Saturday

One Night in Dublin

It seems odd that I've been to so many countries in Europe but, until 2019, I'd never hopped across the Irish sea. Although maybe that's not so surprising when you consider my first trip across the Scottish border wasn't until I was 24. Still, I'd always wanted to visit the Emerald Isle so when Hayley suggested we pop over for a night, I was quick to agree. Although it was a short trip, I think it was just the perfect amount of time for us to get a feel for the city.

32 hours in Dublin

THE TEMPLE BAR PUB

The Temple Bar Pub live music band

I'm sure we've all seen a million photos of this pub on Instagram. What's funny is that it doesn't really stand out amongst all the other pubs in the Temple Bar area. When we visited in early January, it was still decorated for Christmas which gave it an edge, but otherwise it looks similar to other establishments along these cobbled streets. I'm still not entirely sure why this particular pub has become such a tourist attraction (even Googling 'why is the Temple Bar pub famous?' just gives results along the lines of 'erm... it's, like, red and sells lots of whiskey?') Regardless of exactly why it's famous, it's still a really lovely place to visit. We ventured inside and, as you'd imagine, it was absolutely heaving. We were surprised by just how big the place is, with labyrinthine rooms leading into each other. This series of rooms means it feels really cosy and intimate despite its size (the mass of bodies pressed against each other helps with this). Hayley's eagle eyes spotted two stools right next to the stage where there was a band playing, so we settled down with a drink each. We didn't have anything to eat, but the people next to us were tucking into a chocolate cake which looked absolutely amazing. You can also try some oysters if you so wish although, having sampled my first oyster on my 30th birthday (because that's what adults do, right?), I can't say I'd be ordering any!

NATIONAL LEPRECHAUN MUSEUM

It's great going on holiday with Hayley because we're both well-travelled and are therefore both of the view that going to yet another Natural History Museum or National Art Gallery is a bit dull. Don't get me wrong, they can be wonderful, but they're very much the same no matter what city you're in. Instead we like to hunt down the more unusual museums, like the Sex Machines Museum in Prague or this- the National Leprechaun Museum. We'd spotted it on the map and both agreed it looked like our kind of thing, but we weren't prepared for what it actually was. Rather than a traditional museum, it's more a guided tour through themed rooms, where your guide reveals Ireland's rich history of folklore, not just with leprechauns but also witches, changelings, banshees and fairies. There's no script, so the guide is free to go off on a tangent and share information that is tailored towards each group. There were only 5 of us on our tour and no kids, so our guide told us some pretty dark and 'adult' stories, which was great. (Although he did hint at an even darker history that he didn't feel appropriate to share and, me being me, I was silently willing him to press on with it!) There's a lot of detail in the museum environment and fun things like massive furniture so you get the full leprechaun experience. It was definitely not what we were expecting it but I thoroughly recommend it. 

TRINITY COLLEGE LIBRARY

Trinity College Library Dublin

Since we both love books, we knew we had to visit the Trinity College Library. Seriously, Google it and see how amazing it looks. There was a little queue to get in, but I think this is mainly because the very chatty man on the desk had a conversation with every single person he served (when it was my turn we talked about Salzburg as he knew it well). Before entering the library, there's information about the Book of Kells- a 9th century illustrated copy of the gospels which is on display here. It was interesting to see, but we really wanted to visit the library, so we quickly ventured upstairs to the grand room itself. The first thing I noticed was how amazing it smells- like a cross between old books and cathedrals. There are books upon books upon books lining both sides of the room with benches in the centre so you can sit down and take it all in. I can only imagine how imposing and grand it must feel when there aren't a whole load of tourists wandering back and forth. 

THE DETAILS

We stayed in Jury's Inn Dublin Christchurch which was the perfect location: just outside the Temple Bar area and within walking distance of everything, with an added bonus of the airport bus stop being just across the road. Our room was an absolute bargain (even more so as I had a Hotels.com reward night and only had to pay £15) and perfect for our one night. I was also really impressed with how simple the journey to and from Dublin was- I got a Ryanair flight out of Gatwick for £36 return and then just had to catch a bus from the airport to the city centre for €12 return. The bus took half an hour and had a display board listing the next stop so it was super easy to navigate. Then, on the way home, my plane landed 20 minutes early and, somehow, the time it took me to leave the plane, walk through to the baggage carousel, pick up my bag and walk round to meet Rich at the arrivals gate was 3 minutes. What kind of weird time warp airport did I enter? I'm not complaining, but wow. 

The Temple Bar Pub Dublin at Christmas

Our one night getaway was the perfect way to experience Ireland for the first time. I definitely want to return sometime and explore some of the coastal towns. Road trip, anyone?

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6 comments :

  1. I've been looking at what mini adventures I can take this year and Ireland has been top of the list...this has given me such great ideas of how to plan & where to go, eeeeek thank you!!

    Sarah x

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  2. I always love seeing what people do when they visit us in Ireland! I work right around the corner from the Temple Bar and went to college in Trinity so it's fun for me to see it from an outsider's perspective :) It looks like you had a great time! If you're ever back in Dublin, I know Temple Bar is the big tourist draw but some of the other areas of the city are just as cool if not more so, try the George's St/ South William St area for some really fun restaurants & bars. Or if you visit in the summer, the Barge pub on the canal is always HOPPING as people take their drinks out and sit all along the canal on the canal walls!

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  3. Love it! I was only in Dublin for about the same amount of time. I really liked the Guinness experience and took the hop-on-hop-off all over. Wish I'd spent some more time in Temple Bar but I always try and leave something for next time :)

    Kristen
    kristenabroad.com

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  4. Dublin is definitely on my list of places to go. Lovely photos!
    Love Vicki ♡ victoriajanex blog

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  5. I have always wanted to visit Dublin, it sounds like you had a great time over there. I must admit I am a sucker for a museum so the Leprechaun museum sounds right up my street! The library looks awesome as well this is how I visualised the library in Hogwarts looked like when I was reading the books haha. Great post!

    Jess xxx | http://littlepinkduckblog.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. I've never been to Dublin but it's definitely on my list! :D

    You have such an awesome blog babe :) I'm definitely following and I would love if you could visit mine and maybe follow me too :)
    TheNotSoGirlyGirl // Instagram // Facebook

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