Anyone who knows me knows that I have been wanting to visit Ireland about as long as I wanted to go to Germany, so my entire life. This past weekend I finally got to go to Dublin! Zoë suggested that we go back when I was in Germany and of course, I jumped at the chance to see a place that I had been reading about since about 2003. It was a short trip, under 48 hours, but it was enough to give me a feel for the city of Dublin and definitely made me want to come back and explore more of both the country and the city of Baile Átha Cliath, as the city is known in Irish Gaelic (pronounced “boila ahta cliaht”).
Both of our flights into Dublin were delayed so we had a little less time on Friday night than was previously expected. Nevertheless, we tried to go to a pub (where I promptly got hit on by a man that looked exactly like my father at age 19…it was surreal and not at all enjoyable. We left that pub and went across the street to get kebabs for dinner. They were fantastic and unlike any kebab I’ve ever had, with some sort of mustard sauce that was surprisingly good.
The next day, our first and only full day in the city, started early and was jam-packed with sightseeing. We got up at 7, had breakfast at the hostel, and headed first to Trinity College.
A quick trip into St. Stephen’s Green, turned into a park and donated to the city by Arthur Guinness himself…
After a quick rain shower (this is Ireland, after all) and a rainbow to go with it, we decided to visit the statue of Molly Malone and Dublin Castle.
After the castle, we went to go see two of the big churches in Dublin, Christ Church and St. Patrick’s (of course). Both cost money to go in and see, so we just admired from the (dry) lobby. 
After a quick stop in a cafe for a scone and a coffee, we headed to the Guinness Storehouse. How could we not? We went through the whole museum, learned all about how Guinness is made, its history, Arthur Guinness, and the advertising and consistent popularity of the beer since it was first made in the mid-18th century. At the end, we learned how to pour “the perfect pint” of Guinness and drink it!
We got our certificates, our pints, and we were set. After spending a little more than I should have in the Guinness gift shop, we went to a pub for dinner. We split Irish Stew and a hamburger between us.
It was a long walk home but we made it. I felt very safe walking around Dublin, which surprised me. It was Saturday night, it was Ireland, and it was a big city. There were a lot of drunk men walking around, but none of them harassed us or even tried to talk to us. It was great. I wish cities in the US were like that!!
That night, we tried to go to a pub that Zoë’s brother had recommended to us, but they didn’t let in anyone under 18, so we were forced to find other forms of entertainment for the night. We decided to go see Bohemian Rhapsody at the movies. It was absolutely fantastic and I loved every single second of it. Queen has been my favorite band since I was 8 years old and this only strengthened my love for them. If you haven’t seen it already, you’re really missing out.
Zoë left early early the next morning and my flight was at 5, so I had some time to explore Dublin by myself. I had breakfast at the hostel and then went into the city. The main shopping street in Dublin is called Henry Street. I first went there, but nothing was open except Starbucks and a store called Marks and Spencer.
That giant obelisk is at the intersection of Henry St and O Connell St. I read somewhere once that the locals hate it and call it “the erection at the intersection” to express their disdain for this giant pole spear thing in the middle of Dublin. In any case it helped me to find Henry Street. For lunch I took myself out to a pub and had leek and potato soup and a half pint of Guinness.
This would have been so expensive in London, but Dublin was much cheaper, which I also enjoyed. The soup was also good. Like really, weirdly good. 10/10 would recommend. I then headed to the airport, bought a lot of Guinness at the airport, and flew home.
Overall, Dublin was a really cool city that had such a different feel than London. London is a very affluent city with TONS of people. Sometimes I get the feeling that people in London think they are better than others. In Dublin, a much more industrial, smaller city, I didn’t feel this at all and even though I was there for only roughly 40 hours, everyone seemed a lot more down to earth. They were also so friendly. In London, everyone minds their own business. They will help you, but people in Dublin went out of their way to ask us if we wanted pictures taken, if we were enjoying our time in the city, etc. I love London, but it was good to get out of it for a little bit and explore other parts of this beautiful continent. I can’t wait to get back and do some more exploring of Ireland.
Grace Goes Abroad 