Ireland, May 2-4, 2015

Another bank holiday in London means the Kinsells are hitting the road, or shall I say skies. This time we decided on Ireland. We only have a weekend so we are exploring Dublin. Many reviews I read say to avoid Dublin and go to the countryside for the beautiful coast. We may try to do that next time, but our "Dream Trips" List is pretty long so we were excited to have the opportunity to see Ireland at all.

We left Heathrow Saturday at noon, and this time I got to see the magical world of the Executive Lounge.

My lil traveler

Exec Lounge

Josh has had to travel so much (and far!) for work that he has earned enough points to get inside the elite area. He usually sends me pictures of his snacks, but now I got to see it for myself. It really was great! Any soda/beer/liquor you could want. I tried some porridge since it was still breakfast time.

The flight wasn't horrible. I noticed the guy next to us reading a Texas paper. Josh struck up a conversation with him and turns out he was from Austin. Of course I had to get a pic of Harvey reading a TEXAS paper!

Once we landed we took a bus right outside the airport for 7 euros. There is a bus for 6 euros but they were on strike...

The bus dropped us right off in the city center, where I thought our hotel was. It was cold and pouring! We had to walk a bit to the real location of our hotel. We stayed at the Dublin Hilton. It was nice and comfortable, but there are many hotels right in the heart of the city that I would recommend. If you like quite and peaceful this hotel was great, and right off the canal too. Day 1 was a bit of a downer due to the weather. But we still got some sites in.

Molly Malone

 Molly Malone: Located on Grafton Street the statue was unveiled in 1988. The song tells of a fictional fishmonger who dies young. Many think she was real, sold fish in the day and her body at night. I can believe this theory with her boobs hanging out in her dress! I pride myself in kid song knowledge, especially now with Harvey, but truth be told I had to look this song up. "In Dublin's fair city where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on Sweet Molly Malone. She wheeled her wheelbarrow through the streets broad and narrow crying Cockles and Muscles Alive-Alive-O". The song was played in the film Premature Burial, based on Edgar Allen Poe's story, A Clockwork Orange, a MASH episode, and The Deep Blue Sea.

Canal

We got a recommendation to eat at Canal Bank Cafe, with the burgers coming highly recommended. They were good, but the chicken wings seemed to be very popular with the locals. It was a huge basket and everyone was getting them. I would definitely try that next time!

We got the buffalo mozzarella with pesto and the egg and bacon burger. Both were yummy!

Harvey and Mom at lunch/dinner

We walked through St. Stephen's Green Park. It was pretty but lots of rain and puddles.

"With gratitude for the help given to German children by the Irish people after World War II"

With my love in the tulips

The rain was so bad that we found our way to the mall, St. Stephen's Green Center for some inside sightseeing.

St. Stephen's Green Center

City Hall

We went back to the hotel to dry off and go to sleep. Sunday was a much better day! We got up early ready to explore Dublin. I wanted to go on the hop on/off bus tour but Josh thought we could do it ourselves. Looking back he was right,  it was much better than doing the tour. Dublin is very small and easily accessible on foot.

St. Stephen's Green memorial to the Great Famine of 1845-1850

Mansion House- mayor's house

Mansion House: The city council purchased this prestigious residence in 1715, it has been the home to the mayor ever since. The round hall was built for the visit of King George IV in 1824, and the new Irish Parliament held its first session in 1919.

St. Anne's Church of Ireland

 St. Anne's Church: located on Dawson Street was built in the early 18th century following the establishment of the Anglican parish in 1707.

Trinity College Library

Trinity College was founded in 1592 and famous alumni include, Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker (author of Dracula), Oscar Wilde, and Samuel Beckett. It has 8 library buildings, with this one being the most visited and houses the Book of Kells.

Book of Kells

The Book of Kells: consisting of 680 pages, is a manuscript of the Gospels, which is thought to have been produced around 800 AD on the Scottish island of Iona. It was then brought to Kells Monastery in Co. Meath, to protect it from Viking marauders. Every few days they change the 2 pages that are on display. No photos are allowed of the book.

Front gate of Trinity

Bank of Ireland

Bubbles in the fountain

Harvey listening to dad on the walking tour

O'Connell Street

General Post Office

General Post Office: Regarded as a National Treasure in Dublin with marble, dark wood and brass interior. There are also visible bullet holes in the front!

We found Cricket at lunch

Monument of Light/Spire of Dublin

Millennium Spire: To mark the 50th anniversary of the Easter Uprising of 1916, the IRA blew up this monument that provided a reminder of British rule.In 2003 it was replaced as a non-political monument. This monument is now a 120 meters high needle, and made from steel.

Custom House

Custom House: designed by James Gandon and was completed in 1791, and houses the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Famine Statues

Famine Statues: the Great famine 1845-1852 was a period of mass starvation also referred to as the Irish Potato Famine.

Jeanie Johnston

Jeanie Johnston: a replica of a "famine ship" from 1847

Next we walked to Merrion Square Park. The flowers were beautiful! The park is located right in the middle square of a fancy neighborhood, where Oscar Wilde's family once lived.

For our last Irish dinner I wanted something authentic. We heard great things about The Old Storehouse, and it did not disappoint! I got the Irish Guinness and beef casserole and Josh got the Irish lamb stew. Mine was way better. Josh liked his a lot, until he tried mine!

The Old Storehouse

Guinness in Ireland

And for dessert...The Queen of Tarts! So yummy! Josh got the Bailey's Cheesecake and I got the Queen of chocolate fudge cake. Josh got the better dessert, big time.

On our way back to the hotel we walked by Dublin Castle. It was the British seat of rule in Ireland until 1922, after signing the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It is now a major Irish government complex.

Dublin was a fun city to visit. It was similar to London, but less crowded and not as dirty (this could have been due to all the rain). The people were over the top friendly with great customer service! We don't see that in London so it was a nice change. It is a small city and very easily done over a weekend.