The stress of preparing for Term 1 exams has set in, as we are now only 2 weeks away from our first exams of the course. Before settling in to a week of cramming, the group decided to have a night out together at a pub just south of the city centre called Searsons. Even though we are together all day and sometimes throughout the evening, many of us didn’t pass up the opportunity for social interaction outside college.
Before hitting the town, my roommate Lisa and I enjoyed a fantastic home-cooked meal thanks to our lovely friends Maureen and Kevin. You can read more about this lovely couple at http://fitznaglesinireland.blogspot.com/. I was a bit tacky and brought over a 2005 Robert Mondavi Merlot that I’d open the previous evening, but had to share the remainder with my American friends because I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to share some fantastic Californian wine.
Lisa and I decided to head into the city after going to Searsons and had a night of exploration as we stopped at Anseo and then Davy Byrnes (picture below). 
I much prefer the latter establishment, as Anseo gives me the feeling that I have just stepped into a high school party at someones overly-cramped basement.
The rest of the weekend has been devoted to schoolwork, but I’m glad to have had one night out before settling into study mode.
