The daughter has arrived, with Best Friend in tow😱I would like to say that it was an uneventful arrival, but it wasn’t. The flight was fine, left Seattle on time – arrived Dublin a bit early, but I expected that. For me, the drive was no problem and it was fun listening to the radio! This was on 4 July and there were a number of commercials that mentioned American Independence Day. Especially appliance retailers – special on “American style refrigerators!” Sigh…can’t get away from it. But, back to the arrivals of the girls. The trouble began when my early 20s daughter arrived in Ireland on a one way ticket. And was honest to the immigration officer that she was unemployed (as of leaving the US). I get that they were concerned that she was planning to disappear in Ireland, but she got grilled. I was sending screen shots of our transition to the UK at the end of this month and that maybe is what convinced the officer that this person’s mom really was on the other side of the gate and they really weren’t flakes (at least to the general public). To compound the pain, something was broken in the baggage system and the luggage was being unloaded by hand. Nearly 2.5 hours after landing I had both girls with me and we were out of there! Note to Irish immigration officials: love Ireland, but we really will be leaving at the end of this month!!
We gave the two girls a day to catch their breath, try to figure out what time zone they were in and wander about the town. Then Saturday morning we were on the early bus to Limerick to catch the morning train to Dublin. The last time we were in Dublin was 5.5 years ago and it was in January. I would recommend going to Dublin in January: yes, it was cold and rainy — so what? I would rather that than masses of people we dealt with this last weekend. Dublin is a great city that I really enjoyed when we were last here. Vibrant and interesting with a wonderful blend of old and modern. This time, not so much enjoyed. But there were highlights! Showing the girls St.Patrick’s Cathedral and Christchurch Cathedral was lots of fun.
After a quick walk by of the cathedrals we headed to the Guinness Storehouse. Note to anyone going here…reserve your time and prepay for tickets online! So much faster. Guinness is fun, especially if you’re interested in the brewing process, but even more so if you’ve ever wondered how this one beer, from a small island in the Atlantic, took over the world. Don’t discount going because you’re not interested in beer. However, see above regarding not going during the summer… One of the most fascinating items in the building is this carving. It’s a 12 foot tall pint glass that is not unlike a totem pole-
We had limited time in Dublin, and a lot of ground to cover, so we had made the decision to utilize taxis. When we left Guinness the decision was made (by the excellent Husband) to take a carriage ride to our next stop! That was so much fun!
After a brief refreshment stop at one of our favorite places, Queen of Tarts (the Victorian sponge cake is to die for!), we went back to our AirBnB flat for a little downtime (and no crowds) before heading to O’Neill’s on the edges of the Temple Bar area. O’Neill’s is a favorite of ours and the Carvery is a place to get an excellent meal at a reasonable price. There is always a wide selection of food items to suit anyone’s taste and O’Neill’s itself is a worthwhile stop. I have never been into the (in)famous Temple Bar bar, but the singing coming out of there was entertaining (70’s classic rock, which is what you will find a lot of in Dublin. I don’t know why)-
The next day was brunch at The Bakehouse. I can’t recommend this place enough! Everything is good. After fortifying ourselves, it was off to see the Book of Kells at the Trinity College Library. Note to anyone going: always book online! We were grateful that we had. This is supposed to be an enjoyable experience (and it was last time), but the crowds were horrific. If you’re okay with wall to wall people, fine, but some of us weren’t. We moved through there so fast! After being in the Book of Kells area we moved into the Long Room in the library. I love this place, but did not take the time to linger in there . Even if you’re there with thick crowds like we were, make certain to take a good look at the harp – this is one of three of the oldest known Irish harps in existence. So graceful and beautiful. This is the harp that is the national symbol of Ireland and it dates from the 1500’s. Also, take a good look at one of the few remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, which was read outside the General Post Office on 24 April 1916 by Patrick Pearse at the start of the Easter Rising. Then make certain that you walk past the General Post Office, noting the damage that still exists on its facade.
Early 20th century history is not my strong point, but I have tried to make a point of learning about the Irish struggle for independence. Some people think it began with the Easter Rising in 1916, but it had been going on for centuries, just at varying degrees. So many people lost their liberty and their lives trying to make Ireland a free land. Hundreds of years — think about it. Then, when you’ve contemplated this a little, go to the Garden of Remembrance: it’s about 1.5 km past the Post Office. I feel that this is one of the most overlooked or disregarded sites in Dublin. It’s beautiful and peaceful, plus it makes you think a little.
This was a fitting end to our whirlwind tour of the major tourist sites in Dublin. The girls can come back another time (like in January…) and see everything again, with a little more enjoyment!
