DESTINATION : DUBLIN
A CITY BREAK IN DUBLIN, IRELAND
THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Destination : Dublin. The 30th Capital City I have visited, whilst the Republic of Ireland became my 50th, and currently most recent, country visited too.
Living in the North West of England the Republic of Ireland is the closest “foreign” country to me, yet it has taken me over 50 years to finally visit for the first time. Although I’ve been to Northern Ireland a few times I never crossed the border south.
So I planned a two night city break in March 2022. Dublin is well known for its St Patrick’s Day celebrations around their Patron Saint’s Day on 17th March. Although I wanted to enjoy the nightlife I wasn’t too bothered about the crowds and increase in prices for that week. So I went the following week, after the hangovers had worn off a bit.
I had two nights and slightly more time in days to explore the city. There were plenty of things to see and do. This is the story of how I filled my visit.
GETTING THERE
Airports
The flight from Manchester to Dublin is a quick up and down. I think it only took 35 minutes coming home and not much longer on the way out.
It took me longer to drive to the airport, let alone get through check in, security and boarding.
I was pleasantly surprised by how nice Dublin airport was. In some ways much nicer than the newly refurbished Terminal 2 at Manchester, that I’m quite used to flying from.
My bag was first off the plane for once, so I naively assumed that was a good start to my trip.
Airport Transfers
After a bit of online research about my destination I decided that a cost effective way for me to get from the airport to the city centre was on the Dublin Express bus. It also had a stop a couple of minutes walk from my hotel.
The bus worked out at €4 each way, although I think the prices have changed since my visit.
They recommended booking online to avoid disappointment. Every ticket guarantees a seat, though not necessarily on the bus you booked as it turns out.
You book a timed ticket, the buses are about every half an hour. If your flight is delayed you can catch any later bus.
The stop was well signed and easy enough to walk to from the baggage collection area.
Unfortunately my bus was full. They assume everyone will be a no show and sell to walk in customers. The fact I was twenty minutes early and had a ticket meant nothing.
I was guaranteed a seat on the next bus, half an hour later!
So pre-booking felt a bit pointless, and rather than avoid disappointment I was quite disappointed indeed. I suppose I’d have been less worried had my flight been late and I wanted the next bus.
They redeemed themselves on the return trip. Then having a pre-booked ticket made boarding the bus in Dublin really easy. I was a bit anxious in case that bus was full too, as this time I had a plane to catch, but I needn’t have worried.
So Dublin Express get a mixed review. Once on board the bus was good, the transfer fairly quick and the stops convenient. Just a shame about the booking.
WHERE I STAYED
How did people book holidays before Google Maps and lists of things to do on the internet?
Having a rough idea of a few things I wanted to see and do in Dublin I decided to stay near O’Connell Bridge, which seemed to be fairly central.
Room with no view
The Arlington Hotel faced onto the river, although I had a room nearer the back, with no view to speak of.
Not particularly fancy, it was clean and comfortable and a decent price. I really only wanted it as a base for exploring and didn’t plan on spending much time in my room.
There was a king sized bed, made up of two beds pushed together. The bathroom had the tiniest shower cubicle. I’m not that big, but I could imagine it would be a struggle for some.
I was travelling light, a rarity for me. I usually overpack and then some. The flight was cheaper with a small bag, so I took advantage of the price saving and learnt a money saving tip for the future, as I had packed more than enough.
It meant there was ample wardrobe space for me.
The room had all of the usual hotel amenities, which meant I was quite satisfied. It did me nicely for a couple of days.
Food and Entertainment
The best bit of the hotel was the large bar area downstairs.
Here there were plenty of places to sit and have a beer or food. As it happened I ate there both nights. The menu was a bit limited, but there was enough choice for a couple of nights and the fact they served food until 9pm came in handy.
I even enjoyed a chicken Caesar salad for lunch overlooking the river, although that view was interrupted by a constant stream of traffic.
For entertainment here I made do with football on the big screen and background music. They did advertise Celtic nights. Certainly worth looking out for, although I had other plans for the evenings.
Overall I was very happy with my choice of accommodation. I’d certainly stay there again.
A WALK ON THE RIVER LIFFEY
My choice of location turned out to be an ideal base for exploring.
As I’ve mentioned the hotel fronted onto the River Liffey, which runs through the centre of Dublin.
O’Connell Bridge to the Four Courts
The O’Connell Bridge is just one of a number of bridges crossing the river, which is lined by roads on both sides.
You can’t escape the traffic on the river front, but there are good pavements and pedestrianised routes to follow.
For my first afternoon I just wanted to get my bearings and see what makes Dublin such a popular destination for a city break. Walking the river is a good way to see a lot in a short time, and the beautiful Spring sunshine helped a lot.
I wandered along the river past the ornate Ha’penny footbridge to a domed landmark that I discovered was the Four Courts.
Crossing the river I then made my way back up, with a detour into the lively Temple Bar area, before heading back upriver and on past my hotel.
Custom House and the Famine Memorial
At this end of the city was the impressive Custom House Building, which apparently has a visitor centre too.
As I carried on walking I came to a series of sculpted statues that make up the Irish Famine Memorial, for my first dose of Irish history. Very thought provoking to see.
If this period of Irish history is something that interests you the area includes a replica emigrant ship, the Jeanie Johnston, and EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, which a friend recommended to me, although I didn’t have enough time to visit.
All along the walk you can enjoy the sights of Dublin’s historic and modern architecture and the various river bridges.
In the distance I could see the port and ferry terminal, which offer an alternative route into the city if Dublin is your destination on a sea voyage.
For me though, with my initial exploration of the city done, it was time to turn back to the hotel. I had plenty more sightseeing to come.
5 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN DUBLIN
1. TRINITY COLLEGE
Destination number one on my sightseeing plan for Dublin was Trinity College.
Now it might seem a bit odd visiting the University of Dublin unless you are actually a student, but there are a couple of reasons why its also one of Dublin’s main tourist attractions.
Timed tickets can be booked online. In fact when I visited you had to book online even if, like me, that meant standing at the door booking on my phone.
Helpful Hint: Everyone is using the public Wi-Fi and it is very slow. Download the Trinity college apps and tour guide before you arrive.
The Book of Kells
The first part of the visit is dedicated to The Book of Kells, a 1,200 year old book widely regarded as Ireland’s greatest historic treasure.
It is included on UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” register.
This highly decorated book is a Latin copy of the four Gospels, written sometime around 800 AD.
An exhibition explains the techniques used to create the vellum and ink and bindings that were used in the book. Then there were details of the symbolism used in the drawings used in the decoration Every page is a work of art, as well as literature.
When you get to see the book itself its almost a bit underwhelming after all of the build up. Even so its nice to see. Certainly one of the oldest books I’ve ever seen.
The Long Room
From the Book of Kells you head into the Long Room. Trinity College’s old library.
This dark brown wood panelled library has a barrelled roof that is lined on both sides by alcoves of double book cases on two levels.
Over 200,000 ancient books are stored here.
Each alcove is guarded by busts of ancient philosophers and thinkers as well as scientists, playwrights and authors.
This is very much my sort of thing. I found it breathtaking to see. For all I took plenty of photos I remembered to stop and just look.
Another artefact on display here is the Brian Boru harp. A harp from the middle ages and the oldest in Ireland.
Its claim to fame is as the inspiration for the official national emblem of the Republic of Ireland. Although it also inspired another famous predecessor that we will come to later.
2. DUBLIN CASTLE
I’d made an early start on my sightseeing, so it was still well before lunchtime when I reached my next destination, Dublin Castle.
The original castle was the centre of English and later British rule of Ireland from 1204 until 1922.
A fire in the 1684 destroyed much of the castle and it was rebuilt more in the style of a palace. The ancient Records Tower and some of the castle walls are still visible though.
This was the ceremonial home of the Viceroys of Ireland, the Monarch’s representative in Ireland.
When the Irish Free State gained independence in 1922 the castle took on the role as host to State Ceremonial events in the new Republic of Ireland.
I found the corridor with photographs of the Irish Presidents, 8 at the time of my visit, very interesting. This included a short biography and gave a feel for their legacy in the times of a newly growing country and beyond.
The highlight of the visit was entering St Patrick’s Hall, where the Presidents are now inaugurated. Its a huge room, with a wonderful painted ceiling. It definitely earned a “wow” when I saw it.
The self guided castle tour included the state apartments, works of art and provided a glamorous backdrop to the story of Ireland’s history.
3. GUINNESS STOREHOUSE
About 25 years ago I went on a leaving do for someone at work and one of the pubs we visited had a promotion on, giving away free pints of Guinness. It was my first and last taste of the black stuff. I have never been so hungover as I was the next day. I maybe conveniently forgot the multiple pints of lager I had later that evening.
Everyone says Guinness tastes different in Ireland, although I had stuck to lager since my arrival, albeit Hop House 13, which I later discovered is made from the same special Guinness yeast.
I wasn’t entirely sure that visiting the Guinness Storehouse “museum” would be my thing. However so many people had recommended it to me, and I had a free afternoon, that I went along anyway.
Top Tip: Its a couple of Euros cheaper if you pre-book online.
Exhibits
Arthur Guinness took out a 9,000 year lease in 1759 on the site where the modern Guinness factory still stands today.
The Guinness Storehouse tour begins in one of the older buildings, which has been adapted inside to allow you to climb over 7 stories through the exhibits about the World famous drink that is Guinness.
There’s the story of how it is made. The other skills needed like barrel making. Models of the methods of transport used to export it around the World.
There’s the family story of Arthur Guinness, his wife and 10 children.
A floor is dedicated to the iconic Guinness advertising campaigns and marketing products.
Remember the Brian Boru Harp from the Long Room. It was also the inspiration for the Guinness harp logo. Guinness trademarked the design in 1876, so when the Irish Republic came to use the design in 1922 they had to turn the harp the opposite way round to distinguish it.
Gravity Bar
Almost without realising you have climbed to the top of the building whilst being entertained and informed along the way.
At the top is the Gravity Bar. Here you earn a pint of Guinness (or another drink of your choosing) and get to enjoy it with a 360 degree panoramic view over Dublin.
I thought 25 years was long enough to get over one bad experience, so I accepted my free pint of Guinness.
Maybe it does taste different in Ireland. Perhaps I was just a lot more sober. Either way it went down well with such a fabulous view.
This turned out to be the highlight of my trip. If Dublin is your destination, I would highly recommend a visit.
4. TEMPLE BAR
Dublin is known for its “Craic”, fun and enjoyment, but its much deeper than that.
For the tourists the most famous place to enjoy this is Temple Bar.
This street on the south bank of the River Liffey is a go to destination in central Dublin, believed to be named after the Temple family.
At one end the red, gold and black Temple Bar pub welcomes tourists with live music and the chance of a pint or more. Plus it offers that Instagram worthy photo to let people know where you are.
However this whole street is filled with bars that don’t bear much resemblance to the “Irish Bars” back home, or in fact in almost everywhere else. A cruise ship crew member once told me that you could find a Chinese restaurant and an Irish bar in every city on Earth. I’m not sure if that’s really true, but I find I smile a lot when I spot both on my travels!
However where better than Ireland for an authentic Irish Bar. I enjoyed live music in more than one bar along this street, which is lively during the day as well as at night. It was worth listening out for pubs with more traditional tunes too, where the atmosphere definitely had a bit of the Craic going on.
Top Tip: Drinks prices increase the more touristy the pub. A pint of lager cost me over €2 more in some pubs than others. Worth it for the atmosphere, but also a good excuse for a pub crawl.
5. THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND
Leinster House
I had a morning to spare before my flight home, so decided on a visit to the National Gallery of Ireland as my final destination for this visit to Dublin.
The walk there took me through St Stephen’s Green, where some of the events of the 1916 Easter Rising took place. There are information signs telling some of the story. As well as having history this is really a lovely big park in the centre of the city to walk through on a sunny day.
From there I passed by Leinster House. This is home to the Seanad and the house of the Irish Parliament. Always worth seeing the centre of government in any country.
The National Gallery
Next door to Leinster House was my destination, the National Gallery of Ireland.
Its free to visit and the staff were very helpful and welcoming.
There are works by Irish artists, many of whom I didn’t know, but that’s part of the reason to visit.
If you like the odd masterpiece though there are plenty of those too. Amongst others they have works by Rembrandt, Canaletto and one of my favourites, Vermeer.
For art fans its definitely worth a couple of hours and was a nice way to spend my last morning before home.
HOME TIME
I often think three days is quite enough for a single visit to any city. There’s often more to see, but you can only take so much in at once.
Personally I thought that true of Dublin. I was glad to finally see what all of the fuss was about. For me it was a bit over hyped.
Oddly the fact that everyone spoke English and the cultural similarities meant it didn’t quite feel foreign enough. Perhaps I’m just looking for something a bit more exotic.
That said, I’m certainly happy I have been. I have seen lots of sights and there were some definite highlights. Dublin has attractions that you can’t see anywhere else in the World. What more excuse for a visit do you need.
Destination Dublin was a good one to tick off the list.
