Dublin – September 2021

Hello dear readers! Last time out on the blog I spoke about something that I suppose is the antithesis of any travel blogger – the untaken trip! It’s easy writing about trips you’ve taken, enjoyed and want to talk about but last time out I spoke of a planned trip to Dublin which just didn’t happen.

“Hey, remember that time I didn’t go to Dublin..?”

2019 was a busy year and I’d reached somewhat of a breaking point in terms of energy levels and therefore in the interests of my mental health as much as anything I decided that I needed a weekend off to slow down, recuperate and just not do anything. Consequently I made a last-minute, difficult decision to not travel to Ireland in May 2019 – which incidentally would have been my first trip to Ireland.

I stand by the decision. It was the right thing to do and there was no real regret but of course that didn’t stop an inner voice niggling away at me throughout 2020 – “you actually passed up on an opportunity to travel last year? – you idiot!”

There couldn’t have been a bigger contrast between 2019 and then 2020. If 2019 had felt too busy at times, 2020 definitely went to the other extreme in having that itch to be able to do anything. Borders closed, restrictions were imposed all over the globe, the travel industry came to a standstill.

I was fortunate to have squeezed in two overseas trips in to 2020. Admittedly one of those was BC (before Covid) and the other was to a British territory (Gibraltar) so not truly free travel but I was certainly luckier than most to have escaped reality for a little while. I hoped for a better 2021 and of course the big ol’ wedding in Washington come the September.

Alas, 2021 was arguably worse for travel with numerous obstacles to jump through and often ever-changing obstacles so just as you had some inkling that you were okay to go somewhere, a day later someone would make a decision that snatched that opportunity from you. 2021 was arguably the year of last-minute travel – tough luck on those unable to travel-plan at the last second.

Planning a trip at the last minute has its own challenges but is at least manageable. However for an occasion such as a wedding, we couldn’t rely on everything being last minute. I’d booked myself four weeks off of work but as September inched closer and closer, the US border showed no signs of opening.

Americans everywhere were seemingly welcome to travel in and out of their country but us pesky foreigners seemingly posed a greater threat and America stayed closed for business. We eventually reached a point where a decision had to be made – it’s a decision we probably should have made sooner but we eventually made the decision to postpone our wedding until April 2022.

We’d known all along that the US border’s closure may pose a problem for our plans to get married in Washington but I’d still been hopeful we could spend some time somewhere. I pondered if I could maybe go across the border to somewhere like Vancouver or that maybe we could take a little break somewhere together, just to have some time together after months spent apart. Sadly life got in the way and things didn’t pan out for Haleigh to be able to join me. It left me with four weeks off work with nothing to do.

With no big wedding to worry about I decided I probably didn’t need the entirety of that four weeks off work. I decided to cancel one of those weeks with the hopes that if I moved it to November that the US might be open for Thanksgiving (it was – hurrah!).

That change still left me with three weeks off work in September though. If I couldn’t travel to see Haleigh, I still wanted to travel somewhere. I wasn’t sure if I’d go away for the full three weeks but I knew that I didn’t want to be at home moping for the entirety of it.

So where to?

As I said, 2021 was a rubbish year for travel. You couldn’t plan anything and even if you did, there were no guarantees. Infact the only other trip I’d planned so far this year was a long weekend spent in Eastbourne and then the hotel I was staying at cancelled my reservation days before I was due to go – bloody annoying!

There were so many things to consider when planning a trip. Possible hotel cancellations, possible flight cancellations, the risk of Covid, the Covid requirements in a destination, the risk of having to quarantine and on and on and on. The ‘safest’ way to travel was to plan it all last minute and hope for the best.

Looking back it appears that I only booked flights and accommodation for this particular trip a week before going which is a sign of how fairly last minute things were. I’d umm’d and ahh’d for as long as I could before committing to spending six days in Ireland.

Ireland just made a lot of sense. It was close to home, the Covid entry requirements were fairly straight-forward whilst at the same time appreciating that Ireland were still taking Covid seriously. The Covid cases were much lower than England but unlike England, Ireland still had restrictions in place. The biggest reason though was just the desire to visit Ireland – I’d yet to do so and that failed trip in 2019 gave me a little more motivation to finally visit.

Of course I would much rather have been flying to Washington, getting married and thinking about finally getting on with my future with Haleigh but I made the best of the hand I’d been dealt. One of the perks to having three weeks off was that I could go to Ireland for longer than I’d planned to in 2019. That 2019 trip was only set to be a 3-day weekend in Dublin. For this trip I had six days split between Dublin and Cork. I was excited to finally be making my first visit to Ireland!

One of the best things about visiting Ireland from England is that it’s so quick! I had a lunchtime flight out of Stansted on the Tuesday but being such a short flight it meant I arrived in to Dublin mid-afternoon.

The journey to Dublin was smooth, the hassle getting away from the airport much less so. Now admittedly I hadn’t really done any prior research beforehand but how hard can it be getting from the airport to central Dublin?

The whole process took far longer than it should have done. It took me a while to figure out where I needed to catch a bus, only to find that I couldn’t then pay by card – nor could I pay with anything other than exact change with a bus fare of let’s say 3.27 euros. I popped over to a nearby shop to buy an extortionate bottle of water to break a note down only to return and find a grumpy driver insistent that it had to be exact. None of this four euros malarkey or 3.30 or even the hint of overpaying the fare just so I could catch a sodding bus in to the city.

Perhaps I misremember things but I was particularly frustrated and it wasn’t the best of starts to life in Ireland. I was really reluctant to spend money on a taxi so in the end I went and found an alternative bus company which was a little more expensive but much less hassle and quickly got me on a bus heading to the city centre.

I obviously hadn’t been to the city so I wasn’t 100% sure where I needed to get off but the ticket-sellers gave me a vague idea and by chance we happened to pass my hotel upon entering the city- I was staying at a Hilton just on the North side of the river Liffey which ended up being a really nice base for the next few days.

I checked in to my hotel, relaxed for a little bit and then started considering my options for the evening. Any time I visit somewhere I’m always tempted to go and find some live sport to watch so a big part of me wanted to go and watch the Republic of Ireland v Serbia football match. However I think this Covid travel era just brought the absolute pessimist out of me.

I’m generally a positive and optimistic person but there were too many hoops to jump through, no guarantees that something wouldn’t go wrong and then the ticket prices seemed too high which was the final tipping point. I decided not to bother.

The football was a nice idea but I hadn’t really come to Ireland with any plans. I needed to travel this month because I knew the alternative would be that I’d just spend the entirety of September moping at home but being brutally honest, I think there was still a part of me content to mope and Ireland kind of ticked the right boxes for that. I hadn’t come here for anything in particular – there was no grand plan but I could mope in Dublin’s finest and that’s where this trip begins I suppose.

I went and found myself a pub near the hotel. Let me add that I was on the hunt for dinner and this particular pub had a decent food menu but the selection of craft beers was an added bonus.

At the time there were still some Covid restrictions which meant Ireland had implemented a country-wide policy of “table service only” at any venues and also proof of vaccination anywhere you went. No mask – no entry. No vaccination – no service.

It made for an interesting trip but also made me feel a little better about having traveled in Covid-times, there were more restrictions here than there were in England at the time.

A handful of Irish fans popped in to this pub donning their famous green shirts and I did feel a little envy that I wasn’t going to the game but I enjoyed a beer from some Galway brewery and settled in for an evening of drinking and people-watching.

I’ve always loved the Irish accent, moreso on women, but this was the first time I’d really struggled with it. I hadn’t anticipated it being as difficult as it was but this was one of those occasions where I pondered if those around me were even speaking English. I was watching the barman chat with what was clearly a regular and struggled to comprehend a single word either of them were saying.

“Please tell me the reason I can’t understand you is because you’re speaking Gaelic..”

Every so often I’d catch a word in English but for the most-part it was incomprehensible English. I finished off my meal, had another pint or two but it wasn’t a very late evening. I pondered whether I should wander somewhere else for some night-time entertainment but in the end I just headed back to my hotel – there was still plenty of time to enjoy Dublin and Ireland.

The next morning I woke up and walked over to Connolly train station, looking for a train heading out to Malahide. I’d asked for some recommendations before heading over and this was one recommendation that fellow travel blogger, John, had suggested and tempted me. It was a pretty easy journey and reasonably priced and soon enough I’d arrived in the heart of a small village-like place called Malahide which is about 20-30 minutes north of central Dublin.

I’d come here specifically to see Malahide castle. Due to Covid restrictions I again had to prove my vaccination status, wear a mask and I also believe book tickets in advance. Included within the ticket was a guided tour of the castle and then a self-guided tour of the gardens.

The castle grounds were huge. A large portion of it is accessible to the public but from train station to castle doors is a good ol’ walk and plenty of people were walking their dogs and enjoying the greenery. The castle itself is a nice size. I found the tour itself interesting and our tour guide seemed very knowledgeable. I snapped a few photos along the way whilst our guide told us more about each room and the history of the castle.

Following on from the tour I took a wander through the private gardens which was really equally enjoyable. Home to a magical fairy trail, it’s very family friendly and there’s plenty of sculptures and other things that catch your eye as you walk through. Access is restricted to those with tickets so you also get to see views of the castle that you otherwise wouldn’t see – it was a nice addition to the castle visit.

Content I’d seen all I wanted to of the grounds I wandered back towards Malahide’s centre, had a brief look around and then caught the train back in to Dublin with plans to go and find lunch somewhere. I got off at a relatively quiet station which was unfortunate as my ticket didn’t allow me through the ticket barriers for some reason and there were no staff on hand to help me pass through – I was stuck!

Fortunately I managed to flag the attention of someone hidden away in an office and they let me through and I continued on my quest for lunch. I took inspiration from another recommendation and settled upon a nice pub / restaurant in a quiet neighbourhood. Being midweek it wasn’t very busy but it was a great find and the pie and mash was delicious so made for a worthwhile detour.

After lunch I was meeting up with the previously mentioned John, coming to Dublin I had to reach out and see if he was free and fortunately he was. I took a bit of a detour on route back to the river and managed to pass Dublin’s Aviva Stadium – an impressive looking stadium at that. I grabbed some photos before continuing onwards past the dock / canal area which had a scattering of street art – adding some colour to the area at the very least.

Unfortunately my phone was on its last legs and its battery life wasn’t well suited to travel / busy days anymore. I’d taken a fair few photos in the morning and knew my phone wasn’t going to last long enough to actually meet up with John – I had to take a detour via my hotel to have a brief phone-charge which meant I was running a little later than intended. John ended up meeting me at my hotel and we then ventured over to a nearby drinking hole for a drink and a chance to meet for the first time – certainly a highlight of my time in Dublin.

John left me with a few further recommendations, some of which I’d already planned for, but they were welcome nonetheless. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I popped back to the hotel for an hour or so and made plans for the evening – I was really keen to get my first glimpse of the “famous” Temple Bar district of Dublin.

For dinner I decided I’d tick off another “landmark” and visit Dublin’s Hard Rock Cafe – long time readers will know I’ve been to my fair share and as Dublin’s is in the heart of Temple Bar it seemed rude not to pop in at least once on my trip.

Covid pass – mask – table – repeat.

So far there had been no exception to this practice. Perhaps as a result of this the Hard Rock Cafe was pretty quiet when I visited. I enjoyed some food and then went in search of entertainment for the evening.

It’s worth saying here that this was Dublin and Ireland slowly opening up again – the Covid restrictions were necessary and I’m glad that Ireland were taking it seriously but this wasn’t Irish nightlife in all its glory – it was a compromised Dublin testing the waters to see if it were safe to open up again. Consequently things were a little more civilised than things perhaps would be in “normal times” in Dublin.

Nevertheless a more cautious Dublin probably still has a better nightlife than most. I tried my hand at a couple of pubs but due to its “table-only” policy and being full capacity I was turned away from the first couple I tried visiting. In the end I found somewhere a little quieter down one of the side streets.

Covid pass – mask – table – repeat.

I found a table and ordered myself a Guinness – the first of this trip. Ordinarily I don’t drink the black stuff but “when in Rome.. “.

Dublin myth will tell you that Guinness tastes better here and in all honesty it’s hard to argue. It did taste good and turned the tide a little in terms of enjoying Guinness. I’d finally been converted in becoming a fan of Guinness!

I only stuck around for one before moving on. I’d come to Temple Bar for the entertainment and this particular pub was lacking the live music that I was craving so I moved on and tried my luck at returning to one of the pubs from earlier – success this time!

I was shoved towards what barely could even be considered a table but I had a stool and a windowsill to place my drink – tucked away in the corner of the pub – good enough! I ordered another Guinness and was content listening to this Irish duo sing away for a while.

In normal times I’m sure there’d have been a few having a little jig on the pub floor somewhere but sadly in Covid times a seat jig was the best any of us were going to muster up. It was still enjoyable and I could have sat there for hours in all honesty but I’m sure for the locals it wasn’t quite what they were used to.

I think there was a changeover in singers / entertainment and I took that as my cue to move on and try somewhere else. Nearby down one of the side streets was another great venue for live music albeit with a longer queue to get a table. I decided to just ride this one out and wait as long as needs be to get a table to enjoy the rest of my evening. The voice was again very good but I was essentially seated at the equivalent of a “restricted view” seat. I couldn’t actually see the singer on stage from where I was sat but I wasn’t particularly bothered as I could still hear the artist. This was unfortunately just a sign of the times. At least I had a seat and another Guinness.

Having had my fill of entertainment I walked back along the river towards my hotel. Merry enough that I’d had a nice night but sober enough there was no risk of a hangover in the morning. Infact I dare say Guinness is one of those drinks I can perhaps drink endlessly without any suffering. There’ve definitely been trips where I’ve misjudged my limit and passed the point of “one too many” but I’ve yet to find that limit with Guinness. I don’t know that it exists – which is worrying and satisfying in equal measure. It was certainly something I found easy to drink whilst in Dublin and has since become a nice option for longer drinking sessions back home.

The next morning I’d made plans to visit Kilmainham Gaol – again requiring Covid passes, masks and booking in advance. An unexpected bonus was that at the time entry fees had been scrapped so I was able to visit for free – leaving me very confused at the time of booking. I went as far as emailing them to confirm whether I was expected to pay something on the day because all over the website suggested a fee for admission and yet I’d not paid anything at the time of booking. They were quite quick to respond actually and confirmed that all of their heritage sites were free to visit until the end of the year – probably trying to entice people to return in 2021 off the back of a difficult couple of years.

I considered my options on how to reach Kilmainham from my hotel and in the end walked the three or so miles. Distance aside, it was a pretty straight-forward walk actually. I arrived in good time and was the first to arrive in our allotted time-slot for another guided tour.

The tour begins in its courtroom before taking you through the rest of the gaol (jail) whilst a tour guide tells you about it and Ireland’s history. There were a few attractions I didn’t get around to visiting whilst in Dublin but this was one I made sure to visit and it hadn’t disappointed. It was one of the highlights of my time in Dublin and I’m glad I’d made time for it. After the tour you’re free to take a look around its museum area which was also interesting before you then exit.

Like much of the trip, from there I had no real plan. I had tickets for the famous Guinness Storehouse / Museum that is considered another must visit on any trip to Dublin but because of Covid I couldn’t just turn up. I’d booked an advance ticket and my allotted time slot wasn’t until later in the afternoon so I had a good few hours in-between the two attractions.

I wandered from the jail back in to town, stopping off at this interesting coffee spot for a cup of tea and a snack before exploring more of central Dublin. I’d timed my walk to coincide with winding up near the Brazen Head – supposedly the oldest pub in Dublin and they make claim to being one of the oldest in the world even although that has been disputed by another pub in Ireland which claims to date back 300-ish years earlier.

The Brazen Head however still boasts 800+ years in business so I popped in for lunch as many before me likely have over the years. It’s a nice pub, I really liked it. I sat at a table outside with a little covering above me. The sausage and mash was really good, nicely accompanied with a Guinness. I imagine it attracts a few more tourists because of its age but overall I’d still recommend a visit and it has a lot of character that makes it a fine pub.

After lunch I wandered back up to the river not really sure of what I wanted to do next. I still had a bit of time to kill before the Guinness Storehouse but I had nothing else that I particularly wanted to do – this of course wasn’t helped by spontaneity being an impossibility during Covid. If you wanted to visit attractions, you generally needed to have booked in advance.

Contemplating what to do, I vividly remember spending a few minutes just overlooking the Liffey and casting judgment on Dublin as a whole.

I don’t think Dublin is a particular pretty city but this particular view was lovely, I was having a nice enough time in Dublin but Dublin was just lacking something. I couldn’t place my finger on it at the time but as nice as it was to be away for a few days, I could easily see myself never returning to Dublin.

Some places you immediately click with, others take a bit of warming to but I just wasn’t feeling it. Nothing tickled my fancy so I wandered back to my hotel and took a nap rather than wander for the sake of wandering – I’d spent most of the day on foot anyway so I’d seen a fair bit of Dublin this morning.

Following a short sleep I was up and back on foot, returning in the direction I’d come from and made my way over to the Guinness Storehouse for my self-guided tour. I was a little early which meant I had to wait for a brief time as they were quite strict on entry time – probably partially due to Covid numbers limiting capacity although as it’s a self-guided tour there’s no time limit on how long you can spend there.

Anyway, shortly after our time slot we were granted entry and I was on my way. Over the course of the tour you learn about how Guinness is made, the history of Guinness and its impact on Dublin and the world. They delve in to the marketing and advertising campaigns over the years and there’s even a section where you learn to pour your own pint – although I didn’t personally do this so it may have been excluded from the tour given Covid was still a big concern at the time.

I have to say it was really enjoyable. I was by no means a huge fan of Guinness but I think even non-Guinness lovers or non-beer lovers will still enjoy a visit here. It was one of the highlights of my time in Dublin. Rounding off the tour and included within the admission price is a free Guinness / drink at the rooftop bar which was a nice way to finish things off.

I ordered a drink and “enjoyed” the views of Dublin. I say enjoyed a tad loosely as although the “Gravity Bar” offers 360 degree views overlooking the city, it’s not the prettiest of cities and I don’t think the views here offer really much of anything worth looking at. Nevertheless there’s a nice atmosphere up there and it was the perfect spot to finish off the afternoon – aided by an unexpected perk upon my visit.

By pure coincidence my afternoon pint was accompanied with a text from my boss back home informing me that I was to receive a payrise!

Now, I don’t want to get in to trouble by suggesting that every visitor to the Guinness Storehouse receives a payrise but it certainly boosted my mood and made my time here all the more memorable. I finished off my Guinness, made my way to ground level and turned my attention to dinner with my new-found riches – it’s worth adding at this point that Ireland is not cheap so it was a welcome boost to the funding of what was a fairly costly trip for somewhere so close to home.

Speaking of close.. I didn’t venture very far from the Guinness Storehouse for food. Just around the corner is a small pub called Harkins which seemed convenient enough. As a reminder to not judge a book by its cover, looking at its exterior I wasn’t particularly encouraged and the Thursday evening crowd also didn’t seem particularly friendly / inviting. I contemplated moving on and trying my luck somewhere else but fortunately I took a chance on it and the Irish stew made up for any reservations I’d had. It was delicious and completely justified me visiting here – an unexpected surprise!

After dinner I headed over to the Temple Bar area. Having discovered I was seemingly immune to any alcoholic effects of Guinness I was looking forward to another night of the black stuff and a little live music to enjoy the evening. I checked out a couple of pubs, including one of the ones I’d visited the night before which hosts live music every evening, before calling it a night and preparing to say goodbye to Dublin. It was almost time to leave!

The next morning I was in a bit of a funk. Truth be told my heart wasn’t in this trip but I didn’t really want to go home either. I was supposed to be leaving for Cork today but looked in to the possibility of staying in Dublin instead, I hadn’t loved Dublin by any means but I also didn’t really fancy moving onwards. I had to fly home from Dublin so I’d be back here anyway and there was a part of me looking for a convenient reason to just stay.

In what can only be described as travel-procrastination I left it as late as possible to check out of my hotel that morning. I was supposed to be in Washington getting married. I didn’t particularly want to go to Cork, didn’t really want to be in Dublin but also didn’t really want to go home. I was stuck and committed to being in Ireland for three more nights. First world problems, eh?

Eventually checking out, I figured I might as well hang around in Dublin long enough to grab some lunch and popped to this nearby place called Urban Brewing which was just around the corner from my hotel.

I’ll start by saying that a quick look at Google shows a scattering of reviews which are very hit and miss – perhaps it’s gone downhill a little since my visit but the negative reviews were not my experience at all. It’s different to your traditional Irish pub perhaps but I liked it and my only regret is I hadn’t come here sooner.

The selection of beer was very good as you’d expect, the staff were friendly and there was just a buzz to the place that made for a really nice atmosphere. Infact it was here that I had somewhat of an epiphany and suddenly I realised what Dublin was lacking. That *thing* that I couldn’t place my finger on the day before whilst overlooking the Liffey.

There are a lot of things to like about Dublin. It’s a nice city, it’s easy to get around, it has some fun and interesting attractions, it’s a good place for eating out and its nightlife is as good a reason as any to visit. My one criticism of Dublin / Ireland would be how expensive it was but that isn’t something that stops me loving London, Paris, New York etc.

For some reason Dublin just wasn’t doing it for me and I didn’t know why. It took until this Friday afternoon to realise that what it had really lacked was people. This is probably true of many destinations but Dublin’s charm and romance if you want to call it that is with its people.

The streets of Dublin had by no means been deserted up to this point. There were people around and seemingly having a nice time but there was Covid repeatedly peeking its head around the corner to remind you of its presence.

It was Friday afternoon though and “weekend mode” was starting to kick in – this brewery had a real buzz. People were chatting and laughing and making their weekend plans whilst enjoying a beer over a long lunch and although I wasn’t necessarily in those groups of people, just being around it gave some actual life to Dublin. I was completely content and it finally gave me some real appreciation for the city.

Suddenly I wanted to stay here in Dublin. The sun was shining, the beer was flowing, laughter surrounded me and the weekend was coming. A weekend in Dublin – maybe this was what I needed for the city to finally win me over.

Alas, just as I’d started considering sacking off going to Cork and staying in Dublin for the weekend it quickly became apparent that it’d be stupidly expensive to do so. A weekend in Dublin is not for the last minute-planner. Even with an unexpected payrise, I couldn’t justify staying in Dublin. I’d finally got excited about being here and that short-lived dream was snatched away from me – “If you have a spare 4 million euros you could probably find a hotel for the night..”

Resigned to my fate I figured I’d at least make the most of my current surroundings and order another beer. What’s the rush to leave this? It’s lovely here, everyone’s having a great time and the sun is shining! Let’s have one more beer!

Eventually I left and made my way over to Dublin’s Heuston station and bought myself a ticket heading to Cork – ready for part two of this Irish adventure!

Reflecting on Dublin a couple of years later it’s hard to say whether I feel much differently. I think I’d be okay with never returning to Dublin. With so many places in the world I’d like to see and so many others that I’d genuinely like to return to, it’s hard to imagine when I’ll get back to Dublin. The one thing in its favour is its proximity to England making it an easy weekend trip but it didn’t blow me away.

Part of that was undoubtedly down to Covid and another factor being my own circumstances. I think there was a part of me that wanted to just go to Ireland to drink and mope so perhaps its unsurprising that I never truly warmed to Dublin.

That’s not to say Dublin doesn’t have its merits too. There were things I enjoyed during the trip, fond memories I have of Dublin and some things I’m glad I got to see and do. Additionally a little like Nashville, the nightlife in some places on an off night is still better than the nightlife in other places on its best night. Experiencing Dublin’s nightlife over a weekend in non-Covid times is probably one of the few reasons I’d make a case for returning.

Will I ever return to Dublin? I really don’t know but at the very least I’d be back here for one more night before flying home. Next up though: Cork!

Stay tuned!

Jason