I’d like to say that when I think of Ireland many things come to mind. However, the truth of the matter is that, other than leprechauns, I don’t really know anything about our island dwelling friends. Sure, the political and religious difficulties Ireland has faced throughout history have been slowly drummed into me by the BBC but, in terms of their culture, society and lifestyle, I don’t know a damn thing about the Irish. It was for this exact reason that Yuki and I booked some cheap flights, packed our bags and departed for Dublin.

Once on the ground, getting around Dublin was easy as microwavable pie. We basically relied solely on Dublin’s excellent public bus system and, for the very reasonable price of 17.30 Euros, we could ride any bus as much as we wanted for 5 days. For anyone that’s planning a trip, you can buy the 5 day “rambler ticket” from the airport.

On the surface, there is little to differentiate Dublin from any other similarly sized city in England. The people look the same, the shops are all familiar and, on the whole, things were just like back home. The only major difference is that that most road signs are written in both English and Irish and everyone speaks incredibly fast. That said, the atmosphere was nice and, aside from the relentless rain, I was confident that we would enjoy our stay.

The first day was pretty much devoted to exploring the centre, working out local bus routes and collecting as many tourist leaflets as we could lay our hands on. The now converted Church of St. Andrew (near College Green) houses an excellent and friendly tourist information office. From here you can organise excursions outside the city, check bus times or simply sit down for a while. Not too shabby, eh?

Anyway, before heading to our hotel we popped into a local bar for a drink and something to eat. Dublin is, as you would expect, littered with “traditional” Irish pubs and finding a place to fuel-up is never difficult. Quality does seem to range, however, and, as with most places, it pays to look around a bit.

After checking out a few menus we ventured into a smallish establishment just outside the Temple Bar district. Temple Bar can be found on the south side of the river and is basically a small area of streets where tourists tend to congregate. It’s not horrible by any means, but restaurants and pubs do tend to be pricier so, if you’re on a budget, it may be worth avoiding when it comes to eating.

As is often the way in Ireland, the bar we decided upon was also frequented by two extremely patriotic Irish guys whose love for their country was only surpassed by their love for booze. The evening progressed predictably and, midway through their eighteenth rendition of the Irish national anthem, Yuki and I decided it was time to head for the safety of our hotel.

We stayed at the Jury Montrose hotel, a three star concrete block on the outskirts of the city centre. To most, this place would probably seem incredibly average. However, for those that have grown accustomed to backpacking through China and South East Asia, it was like Buckingham Palace. I mean… it had carpet!

The next day, after a hearty breakfast, we grabbed our maps and camera and headed back to the city centre to start hitting the main attractions. Whilst the rain never showed any signs of stopping, over the next 3 days we did manage to visit the most noteworthy places of interest Dublin has to offer. Below are a few highlights:

Guiness Factory [Official Site]
I’m never sure how I feel about these types of attractions. Sure, the presentation is always sleek and the exhibits interesting, but I can’t help but feel that this is, for lack of a better word, nothing short of cultural hijacking. Unsurprisingly, the Guiness Factory tells the story of how Guiness is created, why it is the best beer, why it is the best beer and why it is definitely the best beer. It wasn’t terrible by any means, but it is a bit strange paying money to be exposed to what is essentially one giant advert.

Gravity Bar
Found at the very top of the Guiness Factory, the Gravity Bar gives its visitors a 360 degree panoramic view of the city - depending on the weather. This would be a fantastic place to get some pictures but, as you can imagine, it gets very busy and even getting near the window can be problematic. It’s worth noting that this is not, in the truest sense, a real bar. You can only come here if you pay the entry charge for the museum and you are only entitled to one drink.

Trinity College [Official Site]
This place is basically the Irish equivalent of Cambridge or Oxford and, much like its counterparts, it looks old and important. Other than the architecture there isn’t a great amount to see, although the library is home to the book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript that has survived from the Middle Ages and has been described as the zenith of Western calligraphy and illumination. You wouldn’t come across anything like that in my university’s library, that’s for sure.

The Bram Stoker Museum [Official Site]
This place doesn’t seem to appear in many guidebooks - we only heard about it through the aforementioned tourist office – and it is essentially a smaller scale version of something like the London Dungeon, complete with random loud noises and cybertronic models. This place is described as “a frightening tour through the life of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula”. I thought it was pretty good although a bit short for my liking. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop one guy running out in fear - which was strange because it wasn’t overly scary. Good fun.

Kilmainham Gaol
The prison where the 1916 rebels were executed is as grim as its name sounds. Narrow hallways, small windows and tiny cells were what inmates experienced and, though long empty, the eeriness and sorrow remains - and the block where the poor guys had their heads chopped off. Unfortunately, you cannot roam freely through the prison and, instead, have to join a large tour party. That said, the guys and gals that run the tours are really passionate about the history of the prison and, provided you are willing to open your mind to a bit of history, it is a great experience.

Halfpenny Bridge
Spanning the river Liffey, the Halfpenny Bridge is one of the oldest crossing points. As you may have guessed from its name, it used to cost individuals a halfpenny to cross. The bridge itself is a modest affair and you would be forgiven for not noticing it. That said, it’s a nice little bit of free history and you’re bound to stumble across it during your time in Dublin.

Dublin Castle
This well-preserved 13th-century castle once served as the seat of the Irish monarchy. Now, however, it is a brightly coloured monstrosity used as government offices. There is a tour available but, unless you are a castle buff, I can’t imagine it would be that interesting.

Attractions aside, Dublin is genuinely a nice place to walk around. There is always something to see, something to eat and something to…umm… well, you get the idea. You’re not going to come across anything particular exotic and, if you live in England, you might sometimes even forget you are in another country. However, the atmosphere is great and, though I didn’t find the Irish to be as sickingly friendly as I had heard, it is definitely a very welcoming country – even in the rain.

The sun did finally manage to make an appearance, however, but not until we were sitting on the runway, strapped into our seats and minutes from takeoff. Doh!

Costs (5 Days)

Flights: £0.04
Thanks to a special offer run by Ryanair we only paid 2p each for the return flights.
Hotel: £187 (4 nights)
Staying at the Jury Montrose hotel just outside of the city centre really saved us some pennies. The room was quite nice and a full breakfast buffet was included in the price.
Getting around: £25
As previously mentioned, we used the 5-day “rambler ticket” for all our transport needs.
All other costs (food, attractions etc): £213
We did splash out when it came to food in Dublin so you could easily shave a bit more of this figure if you tried. Attractions were generally quite cheap.

Total: £425.04 (£212.52 each)

Overall, we were quite happy with the cost of this trip. Bare in mind that this figure does not include the cost of airport parking which would add about £30 to the total.

Categories: Europe
Tags: Dublin, Dublin Castle, Halfpenny Bridge, Ireland, Kilmainham Gaol