We were as the Irish might say, “gobsmacked” (blown away) by the behind the scenes tour of Stormont, the main Parliament building of Northern Ireland (the equivalent to our White House or Capital building) arranged by Ronnie McAleese today.  For photographic perspective, the entrance to Stormont is exactly one mile from the main road to Stormont.

Not only did we receive a private tour through areas not seen by the general public, we sat in on a parliament session and watched and listened as they debated a crime bill.  We were Ronnie’s guests and dined in the Members’ Dining Room reserved for the members of parliament. It was an amazing meal and top notch in every way.  The view from the dining room was noteworthy.

After lunch, we toured more of the grounds and were treated to a behind the scenes look at Stormont Castle, where the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland are housed.  The place and grounds are storybook beautiful!  We can’t thank Ronnie, Laura and Kat enough for their overwhelming hospitality.  Cheers!