Dublin, aka “Dark Pool” and originally named for an area of blackish water near the River Liffey, book-ended our grand tour of Ireland.

Arriving in Dublin involved us flying in from Luton Airport, one of London, England’s smaller airports. Our airline was Ryanair, which we hadn’t flow before but we chose for super cheap flights. Our experience was slightly stressful because we weren’t the only ones who liked the cheap flights offered by Ryanair. Everybody else did too! Despite arriving at 4 AM and 2 hours before our boarding time, the Ryanair check in line was packed. Due to Ryanair rules, we learned people could not check in online. Add in getting held back by an extremely thorough security check (it was the almonds Brad had packed!),and a never-ending collection of airport stores and restaurants prior to our flight gate (why so many shops Luton!?) and we barely made it to the flight gate 5 minutes prior to the previously noted boarding closure. Ironically, the flight turned out to be slightly behind schedule and we were fine. Stress is pointless!

Once we arrived in Dublin, we rented our car, adjusted to driving on the left, and headed to our first hotel! Our first hotel reservation in Dublin was for one night at the Sheldon Park Hotel and Leisure Club. Reserving cheap hotels and hostels online is always a bit of a gamble, but we have gotten used to staying at places that give us the bare minimum that we need for the night. The Sheldon Park Hotel wasn’t the cheapest hostel or hotel we have stayed in but at about 112 euros a night it wasn’t outrageously priced for how accommodating it is. It was pleasing to the eye inside, with an old-fashioned staircase welcoming us up to the 2nd floor rooms.

The staff at check-in were helpful, giving us a map of the popular tourist spots and explaining how the tram works (the Luas, or tram, was one form of public transportation in Dublin and there was a tram probably 1/2 mile down the road). The rooms were comfortable and private. Parking was included (which alleviated some of the stress of Erin’s first experience driving in Ireland). They had other amenities like a restaurant, pool, and fitness center, but we did not stay long enough to enjoy everything. If we ever go back, we would definitely consider staying here again! The only downside was that it is about 30 minute tram ride to the city center. This did not bother us much since we didn’t plan on going to and returning from downtown Dublin multiple times in a day.

After taking a quick nap to recover from our flight, we were ready to explore Dublin! We walked down the road to catch the tram. We got the one day Flexi pass for 7 euros which would give us unlimited access to the tram system for the day. Purchasing tickets is done at machines at the stop. We are not quite sure how they keep track of the tickets besides random spot checks, because we never inserted them into anything and no one ever asked to see them. We tried scanning them at these scanner machines other people were using but it didn’t seem to do anything (we suspect those were a different kind of pass).

We got off at a stop near Ha’ Penny Bridge, reportedly so nicknamed because it cost ‘half a penny’ to cross back in the day. It’s official name is the Liffey Bridge.

We had a quick but satisfying lunch at Hanley’s Cornish Pasties shop. Brad had never had a cornish pasty before and got addicted to them. Particularly enjoyable were the chicken tikki masala and traditional beef stew. They were cheap too and a good size. We need one of these in the U.S! We each got one, but on our last day in Dublin we went all in with 4 more!

After eating at Hanley’s we focused on more sightseeing. Dublin Castle (pictured in the featured photo of this page) is a well known tourist attraction that we decided to pay to visit. Tickets are 8 euros each. Like most other tours, there was a guided option, however we chose to forgo this. The tour gives access to the castle’s various rooms including the throne room previously used by English monarchs as well as the even more impressive Saint Patrick’s Hall, a large room used for presidential inaugurations now.

Overall, what Dublin Castle offers is similar to what we experienced with Kensington palace in London, the opportunity to see the inside of a big, fancy, mansion-esque building with plenty of history. The history of Dublin Castle was more intriguing to us than Kensington Palace and we are glad to have experienced a little bit of Irish state history.

Dinner for our first night in Dublin was at a local Mongolian grill spot, Mongolian Barbecue. We gave into our cravings and splurged for the all you can eat option that reminded us of home. Needless to say, it hit the spot. We also visited The Temple Bar (more to come on that in another blog post).

This brings us to some of the major sites we skipped in Dublin: Christchurch, St. Patrick’s cathedral, and the Book of Kells. The former two are the most recognized of Dublin’s houses of religion. Technically we didn’t skip them entirely, as we were fortunate to view them each from the outside, however in order to see the insides they each required a fee. Having been to London prior to Dublin, we had already visited St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey and we were cathedraled out at this point.

With regard to the Book of Kells (an illuminated copy of the Christian gospels and one of Ireland’s top treasures), we also came as close to it as we could without paying. We visited Trinity College’s campus, where the book is located in the Trinity College Library, but chose not to pay the 12 euros just to lay eyes on it. It was tempting though as the library itself looked inspiring from pictures. If we were to visit again, we would probably see the Book of Kells and tour the Trinity College Library.

We’ll fast forward to our final day in Ireland which was spent in Dublin as well. After arriving back from Northern Ireland, we based ourselves out of Avoca Lodge B&B, a bed and breakfast in a quiet park of town called Clontarf near the eastern edge of the city by the harbor. It was hosted by a friendly young woman. We had a private room but oddly our private bathroom wasn’t attached so this was slightly inconvenient (but the bathroom itself was really nice). The bedroom was sufficient, though the decor and bed not the nicest and could probably use an upgrade. Laundry services (done by the host) and a full Irish breakfast for 7 euros a plate were nice amenities that we used.

Overall we would stay at the Avoca Lodge again. It was slightly overpriced, but tolerable for 1-2 nights. Additionally, it was conveniently located in a safe neighborhood and close to several bars and restaurants, though these closed at early hours, at least for food. Luckily, there was a local fast food fish establishment called Beshoff Brothers where we got late night fish and chips. It appeared popular among local Dubliners with a handful going in and out late at night. Unluckily, contrary to the public’s opinion, we didn’t think the fish and chips were very good. The potatoes (chips) seemed microwaved and the fish somewhat flavorless. Alas, got to eat!

Lastly, worth mentioning is Phoenix Park, Dublin’s best nature reserve. We enjoyed visiting some of royal parks in London (see our Hyde Park post) and wanted to do the same in Dublin. We visited on our last day prior to visiting the Guinness Storehouse. The park is expansive and we didn’t exactly know where to begin. Without any particular sense of direction we stumbled on Magazine Fort, the run-down remnants of an old defense post, and walked its perimeter and then headed south where we found Wellington Monument, dedicated to the Duke of Wellington and apparently the tallest obelisk in Europe.

We couldn’t explore the park in its entirety, but the Dublin Zoo and the Papal Cross (commemorating the site of a mass given by pope John Paul II) are also visited destinations in the park. Notably the park is home to a nice population of deer who we made friends with from a short distance!

All in all Dublin is a city with a unique vibe. It’s a lot smaller than London but still has it’s own cultural clout and experiences, especially cornish pasties!