Advertisement
Published: February 5th 2006
Edit Blog Post
After four months in London it was lovely to see a friendly face from home when our friend Lin arrived from Adelaide to begin her tour of Europe. The three of us had planned a long weekend in Dublin and we were up early and on our way to Heathrow early on Friday morning to experience a little bit of the Emerald Isle. Flying Aer Lingus we were looking forward to being served by stewards with lilting Irish accents but as it turned out most, if not all of the air stewards were of eastern european background and our ears would have to wait a little longer for their treat. After a rough old flight we landed on a georgeous sunny day with not a cloud in sight - a real blessing in the ever grey and drizzly Ireland. After checking into our accommadation - the most georgeous bed and breakfast with the lovliest hosts that I think I have ever stayed in - we headed out in search of lunch. After we had filled our bellies we set off wandering, first through the the bustling and vibrant mall of Grafton Street, which I must say was a little dissapointing. It
was just like any other high street in the UK with the same old chain shops and lacking any local character. At least there would not be too much temptation to spend my hard earned pounds in this city that is said to be just as expensive as 'the Capital'. Our first stop was to soak up some greenery and tranquility in the very pretty St Stephens Green with its duck filled lake, flowerbeds and fountains. We then continued our stroll around Georgian Dublin admiring the beautiful buildings with their brightly coloured doors (including a house that used to be the home to one Oscar Wilde).
Having now been in Ireland for at least six hours we decided it was well and truly time we visited our first pub. We started at a pub called Davy Byrne's, famous for its former customers who included Sinn Fein leader Arthur Griffin, writers Brendan Behan and Liam O'Flaherty and artist William Orpen. With quite a few stops in between, a drink outside in the street where the patrons of the pub had spilled out to (you don't see that in Australia too often!)and a challenge for Lin to get to the bar
to buy a round in a jam-packed Friday night crowd, we finished our pub crawl at O'Donoghue's where local band the Dubliners had their beginnings. Not wanting to be too sluggish for our day of sight-seeing on Saturday we retired to a dinner of bangers and mash for Lin and potato fritters for Andrew and I to round off our traditional Irish night nicely (the Irish music would have to wait untill the following night!).
We woke on Saturday to a beautiful very crisp (read so cold that your lips went numb so you couldn't speak properly) day with bright blue sky - we couldn't believe we'd scored another day in Dublin with no sign of rain. We split up in the morning and Andrew and I opted for a walk along the banks of the Liffey with a detour via Dublin castle, Temple Bar, Christchurch Catherdral, Dublin's oldest pub the Brazen Head, a section of the old city wall and the city's only remaining medieval gateway. Walking is always such a great way to get a perspective on a new city and often uncovers a hidden gem or two. This morning we were lucky enough to stumble upon
an exhibition of the Ernest Shackleton expedition to Antarctica at the National History Museum of Ireland which was fascinating and included some incredible photographs of the wild landscape and its inhabitants.
We met up with Lin again at the Guinness Storehouse for what was a big highlight of weekend - how much of that was due to the free pint of Guinness at the 'Gravity Bar' I'm not sure I'm willing to admit! The Storehouse is seven floors of Guinness facts, figures and history topped off with a restuarant and the stunning round glass-enclosed 'Gravity Bar' which reveals 360 degree views of the city. I never thought I could spend over three hours learning about beer (especially when I don't even like to drink it) and still feel like there was things I missed. Guinness is not just a beer but has become a social and cultural phenomenom. The most interesting exhibits showed a history of all the Guinness advertisements and merchandise that has helped shape the brand, and a chronicle of all the Guinness based events which take place around the world - even in the most unexpected corners of the globe. We completed our visit with a
georgeous lunch of hearty Guinness stew with Guinness bread and I drank my first (and probably one and only) pint of Guinness - a tribute to my little brother who is a dedicated fan of all things Guinness and would have loved to have taken my place for the day!
We walked off lunch with a stroll to and around St Patrick's Cathedral which had a lovely wall dedicated to all the poets and writers of note that have hailed from the fair city. Whilst Lin returned to our accomodation to drop off her bag of Guinness goodies, Andrew and I wandered throught the picturesque shopping arcades and stopped for coffee at a century old cafe called Bewley's complete with old dark wood walls and chandeliers. Our evening activities consisted of some more Irish culture - watching Ireland play Cyprus in a football match at the pub followed by a sing along to some Irish tunes at O'Gogharty's Pub. The renowed Irish pubs and people definitely meet up to their reputations and are the friendliest and most fun I've come across. They are worth the trip to Ireland in themselves!
After a lesuirely Sunday breakfast provided by our
typically hospitable Irish hosts we paid a visit to the Book of Kells and Trininty College and had a picnic lunch in Merrion Square. I must admit that we were not very enthusiastic about visisting the Book of Kells but we actually really enjoyed the exhibition: the demonstration of how the ancient book was produced, hand bound and hand painted was amazing and the history of how the book was found quite incredible. The great library within Trininty College was breathtaking. The enormous room was full of books from floor to the thirty-foot plus ceilings and included titles by such celebrated scholars as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. Not something you'll find at your local council library!
Flying back into London was a joy as usual, as we learn to pick out more and more landmarks and our landing a whole lot smoother than on the way out. All in all our weekend in Dublin was a fantastic introduction to Ireland - and a tease to know that the rest of the country would be even more fabulous to visit!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.043s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 12; qc: 29; dbt: 0.0222s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
virginia manson
non-member comment
dubliners
we pulled into a stoney field and pitched our tent, three of us travelling in a mini. Saw that the nearby pub had the dubliners there. They ran in with their music and played all night. Hence I am a fan and have one of their records. Glad you liked the book of Kells. Love Mum M