We met up with Garvan for a day tour and ended up making a friend. Garvan is great at not only imparting the information of the time and place but also the feelings. We came with many misconceptions and half formed ideas of Ireland as a result of Hollywood and Garvan helped us understand the people and times as they truly happened.

We met at Trinity College and spent the day walking Dublin. We saw so many sites; the National Museum of History & Archaeology, Stephen's Green, Dawson St, Grafton St., Trinity College, O'Connell St., Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick's Cathedral! I learned how to drink a Guinness in a local pub!

Garvan gently dispelled the misconceptions we had about the politics in Dublin. He also told us about the modern Ireland and the evolution of the Celtic Tiger economy. We enjoyed just talking so much we spent the first hour sitting on the bench outside Trinity College without going anywhere. He has the ability to engage and enthrall with his telling of history; coloring of the events with the basis of the time they occurred and relating them to us in a way we could understand and empathize with. Coming from a banker let me just say that it was money well spent to have Garvan as our guide.

Got a walking tour with Maitiú where I tagged along with a group of Spanish students. Maitiu's fluent Spanish ensured everyone was fully informed about every attraction. The tour was steeped in history and local knowledge, our tour guide being a proud native Dubliner. Even though I am Irish myself, coming from the country it was excellent to have the true Dublin experience and was recommended some excellent pubs for quality Guinness. Songs were sung, hurling was played and Gaelic was spoken and the tour finished up in a beautiful park next to Dublin Castle.