Ireland — The Pipes, The Pipes are Calling — Part 1
We first fell in love with Ireland when we decided, after a business trip to Paris to meet half way (ish) in Dublin for an extended 5 day weekend.
The central delight of Dublin for VaVenturers is that, like Marseilles , its one of those cities where you can avoid FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) — no must sees or bucket list sites — just a lovely, walkable city, full of shoplined streets, hidden alleys and a lovely stroll across the bridges of the Liffey river. An English speaking city, with a European vibe, great food and drink and easy access to much of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Central Dublin is a tight, compact area — The walk from the central post office in the North (site of the 1916 East Uprising) down Grafton Street to St Stephen’s Green in the South is an easy 25 minute stroll — and a similar timing East to West from Trinity College, past Dublin Castle and the Christ Church Cathedral to the Guinness Storehouse.
So what should you see?
Modern Irish history, of course, is tumultuous and not yet the past. To get a sense of that — its worth spending a few minutes in the Central Post Office where it quickly becomes apparent that there’s more going on than the ornate mailboxes and teller windows. The building served as a critical location for the 1916 uprising against British rule — there are still bullet holes in the walls and explanatory screens provide detailed explanations of what happened at a seminal moment for Irish independence.
Everyone , of course, heads to the Guinness Storehouse - and we think its worth it — an example of an unabashedly tourist destination that is actually also unique, interesting and fun. Be assured, there’s lots of Guinness to quaff amidst the well presented story of its manufacture and how it came to be one of the world’s favorite beers — as well as good food options and authentic Irish music.
In our increasingly digital age, its worth taking a few minutes to visit the remarkable library at Trinity College. Of course, the central attraction is the Book of Kells — the early Medieval illuminated masterpiece. But don’t miss the Long Room — the Hogwarstesque repository of some of Trinity’s most famous and rarest books — you can smell and feel the warmth of centuries of great thoughts amidst the foundational texts of Western civilization.
There’s no place better to understand the yearning of the Irish for freedom and the emotional hold its toll has on Irish memory than Kilmainham Gaol, on the western edge of the city.
Guided tours take you to the cells where the leaders of the Easter uprising were held and the desolate stone courtyard where they were executed. You can also explore the central cell block — a well preserved example of the rehabilitative strain of Victorian prison architecture.
Dublin has a good train system — and its worth taking the 30 minute ride to the coastal fishing village of Howth. Enjoy fish and chips made from freshly caught plaice, cod and haddock. Take a hike past Yeats’ House along the wild cliffs overlooking the Irish Sea. You will be rewarded by the raw freshness of the sea air and unending spectacular views in all directions.
Further afield, it’s more than worth renting a car and visiting the remarkable Neolithic sites around Newgrange — about a 60 minute drive from Dublin along the historic River Boyne.
The landscape is beautifully preserved, you can really get a sense of how this part of Europe looked 5000 years ago. The tombs themselves are older than Stonehenge or the Pyramids at Giza. The precision of the engineering and the quality and depth of the carved stones will make you think again about our ancestors and the reality that Stone Age folks were not only sophisticated, enterprising and technologically skilled but philosophical and deeply emotional too.
We would also strongly recommend a day trip to Belfast — around a 2 hour drive.
If the history in Dublin feels raw — in Northern Island it’s still being written. For around $40 a person, take a black cab ride through the Protestant and Catholic areas of the city — the murals of martyrs on each side of the divide, the wall between each community and its gates that still close every evening to preserve the peace.
There’s also the brand new Titanic museum — located in the shipyards where she was built. Superb interactive exhibits that take you through the construction and launch of the fated ship, but that feels oddly truncated once the iceberg struck, perhaps not something those who engineered and built the Titanic wanted to dwell on!
In the evening stroll around and if you hear music you like in a bar - walk right in. Doesn’t make a difference if you know the words, the melodies will transport you and the people will welcome you as long lost relatives By the second Guinness you will be singing with the crowd.
While many extol the delights of the Temple Bar area — and it is lively and fun to walk through — for food and drink, we’d actually suggest giving it a miss unless you have penchant for cheap booze and mediocre grub. Its great for students and bachelor/bachelorette parties — but if you’re looking for a well poured Guinness, there are so many more authentic pubs to discover around the city.
Where to Eat
Everywhere we went the food is warm and homey, filling and fresh. Don’t leave without having scones in the morning ( and perhaps/definitively another one with afternoon tea). Too good to pass up. Our favorite is with currants or raisins, slathered with butter and jam. And the cheese…
One of our favorite restaurants anywhere is in Dublin — The Winding Stair. Contemporary Irish food at its simplest and finest — don’t miss the buttery deliciousness of their freshly smoked haddock served with onions and mashed potatoes — washed down with a local cider.
VaVenturing Tip
Give yourself a treat - Ireland is know for its sweaters and cashmere. Bought a great pair of cashmere gloves and a Mucros Weavers Irish cap that looks jaunty and keeps the Irish damp at bay!.
