Enchanting visitors with picturesque beauty, stellar musicianship, welcoming pubs, fascinating history, literary titans, charming towns, and appealing big cities, it is no wonder why Ireland is so popular with tourists around the world. In March 2018, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Dublin.
FAST FACTS
- History: Ireland is home to a rich history, beginning between 600 and 150BC when Celtic tribes arrived on the island. In the mid 19th century, famine struck the island, causing a massive population decrease due to emigration, disease, and starvation. In recent years, the resurging population has caused Ireland to be one of the youngest populations in the European Union. Ireland is part of the European Union due to a long and bloody history with England.
- Population: Roughly 5 million people
- Language: English is the official language and widely used. As of 2016, roughly 39.8% of the population speak Irish, which is also considered an official language that is taught in schools and often displayed next to an English translation. I've included an example below.
- Religion: 78.3% Roman Catholic
- Currency: Euro (EUR). As of this post, 1 EUR = 1.21 USD
This particular trip was more last minute than I would usually plan. I had to use some paid time off from work before it expired, and I wanted to learn more about Athletic Training (my career) in Ireland. You can read a bit about how the profession of Athletic Training translates to Ireland here: An Experience with Athletic Training in Ireland.
I booked my flight, hotel, and a day trip within days of me leaving. Not ideal, especially right before St. Patrick's Day, but it went fairly smoothly. The actual flight to Dublin, however, was not great.
I try to book overnight international flights so that I don't waste a day traveling if I can. So, I flew from Chicago to Washington D.C. before crossing the Atlantic. D.C. is where my travel troubles happened.
Just as I boarded the plane for the flight to Dublin, the pilot comes on over the intercom and informs us that we will be significantly delayed due to a light on their dashboard being out. Despite them fixing this issue swiftly, the delay came from processing the proper paperwork needed to legally fly.
In the intervening downtime, my aisle-mates (who were an Irish couple returning home) decided to drink heavily. I'll spare you some of the details, but rest assured, I did not have a peaceful flight.
I was quite happy to reach the ground in Dublin but realized the struggle to beat jetlag would be much tougher on this trip than normal.
ACCOMODATIONS
Despite my incredibly late booking, I found a cheap and centrally located hotel: River House Hotel. The hotel is located in the Temple Bar region of downtown Dublin. I had a short walk to many of the major pubs including The Temple Bar.
I was also quite pleased to be so close to the Irish Rock and Roll Museum. While the convenience of being near all the nightlife and restaurants is incredibly nice, the only downside was all of the noise that walked past your window at 3am. All things considered, I quite enjoyed my stay there, and I would happily return for a stay.
FOOD
There are plenty of quality restaurants and pubs to grab a meal around the Temple Bar area. However, you do have to plan ahead a bit. Temple Bar is a highly popular area that becomes densely packed even on the weeknights, and some of the pubs stop serving food at a certain hour to accommodate the nightly drinking crowds. The places that do serve food fill up quickly, and you can get stuck with some lengthy wait times, so beware.
Two places that I want to specifically mention are Elephant & Castle and The Brazen Head.
Elephant & Castle is a restaurant right in the heart of Temple Bar. I had a pretty significant wait of about 90 or so minutes, but the food was more than worth it. I had Irish Salmon with potatoes covered in a garlic butter sauce that was absolutely stellar. I will warn, however, that the menu does seem to have changed since I ate there a few years ago.
The Brazen Head was originally established in its location in the year 1198. Yes, you read that correctly. It is Dublin's oldest pub, but the current building was erected in 1754. The aesthetic is almost as impressive as its history with stone walls and a beer garden perfectly located in the center of the complex. I was blessed enough to grab a seat in this iconic setting while Ireland was facing off against friendly, but fierce, rival Scotland in the Rugby 6 Nations Tournament.
Having fish & chips, drinking a Guinness, and watching Ireland/Scotland Rugby in an iconic Irish pub easily ranks as one of my top travel moments.
DAY TRIP TO CLIFFS OF MOHER
One of my major goals was to see the Cliffs of Moher, so I booked a day trip with Wild Rover Tours. The tour was only 50 euro, which is a wonderful price for all that was provided.
Once at the Cliffs, one cannot help but be overwhelmed by the beauty, colors, and death-defying nature of them. Many people tempt fate by walking along the edge of the cliffs. I've already posted two pictures from my stop at the Cliffs: one at the beginning of this blog, and the other at the beginning of this section.
Our last stop on this amazing tour was the Burren. For those that are unfamiliar, the Burren is a small, mostly rocky part of Ireland that is protected by the government. Pictured below, this rocky limestone landscape is home to an immense number of ancient fossils of sea creatures and plants. In the summer months, the stone gives way miraculously to a brilliant display of flora. My trip in March was a bit early for this wondrous site.
Despite my ability to spend a full day or more at every one of these stops, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that this tour gave me to see as much as I did and learn about the great country of Ireland.
KILMAINHAM GAOL
The picture above is the iconic image of the Irish prison famous for housing political prisoners during Ireland's fight for independence from England. The museum educates in vivid detail what daily life was like for those that called this prison home. While there were average criminals imprisoned here, one of its more famous inhabitants was Eamon De Valera, who was imprisoned for his role as a leader during the 1916 uprising. De Valera would later become the President of Ireland. His cell, as well as other Irish patriots, is labeled with his name above the door.
Many other Irish prisoners were not as lucky as De Valera. The picture below is where many met their end by firing squad.
A visit to this solemn museum is an absolute must if you really want to learn about the history of Ireland and read about the men who changed the country's course forever.
THE GAELIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
One might look past The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which is a real shame. Aside from teaching you about Irish sports like Hurling and Gaelic Football, the GAA allows you to physically participate in learning. They have many interactive exhibits that allow people of all ages and abilities to test their athleticism.
The museum has videos explaining the various sports that look quite different to tourists. They also have a wonderful exhibit about the role of sport throughout Irish history, including Bloody Sunday (a massacre by the English at a sporting event at Croke Park in 1920 where the museum is located).
ADDITIONAL IRELAND ACTIVITIES
Dublin is saturated with plenty of amazing sites to see. Some quick highlights:
- St. Patrick's Cathedral
- Current building constructed 1220-1260
- Jonathan Swift elected Dean in 1713
- Wrote Gulliver's Travels in 1726
- Buried in cathedral in 1745
- Christ Church Cathedral
- Earliest manuscript of church location dates to 1030
- Many restorations and remodeling has left little of the original foundations intact.
- The crypt houses various royal treasures from William III and James II
- The Guinness Storehouse
- Unfortunately, I didn't personally visit this site, but it is on the top of my list when I return.
- Tours are available that include a tasting!
- Ha'Penny Bridge
- First pedestrian bridge in Dublin. Built in 1816
- Oscar Wilde Statue
- Located in Merrion Square Park across from his home
- Trinity College in Dublin
- Founded in 1592
- The Long Room is pictured below. One of the greatest libraries in the world
- The Book of Kells is displayed here as one of Ireland's greatest treasures
I cannot possibly wrap up the many alluring aspects of Dublin and Ireland without mentioning music. Wandering into pubs each night and listening to musicians entertain massive crowds was a true highlight of my trip.
If you are looking for traditional Irish music, you might be hard-pressed to find it in Dublin. Most of the musicians play classic American rock music. While they're very good at performing it, that style of music was not what I wanted.
If you keep your ears at attention, you may just hear some traditional Irish tunes echoing out from hole-in-the-wall pubs or another floor of a restaurant. Luckily for me, I randomly discovered the Murphy Sisters. I have hyperlinked to their Instagram, but they have a Facebook page as well. They played a mix of Irish folk hits along with their own original music on the night I saw them. They were a true pleasure to listen to, and I hope to see them again someday.
BEST PLACE TO REFLECT ON YOUR TRAVELS
Normally I pick a relatively quiet location, usually a landmark, monument, park, beach, or some other area that allows me to enter a pensive state. While there are certainly locations like that in Ireland (such as the churches mentioned above, Merrion Square Park, or the Cliffs of Moher), I actually found that the best place for me was in the pubs with lots of people reveling in jovial music and drinking their beverage of choice.
I mentioned above that sitting in the Brazen Head was one of my favorite travel moments. I remember watching the rugby match while picking at my plate of generous portions, absorbing the environment around me. I tried to soak in every ounce of that experience. That moment was traveling perfection in my book, and I will treasure it and that entire trip to Ireland.
If you enjoyed this post check out some of my other travel posts