October 9-14, 2023
“In Ireland, every place you visit and every person you meet has a story. And they love to tell you their stories. Everyone is interested in everything; in a land of storytellers, you will never be bored.” – Maeve Binchy
During our Europe travels we decided to road trip around Ireland. We had 5 days to take in this exquisite country and that wasn’t nearly enough time.
Dublin
We arrived in Dublin late on the evening by train. Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland. It is known for its historic architecture, vibrant culture, and bustling nightlife. Some of the city’s most famous landmarks include Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Guinness Storehouse. The city also boasts a rich literary history, with famous authors such as James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and Samuel Beckett hailing from Dublin.
We made our way to our hotel, The Clarence. Dublin’s original rock ‘n’ roll hotel, located in the heart of Dublin City, a hip hotel along the River Liffey. Walking distance to many attractions and literally around the corner from Temple Bar. Overall a comfortable and chic spot we would recommend.
As always we needed to make the most of our short time there. So we got settled and headed out on the town for a night cap. We found our way to Quays, this bar is literally a block down from Temple Bar and in all honesty we preferred it there versus Temple Bar. The Guinness was really good which they told us it would be in comparison to the factory. Strange I know, but true! The staff was fun and there was live music.
The following day we checked a lot of great places off our list:
Guinness Tour – This was very Disneyland like. Super modernized amusement park like of a tour. We weren’t huge fans. But they had some cool things incorporated and the view of Dublin from the top bar is nice. I wouldn’t have cared if we skipped this. You live you learn!
Jameson Tour – Now this tour was great. It was a tasting tour that kept with the history of Jameson and was entertaining and informative. The building still had its old Ireland feel to it. We loved this one!
The Brazen Head – We had lunch here. One of Dublin’s oldest bars, established in 1198. A meeting place for historic rebels, and this brass-filled, lantern-lit pub hosts live music each night. Yummy food and still has a great vibe!
Trinity College Library – This costs about $12 to get in and I wasn’t impressed. Since the library was being worked on all the books were gone expect for the first 2 rows and even if they are there you are not allowed to wander and explore through them you just walk down the main aisle. I feel they should have made that very clear before charging us to go in. It looks just like pictures. The book of Kells is also there if that interests you. The surrounding school itself is overall a beautiful mix of old and new.
Dublin offers a wide range of activities for visitors, from exploring historical sites to enjoying local food and drinks. If you have the time you can also visit; Kilmainham Gaol Museum, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Phoenix Park, Museum of Literature Ireland, or Christ Church Cathedral.
Fun Fact: Quays introduced us to our favorite drink of the trip, Baby Guinness!
Baby Guinness
1/4 shot (1 part) Irish cream,
3/4 shot (3 parts) Coffee liqueur, Black Sambuca
In a shot glass; float Irish cream on top of coffee liqueur
