So, a bit of background here. I have wanted to go over to Ireland for quite a while now but for some reason not ended up going, it’s strange really that in that time I have been to places such as New York, Moscow and Tokyo and yet never made the short trip over the Irish sea, I guess it’s one of those things like when people who live in a city never visit all the main things tourists come to see!
So, our trip!
Airport transfer:
Transport:
What we got up to!
O’Connell street
Halfpenny Bridge/ River Liffey
Temple bar
After that we had a stroll around the near by Temple bar, probably one of the most famous areas in Ireland. The streets around here really are quintessential Dublin and along with the cobbled streets and the constant stream of live Celtic music pouring out of each establishment this lives up to the Dublin you always imagined! It really is like stepping back in time and is one of the only places in the area to have kept it’s medieval street pattern, the narrow streets really extenuating the atmosphere! There is also a really cool alternative feel in the surrounding areas including art galleries, graffiti and independent and quirky shops. Of course, we returned later on in the evening for a few pints of Guinness and some live music to see the area really come to life after dark.
Trinity College & The Book Of Kells
After Temple bar we headed off the most famous of Dublin’s attractions: Trinity College & The Book Of Kells. Just a short walk over the river from Temple bar this is Dublin’s oldest university founded in 1592 and modelled after Oxford and Cambridge universities, it is not only a working university but also a major historical attraction within the city. The entire campus itself is great to walk around and has many features and buildings too see including the tranquil parliament square and the Arnaldo Pomodoro’s Sphere Within Sphere sculpture. But the main reason we are here is to visit the Library. The entrance fee is around €10 for adults and €8 for students and there is usually a bit of a queue to get in!
The Book of Kells itself is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament and dates to around 800AD. It is widely regarded as Ireland finest national treasure and really is an amazingly decorative thing to see in real life. Unfortunately and understandably you are not allowed to take any photographs of the book itself but here is one I pulled from Wikipedia!
Then on to The Long Room which is probably the most iconic image of Trinity College and in no less impressive in the flesh! It is one of those spaces in which you can almost feel the history, the smell of the books and the wood, as well as it being quite dark in there gives it a great atmosphere and although it is usually full of visitors you could hear a pin drop! It was built between 1712 and 1732 and houses over 200,000 of the libraries oldest books. It also contains one of the last remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic read out of the steps of the post office on O’Connell street as mentioned above. This is one of the places in Dublin I have dreamt about visiting and I have to say I did really enjoy it and would recommended it as a must see!
St Stephen’s Green
After an exhausting first day in Dublin we headed back to our B&B to check in and freshen up. We stayed at HazelBrook House which is on Lower Gardiner street, it is in a great location only a short walk from O’Connell street and for the price was a nice place to stay. I did note the amount of other B&B’s as well as hostels on this street and this explained a lot to me about why the hostels in the city seemed to cost just as much as the B&B’s!
The Customs House
Well after that the sun was still shining and the streets still warm into the early evening. Before heading back into Temple bar for some food and drinks we took a walk along the Liffey close by to where we were staying to have a look at The Custom House a magnificent building opened in 1791 and as with many of the grand buildings in Dublin playing it’s role in the Irish War of Independence in 1921. It was burnt down in a failed IRA propaganda coup as at the time it was the centre of Local Government in the British administration in Ireland.
Famine Memorial / Jeanie Johnston
Along this stretch of the river there is also the Famine Memorial sculpture by Rowan Gillespie depicting a group of painfully thin figures walking towards the emigration ships on the Dublin Quayside. Further along the banks of the river is the Jeanie Johnston tall ship which is a replica of the original ship which Between 1848 and 1855 made 16 voyages to North America carrying immigrants as a result of the Irish Famine. The ship itself has sailed all over North America before being moored in Dublin as a floating museum. Unfortunately it was closed by the time we came by but makes for a great feature on a walk along the river.
Christ Church Cathedral
Our second day in the city was a little bit more relaxed although we still managed to pack quite a bit in. We headed over to Christ Church Cathedral which is the older of the two medieval cathedrals in the city having been founded in 1030. The building itself is a wonderful piece of architecture from the outside but once inside is quite magnificent. You pay a small entrance fee and have the whole place to explore including the altar and crypt (the largest in Britain). The organ was also being played as we made our way around the building and the dean was in attendance and greeting guests.
Kilmainham Gaol
St James’ Brewery / Guinness Storehouse
Only a short walk away from Kilmainham is the St James’ Brewery or the Guinness Storehouse so we headed that way. Now I am going to be controversial here and say that I don’t actually like Guinness, I know, I know, I do try though! But that being said, it is an Irish institution and no visit to Dublin would be complete without visiting the mecca of Guinness! The building itself is really interesting with lots of great features and history, I even partook in the taste experience! The highlight for me is the gravity bar in which you can enjoy a 360° view of the city and the hillside beyond. Although I couldn’t bring myself to have another pint of the stuff we did enjoy sitting back and relaxing over the view for a while.
St Patrick’s cathedral
See more photos on our Facebook here:
See more from this country:
We returned in 2015 and celebrated St. Patrick’s day in Dublin as well as visiting The Wicklow Mountains and Northern Ireland. See our posts here:
Breathtaking Wicklow mountains
71 epic photos to make you realise how amazing the UK & Ireland is!
Visiting the amazing GAME OF THRONES filming locations in Northern Ireland!
The reality of Belfast, Northern Ireland & keeping an open mind whilst travelling
A step into the unknown…A guide to BELFAST, Northern Ireland
Kilmainham Gaol – The place the Irish Republic began!
Experiencing crazy DUBLIN on St. Patrick’s Day!
Traversing the dramatic CARRICK-A-REDE coastal rope bridge!