Dublin

Dublin, the Ireland’s capital, is one of the most Northern capitals in Europe (on 11th place if we have to be precise). Being an important economic and financial centre, it is an attractive place to live for many foreigners (giants like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Paypal, LinkedIn, Ebay, etc have their European headquarters there). Although the city is quite international, we could still feel the charming Irish culture and spirit even for the weekend that we spent there.

General facts about Dublin

It is very common that the weather in Dublin is rainy. However it is not that cold, the temperatures are rather moderate. It usually neither gets very hot in the summer, nor very cold in winter). “It is raining so often, that we had become specialists in bars, restaurants and brunch places”, an acquaintance of mine recently said. Well, we also did not get lucky with the weather and it was raining the whole time.

The program I’m going to share with you is just for a weekend in Dublin. It does not include museums as we are definitely not into them. The recommendation we received from different friends is that they are not worth. This time my travel buddy was my sister. I can recommend the city for such kind of trips (a group of friends, girls/ boys only or couples; it is not a kids-destination IMO).

Lili’s 5 good-to-know tips when travelling to Dublin:

• Ireland is part of EU, but not part of Schengen, so you need your passport/ ID there
• They are having the same power sockets as in UK
• The cars have right wheel and they drive on the left (again like in UK)
• Unlike UK, where Pound is the local currency,  they use Euro in Ireland. Maybe you would consider me stupid, but I was just assuming that as they are that close to UK, they are also having Pounds. I had just taken it for granted). And the prices are much lower if you compare them to UK though
• Besides English, they have another language- Gaelic, the indigenous Irish language, It has strange sound and many of the streets signs are in this language

 How to get from Dublin Airport to city centre?

 There are two terminals at Dublin airport which are quite close to each other (you can walk between them in 5-10 mins).

• Bus

  We were recommended by our airbnb host to take the bus 747 (the ticket costs €7 one way and €12 return) and this is what we did. It gets to the city centre (goes along the river) for about 30 mins and it departs every 15 mins from the airport Terminal 1, position 1 (also same in the other direction).

However, just have in mind that it can miss some of slots. We arrived at the bus station at around 20:03 and the bus was supposed to depart at 20:15. It missed the slots at 20:15 and 20:30 and our bus departed at 20:41. I hope we were just unlucky and it is not a common practice. It is not very pleasant when this happens on the way to the airport.

• Uber

  It operates in the country and in cases of early or late flights, this can also be an option. As the city is small and we were staying close to the center, we never had to use it.

 Accommodation in Dublin

What I found out when booking our trip, is that the accommodation is quite expensive. We were not visiting the city during some special time of the year or a special event (which usually drives the prices up). It just seems to be generally expensive compared to other European destinations. One option is to book a hostel as they are definitely affordable.

Another compromise alternative is to book an airbnb shared apartment. Thus you can at least enjoy your private room. We chose the second option and we booked a room in an airbnb apartment close to the Temple bar area. Here like in UK they have very smooth practice with airbnb. You receive you key in a box without even meeting the host, thus not being dependent on when you arrive or depart. We were satisfied with the apartment quality, so I can recommend it. Here is the link to the apartment.

 What to do in Dublin for a weekend: 

• Visit the Guinness Storehouse

  You should not go to Dublin without visiting the place where still today Guinness beer is produced. Of course the tour is very touristic attraction, but for an hour or two you deep dive into the Guinness beer world.

  

  The place is located very close to the city centre (basically most of the main places of interest you can reach on foot). I highly recommend  that you book your tickets in advance (online) in order to avoid queuing and also to save some money. The other extremely useful tip I can provide is to visit it with the first slot- at 9:30.

  

  

  Yes, there are slots you should follow and yes, 9:30 can be a bit early for beer tasting (which is included in the tour), but it is worth. We could enjoy the spot with just a few people around. Towards the end of our 2-hour visit it was soooo crowded that it was even unpleasant. Plus this is also one of the cheapest slots and if you book online, you will pay only €18,5 instead of €25 (which is the cost of the ticket if you buy it at the cashier).

  

   

  Guinness brewery facts

  The building is divided in 7 floors each of them having its own topic. The gift shop is located on the ground floor. The first floor is dedicated to ingredients, second floor explains the beer production process. There is a floor dedicated to advertising. Then you can do beer tasting and take lessons how to pour your own beer. The cherry of the cake is the 7th floor where you receive a free Guinness beer (original version or blond) or a soft drink. You can enjoy a 360 degree view to Dublin. This was  our rooftop bar this time :). You can get an audio guide and listen to the explanations, but there are also a lot of notes and also videos which tell you the most important facts. Here are some interesting facts which I learnt about Guinness brewery. It was found more than 250 years ago in 1759 found. 

  

  Back then its founder Arthur Guinness signed the beer’s patent for 9000 years (quite smart, right). Olivia, Arthur’s wife, gave birth to 21 children. I know the times were different, but still this is impressive (she was pregnant altogether 16 years from her life)!!!

You have the possibility to use your free beer either to learn how to pour it yourself on the 6th floor (actually it is not an easy thing as it takes up to 2 mins for the beer to reach the consistency of what we are normally used to be served) or you can directly get to the 7th floor and receive your beer and enjoy Dublin from above. We chose the second option and as we were one of the first ones, we could have the table with the best view to the city (the weather was very greyish, but if it was sunny, this would definitely be the table with the best view :).

• Dublin Castle

  On a rainy day it is a good idea to visit some attractions where you can go inside – such as the Dublin Castle. It is not only a tourist attraction, but it also serves as a major Irish government complex. Friends of ours were not impressed from what they have seen inside and we decided to just visit the courtyard.

  

• Dublinia and Christ Church Cathedral

  There is an arc above one of the main roads connecting them. They are located very close to Dublin castle. Dublinia is a kids- friendly museum, so for the museum lovers this is another place of interest. The Cathedral is not only a place where people can pray, but it hosts a lot of events and also offers educational tours.

  

• Molly Malone monument

  This was not on our list, but I saw it was an attraction point marked on Google maps and we decided to check it. Molly Malone is a popular song from the past which over time had become the unofficial anthem of Dublin. As the statue is made of bronze, you can see which part people are touching most (in this area bronze is getting goldish colour).

  

• George’s Street Arcade

  Very close to Molly Malone statue you can visit the Victorian style red-bricked indoor market where there are craft shops, souvenirs and also some places to eat. It is rather small, but we were happy with the choice and price of souvenirs (you can buy magnets 3 for €10). I saw Titanic statues being among the other green souvenirs and as I haven’t heard about any connection between Dublin and Titanic, I asked about it. The seller explained that Belfast (which is 160 km away from Dublin) is the place where Titanic departed from.

  There is a huge museum and people often go on day trips to there in other to see it (this can be a tip for those of you who are visiting Dublin for longer). Some of the people forget to buy souvenirs at Belfast and when they come back to Dublin, they are looking for such- there is a demand and the seller offers it :).

  

• Ha’penny bridge

  This bridge is located above Liffey river which crossed is only a pedestrian bridge. It is located close to Temple bar area. I was wondering what is it with the name of the bridge (as there should be a story behind). Here is what I read on Wikipedia. Before the construction of Ha’penny Bridge there were seven ferries, operated by a William Walsh, across the Liffey river. The ferries were in a bad condition and Walsh was informed that he had to either fix them or build a bridge. Walsh chose the latter option. He received the right to extract a ha’penny toll from anyone crossing it for 100 years.

  

Initially the toll charge was based not on the cost of construction, but they replaced it in order to match the charges levied by the ferries. A further condition of construction was that, if the citizens of Dublin found the bridge and toll to be “objectionable” within its first year of operation, it was to be removed at no cost to the city.

The toll was increased for a time to a penny-ha’penny (1½ pence), but it eventually dropped in 1919. While the toll was in operation, there were something like rolling doors (for collecting the fee) at either end of the bridge which are nowadays of course removed.

• Trinity College

  It is one of the most prestigious university in Ireland and among the most elite in Europe.

  

  There is an option to take a tour which guides you also through the main rooms and buildings. In case you want to skip this part, you can just walk free of charge in the college’s yard. The grass there is so amazingly green and it makes very good contrast with the grey architecture of the buildings around

  

• Temple bar area

  This is a place to be not only at night (as it is famous for its night life), but it is also very charming during the day. I really like the Irish pub style- having a lot of flowers hanging from the windows which makes the whole atmosphere very cute and charming (pub and flowers does not go a lot in hand, but that’s the Irish style- drink with charm :).

  

• Enjoy one of the fancy brunch places

  As I mentioned at the beginning, Dublin people are real experts in these due to the bad weather. A few rows below I’m sharing which are the places which I have picked up for our visit after very close research (and they were an excellent choice).

  

• St Stephen’s Green Park

  One place which we couldn’t visit because of the rain. It is not smart to walk in the park when it is raining. I assume it is really beautiful on a sunny day.

 Where to eat in Dublin?

 When saying Ireland, the first thing which comes to my mind is an Irish pub and beer (I hope I’m not the only one :). The rain somehow “forced” us to stay mainly inside and we had to try the local bars/restaurants. Here is what I recommend.

 Brunch places in Dublin:

• Two Pups Coffee

  The place is located just 14 mins walk from the Guinness Storehouse and it is one of the trendiest places in town. It looks and feels like a small village house, but in fact it is quite popular. It is located in an old house (you can see this by the old walls and the wooden stairs) and the atmosphere is very cozy.

  

  They prepare the coffee themselves and for me (although I never make a difference what kind of coffee I drink), this was an aroma to remember. The food menu is not big, but it is quite delicious. Like in the other trendy brunch places, the prices are a bit high, but of course you do not go to such places every day.

  

• Urbanity

  This was a real “catch”- you should know where the place is located as it is in a small street on the other side of the river a bit far away from the old town.

  

  The portions are really big and they have huge variety of meals and healthy options (vegan desserts, porridge, etc). The interior of this one I liked even more than the previous. The service is very good (fast and smiling people). Here the prices were even higher (e.g. two meal options with 2 cappuccinos cost €32), but it was worth it.

  

 Pubs/ restaurants in Dublin:

• The VAT House Bar

  If you want to experience a real Irish style- with live music, interior and also very good food (huge portions), this is your place. The food is really delicious the food and also cheap is with regards to the size of the portions. I took the cheese platter and it was really amazing (I love cheese btw). Most of the bars in Dublin have cute smoking area with heaters in an inner yard which is in open air. This one also had such.

  

• Bison

  A fried of ours recommended this place for its pork ribs. Thank you, Dan!  

  

  It is located by the Liffey river. It has a part which looks like a pub and another one which is more like a dining place. The pork ribs were really good, but I recommend taking the big portion and as the starter is too small. This one also has cute inner yard for smokers with a few tables.

  

• The Porterhouse Bar, Temple Bar

  We stopped at this one after dinner. It is a huge pub on several floors with nice music. This time it was a DJ, but they also have live music. They offer a big number of different types of beer. I found  one beer which I drank only in Belgium- a beer with coconut. There is also food and the menu is quite rich; the kitchen closes at 22:00 (like in most of the pubs in Dublin btw).

• Dame Court Street

  This is a small street with a lot of pubs. They are a little more posh, if you compare them to those in the Temple Bar area. Some of them have  typical old-school Irish interior, while others look a bit more “elegantly”.

  

• The Temple bar

  This is something many people say it is a must-do attraction. We decided to give it a try and went there in the afternoon in an attempt to avoid the crowds. We thought that there will be not many people at this time of the day. There crowds of tourists inside maybe because of the bad weather. You can also see on the pic below. It is also noisy and simply not attractive. We decided to skip it though.

  

 Overall Dublin was a huge surprise for me (positive I mean). It definitely sparked my interest and I’m eager to see more of this country. The beautiful evergreen nature on the North is something I will definitely consider. I hope I managed to also make it attractive for you. More inspirations for weekend escapes you can find here.