Destination One: Tollymore Forest
Dear reader,
To commemorate the seventh season of Game of Thrones (GoT), Sage Corps bought tickets for the Dublin Game of Thrones Tours. This tour includes two day treks with a GoT-style meal. On the day of the tour, the Sage Corps cohort and I boarded a bus and headed off to northern Ireland.
Since the first episode of season seven was released a day prior to the tour, the guide tried his best not to reveal spoilers for those who had not seen it. About halfway into the drive, the tour guide pulled out a GoT quiz. The person who scored the highest would be crowned the new King/Queen of the North. Unfortunately, I did not score the highest but a member of the Sage Corps cohort did! Shortly afterwards, we made it to Tollymore Forest, the location for the first trek.
Being from Arizona, the sheer amount of green and the height of the trees blew me away. Regardless of where I look, my view is filled with trees with no end. The small rivers that were scattered throughout the forest gave way to a child-like imagination to the adventures that could flourish.
Destination Two: Castle Ward Estate
After a morning of trees and adventures, we had lunch at The Lobster Pot – eating Game of Thrones-style! I ordered fish and chips (classic) and two beverages that came in a horn and tanker. To complete the experience, we had the opportunity to wear King Joffrey’s crown and fake royalty.
Immediately after the meal, we were in for a surprise – meeting the famous direwolves! They are actually dogs that are bred to give a wolf-like appearance. Additionally, these dogs are specifically trained for shows and meet over thousands of people everyday.
Afterwards, we headed to the Castle Ward Estate for our final trek.
Destination Three: Old Castle Ward
After a day filled with adventure, we end the journey at Old Castle Ward where we will crown the King of the North. For this particular event, we were given cloaks and weapons ranging from swords to axes. Amazingly, wearing the cloak and wielding the sword gave me an enormous amount of confidence and power. Afterwards, we gathered at the ruins and knelt to the new king. Additionally, to show our pride to the new king, we gave our most powerful warrior cry. Before leaving, we had a casual photo shoot with our cloaks and weapons.
Overall, this was the most bizarre yet exciting thing that I have done in Dublin thus far. Although I was already excited for the new season, the tour cemented my enthusiasm.
Until next time,
Kazandra Zelaya