Dublin is a city I’ve heard wondrous things about, the people, the atmosphere, and of course – the accent. Nonetheless, Dublin is a place I’ve never set foot in, truthfully, I’ve never been to Ireland at all, so I was ready to uncover this mystery city.
The first stop was Phoenix Park, Europe’s largest Park for over 350 years. A sea of trees and never-ending grassy land rolled by the car window as we drove onwards and onwards.
We reached the visitor centre which has a mini hedge maze, museum, and humble café where we made a pit stop. However, the main attraction was the plethora of deer. The park was initially made for British royals to hunt pheasants and deer, explaining why the deer still currently wander to this day – getting up close to them felt surreal.
Strolling around Dublin’s city centre, I came across Trinity College, Ireland’s most prestigious university. The high class was obvious as walking along the campus felt as though I was walking through a small town, I began to admire how much effort was put in to create such a sight as every building was so beautifully crafted.
The next day began with a ride on the Luas to breakfast, which is essentially a tram with a far greater range of destinations than Edinburgh. Keoghs Café is a lovely food location on Trinity Street, with a small and cosy vibe alongside a full Irish breakfast (basically the same as a Scottish one), you can’t go wrong.
It was then time to head to the Guinness Factory. Was I excited for the Guinness? Not particularly. Was I excited for the free drinks? Absolutely. You’re educated on the creation of Guinness and its advertising throughout the years as you work your way up the floors, all leading to a free pint with your photo in the foam. At the top of the building is a bar with a lovely view across Dublin. While the Guinness was surprisingly pretty good, you’d expect nothing less from the very place it was created.
Just off Grafton Street is where you’ll discover Lemon & Duke, a modern stylish bar and restaurant with a good range of options. Dublin has a great variety of places to relax and dine as any other major city, but the vibe of the Irish is completely unmatched.
Wednesday turned out to be a calmer day, with a new breakfast place uncovered, Lemon Jelly, we were once again set up for the day. Following this, I discovered the wide range of stores that could cover anybody’s need for a shopping fix. Arnott’s is a huge department store reminiscent of John Lewis or Jenners, except even bigger and with even more floors to navigate; if I wasn’t careful, I could’ve wasted the day away in there. Brown Thomas is another store with a similar atmosphere to Selfridges, with unfortunately a similar price range too.
A somewhat far drive out will take you to Dún Laoghaire, the coastal suburb home to a tranquil harbour. Local fish and chip stalls and ice cream parlours are dotted along the harbour as you walk across the stunning sea view until you reach the East Pier Lighthouse. This beautiful spot is a nice place to decompress after enjoying the busy urban town.
The final day began with a morning visit to Dublin Castle, which served as the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Beautiful old timely rooms are adorned with canvas paintings of British Monarchs and Irish Viceroys. My Dublin experience was finished with lunch from Layla’s, a rooftop restaurant in the Ranelagh area which provided a lovely view much like the Guinness factory bar.
Everything I heard about Dublin ended up being true, if you’re looking for a place with a great atmosphere with a side of amazing history and sightseeing, Dublin has you covered.
When I arrive home the post-holiday sadness hits me, I can’t help wondering – where to next?
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