Visiting Dublin: Dublin Days

“String quartets sound better in France and horseback riding is best in Mongolia. But there’s nowhere on Earth I’d rather have a pint than Ireland.” -Old Sean

Entering Dublin

There are many skies and heavens across this world, but none strike me with as much force as those billowing above Ireland. As I finished my ferry ride towards Dublin, great monolith of white pillars rose above port.

Thus, I arrived in Dublin, predictably tipsy, after a three-hour ferry ride from Holyhead. 

Once I disembarked, the sun was rapidly sinking and I took a bus into the city, looking for my lodgings. I spent my first night in Dublin at the Kinlay House Hostel, joining bunkmates for drinks at the famous (and slightly overpriced) Temple Bar.  I’m sure everyone in creation knows, but Guinness does taste much better in Ireland.

For the following two days I set out to explore the city, edge to edge. 

A First Day In Dublin

On my first morning alone in Dublin, I didn’t focus on a single location. Instead, I loitered around the city, stopping to get breakfast pastries before walking along the riverside and joining the crowds shuffling across Ha’Penny Bridge. I had a list of things to do, but it took a bit of time to recover from my previous night of drinking.

By 10 AM, I felt mentally sharp as normal and began walking around. The first place I visited was the odd National Leprechaun Museum. The museum isn’t focused on displays as much as storytelling. The museum hosts walks visitors through a multimedia experience while telling stories and tales about Irish mythology.

Feeling cheered by hearing Irish tales, I then sought out a more obscure feature in town. The Hungry Tree, located in King’s Inns Park, had a tree which is actively devouring an iron bench. The actual wood of the trunk has expanded, slowly consuming the metal. It’s a bizarre thing to see.

Afterwards, I walked towards St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where I lounged outside watching a small event on the church’s front lawn. I was still just wandering around, so I only poked my head in and continued to take random laps throughout the city.

Next, I went back to Vicar Street for a secondary breakfast. Naturally, because I’m in Ireland, breakfast included eggs, toast, tomatoes and beer.

I can already tell that Guinness was going to be a problematic weakness on this segment of the trip.

A Dublin Afternoon

Following my late second-breakfast, I spent an hour around the Dublin Castle, using free WIFI to play on my phone.

I eventually settled on visiting the Guinness Storehouse, which was a nice self-guided tour culminating in yet another brew on the rooftop bar.

I ended up nursing my beer for quite a while. My first few hours in Dublin had been a party and the following day was already sprint. After finishing my beer, I finally decided to settle down a bit, walking through the Trinity College Campus and booking my ticket online to see the Book of Kells the following morning.

I returned to my hostel early and happily began snoozing.

Day Two of Dublin

I woke up, if not refreshed, then at least in a timely manner. I made a point of walking around St. Stephen’s Green for most of the morning until the National Museum of Ireland opened.

The National Museum of Ireland is a supremely cool venue, with animal skeletons, Irish fauna, preserved badgers and secondary upstairs portion showcasing animals of the world. I spent time here until I was ready to visit Trinity College once more.

I arrived at the College, walking into the Old Library building slowly. The Long Room of the Old Library is already a stunning feature, dark wooden shelves with softly lit books extending back into the distance. If it wasn’t for the small crowds of tourists cluttering the lower levels speaking in carrying voices, this would be one of the most serene places of literature on Earth.

Nevertheless, while I was impressed with the Old Library Long Room, the Book of Kells is almost too beautiful to plausibly exist. The illuminated manuscript pages on display are wreathed in stylized designs, growing ever smaller and more intricate. A person can stare at a single page for an hour and always discover something new.

After leaving Trinity College, I gathered some lunch and struck out for a hike. I wanted to stretch my legs for a while and get out of the urban center. My next few hours were spent walking all the way to the coast, climbing the gradual bluffs of Irishtown National Park.

Along The Sea

Since it was low tide, I cut directly across the enormous slightly-muddy expanse of a receded beach off the coast of Sandymount. 

Since the land there is so flat, the tug of tide inward is visible and swift, forcing me inland about four feet per minute.  An inch of rising water flooded a large section of the shore..

I walked past bundles of discarded sea-plants, tide pools withering with minnows and sandpipers irked at my passage.  I continued to keep up the momentum, following the low wall facing the sea south alongside train tracks until I settled for a quick rest at Salthill & Monkstown. 

Slightly pink and smelling of brine, I hopped on a train (sorry other passengers) and returned to my hostel for a very swift shower.

The Wicklow Way

My company is undergoing some consolidation reports, so I have a bit of spare time over the next few days. Instead of simply resting in Dublin, I’m heading south to explore Wicklow Way.

Ireland is currently in the midst of a powerful heat wave.  Because of this, I haven’t been rained upon at all during my time in the UK. While the heat is sometimes a bit strong for my taste, it also makes the idea of mountain hikes a far more pleasant proposition.

To the south, I’ve heard of an impressive series of hiking rails passing through beautiful, rugged and quintessentially Irish terrain of the Wicklow Mountains. With a full day off, I plan to go exploring.

So until then,

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

July 6th, 2018

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