Photos by Rick Armstrong - The ruins of a small fortress sit on the Cliffs of Moher.

Before Rick Armstrong and his sister Kelly Baker stepped foot in the emerald green fields of Ireland for a vacation, they did their research.


It was the first such trip to Ireland for the siblings and they wanted to make it worth every penny. They scoured the Internet and read up on the country before setting foot on the lush, green land.


Armstrong said he wanted to know more about the country, its government and people before going on the trip. Armstrong is from Wheeling, and his sister lives in St. Clairsville. Armstrong said he believes they did enough homework to enjoy the trip without looking too much like tourists.


“We had two days in Dublin and went around on the bus. The tour guide was the driver and he talked the whole time. You learn a lot riding on the bus.”


In Dublin, the group went on a tour of the Guinness Storehouse and later to a Jameson whiskey distillery that Armstrong said was more like a museum than a distillery.


“But at the end of the tour we had an unbelievable dinner and enjoyed traditional Irish entertainment. They even sang ‘County Roads.’ They gave us three different Jameson whiskey drinks including an Irish coffee. I slept pretty good that nigh.