Category: Dublin, Republic of Ireland

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Our Last Full Day of Dublin Attractions

We enjoyed our last full day of Dublin attractions, despite having my arm in a sling due to my fall the day before (read about it here).  Our first stop was the Jennie Johnson, one of the famine tall ships that took the folks that left Ireland during the potato famine to other places in the world. Often the US and Canada.  Our guide, Ronan, was very knowledgeable about the plight of the people in general, and about the history of this particular ship specifically. It was an eye opening experience and anyone who had family leave Ireland during that time should visit it!

The Jennie Johnson Tall Ship

The bow of the Jennie Johnson tall ship, a replica of the ships that brought thousands of Irish people to other parts of the world during the Potato Famine.
Bow of the Jennie Johnson, a replica of a ship that carried Irish people to other places during the Potato Famine.
Depiction of the captain of the Jennie Johnson.
Depiction of the Captain of the Jennie Johnson.
The tall ship Jennie Johnson on the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. It is under scaffolding as it undergoes renovations.
The Jennie Johnson under scaffolding during renovations.
Statues of famine sufferers on the river walksay near the Jennie Johnson tall ship.
The :”Famine Statues” on the river walkway near the tall ship.

Museum of Irish Emigration

After the ship we visited the Museum of Irish Emigration. Amazing fact–there are over 70 million people in the world who have Irish ancestry! This is WAY more than live in Ireland today! The museum was very interesting and informative, and another thing I recommend for anyone of Irish descent!

Lunch at HQ

We tried to have lunch at the Ferryman Pub we had been trying to get to for our whole visit, Bingo! We got a seat at the bar–only to find out they do not serve food on the weekend! WTF???? I was so disappointed! Ah well, we walked back to the canal area and ended up having a lovely lunch at HQ. Our server was named Kevin and he was very friendly and nice! I had a Chicken Pesto Salad and it was AMAZINGLY good! Seth had a burger and fries that he enjoyed quite a bit!

A burger and fries enjoyed by my son at HQ in Dublin, Ireland.
Seth’s burger and fries.
My chicken pesto salad at HQ in Dublin, Ireland.
My chicken pesto salad.

After lunch, we walked back to our hotel and passed what looks to be the Irish headquarters for Facebook!

Big thumbs up sign of Facebook's Irish headquarters.
Facebook’s sign at its Irish location.

Our Last Dinner in Dublin

As per our tradition, we had dinner on our last night at the restaurant in our hotel. I had a lovely salmon while Seth had duck (his favorite). Both were delicious, and we killed a couple bottles of wine! It was the perfect way to cap off our wonderful trip enjoying all of the Dublin attractions!

My delicious salmon dinner with lovely crispy skin and a yummy white wine sauce.
My delicious salmon.
My son's duck dinner on our last night in Dublin.
Seth’s duck.

!

We were sad that our European adventure was coming to an end, but both of us were more than ready to get home. I missed my other kids, my pets, and my own bed! Believe it or not, I even missed my job and my co-workers! Yes, my work is a major part of who I am, and I miss it if I’m gone too long!

My next post will be a brief one about our trip back to the States! Stay tuned! You can find it here.

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Whiskey Brunch and Clumsy Me!

Our Friday in Dublin started with a Whiskey Brunch at the Irish Whiskey Museum. This was very informative and we got so sample several Irish Whiskeys to compare them to each other. My favorite was the middle one, which I think was called Porters. Apparently it is the favorite of the Irish, so much so that they don’t export it so they can keep it for themselves! The museum is not associated with any one brand, so that made it even more interesting! The leader of our little group was actually from the US. Her name was Shannon and she had just finished her Masters at Trinity College. She was fun and informative! The brunch afterwards was also very good!

Pictures of the Irish Whiskey Museum

Photo of old-fashioned distillery equipment at the Irish Whiskey Museum.
Old-fashioned distilling equipment.
Uisce Beatha means "Water of Life" in Irish.
Uisce Beatha means “Water of Life” in Irish.
The bar in the Irish Whiskey Museum.
The bar!
Our three samples of different Irish Whiskeys.
Our three Irish Whiskey samples.
Cool photo of bottles backlit by bright yellow lighting.
I just thought this made a cool photo!
Our brunch at the Whiskey Brunch--bread, bacon, sausage, and bangers.
Our delicious meal for the Irish Brunch.

Walking Around Dublin

After the Whiskey Brunch, we walked Grafton Street. It was a vibrant area, but not a lot for us since we are not big shoppers. From there we headed to the Temple Bar area and had a drink in the famed Temple Bar itself. It was very crowded even though it was only about noon! There was a gentleman playing traditional Irish music, which I love!

The iconic Grafton Street in Dublin.
The iconic Grafton Street in Dublin.
My son in front of the famous Temple Bar in Dublin.
My son, Seth, in front of the famous Temple Bar.
One of the bars inside The Temple Bar.
One of several bars inside The Temple Bar.

We wanted to get some pictures of the Ha’penny Bridge–the first bridge over the River Liffey. The name comes from the price of the toll back in the day.

The Ha'penny Bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin.
The Ha’penny Bridge.

Dublin Castle

Next on our agenda was the Dublin Castle.  It seemed more like a museum than a castle to me. The self-guided tour was not as thorough as I would have liked, so consider the actual guided tour if you go there and are a history buff like me!

One of the elaborate halls in Dublin Castle with beautiful chandeliers and many works of art.
One of the elaborate halls in Dublin Castle.
Another view of the same hall in Dublin Castle.
The same hall from another angle.
The throne in Dublin Castle, burgundy and gold.
The throne in Dublin Castle.

Lunch and My Clumsiness

We had lunch at O’Neill’s. It was a self-service kind of place, which I’m not a big fan of, but at least we didn’t have to wait for our bill! Most places in Europe are so unlike America–they don’t rush you out the door by bringing your check as soon as you look close to done! This is great when you want to relax, but sometimes you have to hunt someone down when you really need to go! Anyway, I had a celeriac and bacon soup which was lukewarm by the time I got it, but tasted good. Seth had a spicy chicken burger that he really enjoyed.

My celeriac and bacon soup and the delicous dark Irish bread I learned to love.
Celeriac and bacon soup and delicious Irish bread.
My son's lunch--a spicy chicken burger.
Seth’s spicy chicken burger.

On our walk back to the hotel we saw a bar named with the name of my second son, Brogan!! It is an Irish name, but it was so cool to see “Brogan’s Bar”!! Shortly after that, I had a bad fall. I have had problems with my depth perception, and I had fallen twice before on this vacation–once in London and one other time in Dublin. But this fall came with injuries. The most immediately noticeable was my bleeding forehead–my glasses broke and the metal arm cut my forehead. I was bleeding like crazy, though the actual cut was quite small and only needed some steri-strips. Fortunately, we were in front of a youth hostel, and they had a first aid kit. They were so nice! I wish I would have gotten their names, and the name of their place, so I could thank them, but I was a mess–more embarrassed than in pain, but both really! On the way back to the hotel, I realized my left arm really hurt. I suspected a radial head fracture, which was confirmed once I got home to the states. As it was, I texted a friend who works in Orthopedics and asked his opinion. He recommended I get a sling and use it until I got home, which I did. I wasn’t up for going out that night, so we ordered pizza from room service.

Brogan's Bar in Dublin--one of my sons is named Brogan so I couldn't pass up the photo op!
One of my sons is named Brogan, so I had to photograph this bar!
My after falling--glasses broke, forehead cut, and a broken arm!
Clumsy me–glasses broken, forehead cut, arm broken!

You can’t tell from the picture, but my glasses were taped up on the left, and you can see the steri-strips if you look closely.

At this point, we only had one day left on our European adventure. Stay tuned for a synopsis of our last day!

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My Favorite Day in Dublin!

Thursday, May 24, 2018, was my favorite day in Dublin! This is because of one of the places we went–Dublinia! It is a museum dedicated to the Viking and Medieval history of Ireland, and those are my favorite periods of history!!

Breakfast and Trinity College

We started the day with breakfast at The Lombard, on the way to Trinity College. I had the “small” Irish breakfast (it was NOT small) and Seth had Eggs Benedict. Everything was delicious and filled us up for our adventures!

My son's Eggs Benedict at The Lombard in Dublin, Ireland.
Seth’s Eggs Benedict.
My small Irish breakfast at the Lombard. It wasn't small at all! There was toast, eggs, potatoes. sausage AND bacon!
My (not so) “small” Irish breakfast.

After breakfast we continued our walk to Trinity College with hopes of seeing the Book of Kells. We had thought it was included in our Dublin Pass since it is a big attraction there, but it was not. Between having to pay extra and the very long line, we decided to skip this attraction in favor of other things. I am very glad we did, since we would not have had time to do everything that we ended up doing!

Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green

Upon leaving Trinity College, we strolled through the Grafton Street area. There were nice shops, a few great pubs and a coffee shop with a lovely downstairs area with couches and tables that would be perfect for studying! Our journey brought us to St. Stephen’s Green, a most delightful park that I could easily spend all day in! I especially loved the ponds and the ducks. We even saw some swans! I love swans! There was a very protective male duck swimming beside his female and quacking all the other ducks away. It was so cute!

The iconic Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland.
The iconic Grafton Street.
A majestic swan swimming in the pond at St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, Ireland.
A majestic swan at St. Stephen’s Green.
A lovely fountain at St. Stephen's Green with beautiful trees and shrubs in the background.
Lovely fountain with beautiful foilage in the background.
A very protective male duck escorting his female on a pond in St. Stephen's Green.
The protective male duck escorting his female.

Great Driver and Dublinia

We picked up the Hop On Hop Off Bus at the park and were blessed with an awesome driver–Declan was entertaining, informative, and sang beautifully! We were lucky enough to get him again later in the day, too! He was one of the highlights of our day!

Our next stop was the highlight of my stay in Dublin–Dublinia. I am fascinated by Viking and Medieval history, so this interactive museum was right up my alley! I’ve been reading a series of books on this era that are loosely based on fact, so seeing those people come to life and the reality behind the fiction made it even more meaningful for me! I definitely geeked out during our visit to Dublinia. You can learn more about this attraction here.

The museum Dublinia, which is all about Viking and Medieval history in the Dublin area.
Dublinia.
A chart about the Viking Age located at the Dublinia museum in Dublin, Ireland.A
A timeline of The Viking Age.

Lunch at the Copper Alley Bistro

We ate lunch at a pub nearby, Copper Alley Bistro. I had a traditional Bangers and Mash, which was delicious, and Seth had the “House Special Burger” that he thoroughly enjoyed. We split a bottle of Malbec, my favorite type of red wine!

Bangers and Mash, a traditional dish, which I enjoyed at the Copper Alley Bistro.
My Bangers and Mash.
My son's Special House Burger at the Copper Alley Bistro.
Seth’s Special House Burger.

Jameson Distillery

After lunch we hopped on the bus again and went to the Jameson Distillery where Darren taught us all about the history of the brand. He also instructed us in the process of making whiskey, and the difference between various types of whiskeys. The word “whiskey” actually comes from the Gaelic word for water–uisce. We also tasted and compared Jameson with Scotch (Johnnie Walker) and Bourbon (Jack Daniels). The Jameson was definitely MUCH smoother! IF I were to drink whiskey, it would be my preferred type! We each got a free drink (mine was a Jameson and lemonade) , and Seth bought a bottle to go! On the way back, we again had Declan for our driver–what a treat!

Declan teaching us about whiskey at the Jameson Distillery in Dublin. We got to sample different kinds.
Declan teaching us about whiskeys and how they differ.
My Jameson and lemonade at the Jameson Distillery.
Jameson and lemonade.

Dinner at Our Hotel Bar

After a brief trip back to the hotel to recharge ourselves and our devices, we again tried to go the the Ferryman, but it was (again) too crowded! We ended up having dinner at the hotel bar. We had drinks and burgers and enjoyed a relaxed dinner before retiring to the room for a well-earned rest!

Well, my friends, until next time!

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Dublin Adventures

On our first FULL day of Dublin adventures, we first walked to get our Dublin Passes. It was about a mile-long lovely stroll across and along the River Liffey. We then jumped on the Hop-on Hop-off Bus for an overview of the city. I definitely recommend these tours as an introduction to a new city–it gives you an idea of what you want to go back to for further investigation!

Guinness Storehouse

We got off at the Guinness Storehouse and toured the facility. We at lunch there and enjoyed a free pint of Guinness Stout! It was a very informative self-guided tour that taught us about the ingredients and the process of making beer, as well as a lot of the history of Guinness in particular.

For lunch there, I had a traditional Beef and Guinness Stew with a pint of Hop House 13 Lager (a lighter beer made by Guinness). The stew was quite amazing and I recommend you get this at least once if you visit Ireland! Seth opted for a Guinness Stout with a flatbread that was delicious!

After leaving Guinness, we took in many sights from the bus, including the Gaol (prison), several churches, Phoenix Park, Trinity College, and even an apartment (penthouse, of course) owned by Bono of U2! We got off the bus near the Whiskey Museum near Trinity College to check into the “whiskey brunch” they advertised (more about that in a later post), then walked the mile or so back to our hotel.

Our driver, Colin, had recommended the Ferryman Pub, right down the street from our hotel, and we wanted to have dinner there, but it was so crowded, we could not get a table. Instead, we walked to the canal area a block or so away, and we found the H-Bar. I had a mango peach fizz and ate a traditional seafood stew. It was a delectable combination! Seth drank a blackberry mint gin and ate a char-grilled  chicken burger. We were definitely not disappointed in our choice!

After a busy day, we were happy to get back to our lovely hotel to relax and get some rest!

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Dublin Delight

On Tuesday, May 22, 2018, we traveled from Birmingham, UK to Dublin, Republic of Ireland.  The Birmingham airport was a bit confusing, and there was a delay due to some kind of strike in France involving air travel. We did make it to Dublin about an hour late, and thankfully our driver was still there. His name was Colin and he was very nice, as well as informative with recommendations of things to do and places to eat!

Travel days always take the wind out of my sails! Once we settled into our hotel, the Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane, we had dinner at Stir, the hotel’s restaurant. The hotel is only a block from the River Liffey and across from a theater. They had a pre-theater special menu that was scrumptious and reasonable! I had onion and goat cheese tarts for an appetizer and Seth had a lovely salad. For our entrees I had Salmon with a wine wine sauce and Seth had a pasta dish. We shared a bottle of wine and were soon ready to rest up for our first full day in Dublin!

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