takes when he sees people wearing Iowa Hawkeye shirts at Iowa State games that do not include the Iowa Hawkeyes. Thankfully, his wife Mindy is generally there to help defuse the situation. She is one of those non-mustached responsible ones, and I’m sure she would be a hell of a tour guide.

While Guinness started with an ale, the famous stout was developed later in the 18th century, around 1778. Did you know that the beer is not black but a dark ruby red? Hold it up to the sun if you aren’t convinced.

A second did you know. Guinness is good for you. Guinness contains nutrients like B vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber (clearly) which may support heart health and gut function when consumed in moderation. While this blog is never going to go around prescribing Guinness to pregnant women like the company did in the 1920s, reading a few web articles were all Ryan and I needed to test the theory throughout the trip.

Look at this wonderful crew having a good time at the Gravity Bar at Guinness. While you can’t see it in this picture, the whole place was filled with Iowa State and Kansas State fans. Nicole was very good at making sure we got group shots at the best moments throughout the trip.

A proper pint of Guinness requires a two-part pour to allow the nitrogen bubbles to settle, a process that can take up to two minutes. Don’t bring your impatience to the Guinness counter, but do use that time to chat with the friendly Irish bartenders. They are some of the friendliest bartenders around.

Sláinte to Taylor and Haley Abel for their donation!

After our Guinness Storefront experience, we had probably our worst experience of the trip. It took us an hour and a half to go about 1.5 miles to our hotel. Dublin was absolutely crazy and hectic for the Aer Lingus Classic, mostly in a very good way, but not for that venture into town.

We checked into our hotel, grabbed another pint of Guinness at the pub next door, and headed to the Iowa State pep rally. It really is impressive how much pride Ireland takes in hosting this annual college football game. Cardinal, gold, and purple were everywhere you looked.

With thousands of others, we ventured to the pep rally in Merrian Square Park to capture the Cyclone spirit. Upon arriving, I think we all realized that none of us are actually fans of pep rallies. “Sorry guys, it’s my fault, I sponsored this stop.” – Ryan.

Ryan and Nicole Galles were amazing travel partners to Ireland, and this trip will be a lifetime memory. The Galles’, originally from Remsen, Iowa, are amongst a group of friends who tailgate together for Iowa State football games. This was the perfect trip to experience with them. Located in Des Moines, Ryan works for John Deere, Nicole for Delta Dental, and they have three wonderful daughters.

One great benefit of leaving a pep rally early? You beat the crowd to dinner! We had a great one at The Bank on College Green. We had to skip the Gallarus Oratory landmark on our morning drive, so I had been thinking about how to find something good for my colleague Jennifer Morrow. Jennifer and I both studied abroad at the same university in Swansea, Wales, so it became obvious that I’d need to thank her over a plate of fish and chips.

We had quite the day, and it culminated with a walk through the Temple Bar district before heading back to our hotel.