Logan Studies UK Sports: It's Magically Delicious: My Ireland Weekend Trip

Ireland, known for its beautiful lush fields and its sheep, not for its immense sporting history. However, this past weekend we went over to Dublin and visited two sports stadiums and then immersed myself within the Irish culture. Leaving our hotel in Coventry we flew out of the Birmingham airport to Dublin. Right away any observant individual could realize we weren't in the U.K. anymore. Not only the accent changed, but almost all signs had now both English and Gaelic, an old language used by the Irish.

After arriving in the airport we traveled straight to Aviva Stadium. Aviva Stadium hosts both the Irish rugby and football (soccer) teams. Unlike many of the stadiums we have toured, driving up to this stadium, it seemed like the structure simply was part of the stadium, instead of looming over the outskirts of the city. And as we walked through the stadium it was apparent that this was a focal point in the building. As you can see here, the stadium winds around with steel structured bars creating a wave-like roof top.

Take a look at the steel at the top

We were led throughout the stadium, hitting many of the focal points including where the players of the national football team sits during the game.

The padded seats where the substitutes and coaches sit

Next, we were taken into the locker rooms that had huge tubs that held both hot water in one, and cold in the other. The idea is to hop back and forth to create muscle tension and relaxation for easier recovery after games.

Our next stop involved the suite level, where we were able to see the whole stadium. As you can see, the pitch (field) is covered with a white tarp. This is because Madonna will be performing there in a couple of days, so they are preparing for the building of the stage she will be singing on! Also, the rain had started to come down again, so the tarp served as an outlet to the rain collecting system below the field which reuses the water for the pitch. Considering over 500,000 gallons of water is used every week for the upkeep of the field....sustainability at its finest.

Once again, take a look in both the picture above and below of the roof top. With one side being higher than the other the architecture behind Aviva constantly made me stop in awe.

Brent Seebohm and Dan Wickman with me. They are both my brothers in Pi Kappa Alpha and heads of this summer program!

Our next stop brought us into the press box, or television station area where we could see where they actually film the games. Here the roof and the walls were protected in a sound proofing material so the crowd is silenced significantly during production.

The TV Area

Press and Official Game Management Box

And that was it! With the night free, I decided to find the oldest pub in Ireland: The Brazen Head. Built in 1198, it used to be both a pub and place to stay. Now it serves as both a restaurant and a pub/bar. Staying here for over 4 hours, I was able to truly experience a night out with the Dubliners.

Sorry about the Picture being sideways!

After a lovely night on the town of Dublin we went to Croke Park, another sports stadium that features Gaelic Football (a mix of soccer, basketball, and rugby) and Hurling (a mix of lacrosse, football, and violence). We were able to walk on top of the stadium on a tour of both the facilities and a city sightseeing adventure. I won't go into too many details about the Park but check out the pictures and see for yourself the gorgeous beauty that lies in the northeast end of Dublin.