Here is a view into the week we spent criss-crossing all that the Irish Emerald Isle has to offer – from the churches, pubs, and lake filled mountains in and around Dublin, to the cliffs of Moher on the western coast, and the natural beauty of Northern Ireland’s rolling glens and rugged coastline.

Guinness Storehouse

A pint of Guinness may very well be the symbol of Ireland today, so we figured the best way to start seeing Dublin was to make a beeline to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour of the famous brewery! Arthur Guinness started brewing his stout beer at the St. Jame’s Gate location in 1759 when he signed a lease on the property for a staggering 9000 years, and the dark malty good stuff has been brewed here since. The word beer itself is said to originate from the Gaelic word for Barley ‘Baere,’ one of the key ingredients of Guinness. We learnt all about the brewing process and even learnt how to pour (then enjoy) the perfect pint at the Guinness Academy afterwards.

We then attempted to walk off the after effects of those pints with a walking tour of the city. Dublin, like most European cities, is tightly packed and easily walkable, with most of the major attractions located quite close to each other. Needless to say, many more pints were imbibed over the few days we were in Dublin, so lots more walking was needed!

Christchurch Cathedral

Christchurch Cathedral was the first ever church built in Dublin, and has been restored multiple times since it was first founded as a wooden church in 1028 by the Dublin Norsemen (Viking settlers). The Cathedral is part of the Church of Ireland today, and even houses the tomb of the Norse chieftain Strongbow who had conquered Dublin for the English in the 12th century.

St Patrick’s Cathedral

Our next church stop was at St Patrick’s Cathedral, the national Cathedral for the Church of Ireland. The church is built on the site where Irelands patron saint St Patrick first baptized the early inhabitants of the island in AD 450. St Patrick’s Cathedral features really ornate floor tiles, life size sculptures, and is also famous for being the burial place of Jonathan Swift, Irish satirist and author of Gulliver’s Travels.

Dublin Castle

We headed into the imposing Dublin Castle to see the former royal court, which is still used today when foreign dignitaries visit. This medieval castle was built in the 13th century, and went from its primary purpose as as a fortress to guard the English interests in Dublin, to more of a ceremonial and administrative role eventually.

Trinity College & The Book of Kells

Trinity college, with its sprawling green lawns and fine examples of architecture, is worth a visit just to see this first Irish University which was established in the 16th century in the model of the Oxford and Cambridge campuses. This institution of higher learning gave the world renown authors such as Jonathan Swift, Osar Wilde and Bram Stoker. However, we were more interested in seeing The Book of Kells, a compilation of richly illustrated gospels that are believed to date back to 800AD. Before the books made their way to Trinity College, they were believed to have been stashed in Kells (hence the name) to avoid destruction during Viking raids. We wrapped up our educational visit with a quick walk through the Long Room of the Old Library, admiring the bookshelves that house 100s of thousands of books, along with striking busts of ancient world authors and philosophers.

Old Jameson Distillery

Whiskey is probably as much the national drink of Ireland as a pint of Guinness. We made our way north of the river Liffey to the Jameson Distillery to sample one of Ireland’s oldest whiskeys. The Old Jameson Distillery is more of a museum though, with no new spirits being distilled here now. During the interactive tour of the distillery, we learnt about its 230 year old history and then of course partook in some whiskey tasting. Fun fact – the word whiskey is believed to originate from the Gaelic phrase ‘Uisce Beatha’ (The Water Of Life).

Wicklow Mountains / Glendalough

On one of our mornings we took a short drive out of Dublin to the Wicklow mountains, to see the picturesque Glendalough (Valley of 2 Lakes). On the way we made a stop by a pasture, where a couple of little farmer kids were tending to the lambs. Shelly tried to make off with one of little lambs to make some Irish stew, but alas our plan was foiled. Once we reached Glendalough, our good fortune with the weather unfortunately ran out, and the Irish rain finally arrived as we hiked between the 2 lakes. We still managed to see the lakes (albeit while wet and cold), and enjoyed some sceneries made famous in movies such as Braveheart and the series Vikings.

Pubs & Eats:

Temple Bar

The Temple Bar area south of the river Liffey is the main dining, entertainment and live music area for locals & tourists, with plentiful pubs lining the streets.

Brazen Head

Leo Burdock

Queen of Tarts

 

Suggestions for day trips out of Dublin:

 

Day trip to the Cliffs of Moher

 

Excursion to Northern Ireland