WITH friendly locals and a
compact city centre it is easy to see just why Dublin has become such a
desirable weekend break destination for Brits.
With bubbling enthusiasm my girlfriend
and I rose at the crack of dawn for what was our first overseas trip together
and we were soon in the car on our way to Exeter Airport.
Within hours we had landed, found
our way out of the airport and boarded a bus in the general direction of the
city centre, hastily disembarking when the driver announced the name of Parnell
Square.
“One moment sir, I’ll just check
for you,” said a friendly convenience store cashier as he halted a queue of people
picking up their groceries to respond to my request for directions.
Despite the frustration of the
local shoppers, he consulted Google Maps on his iPhone and sent me off up the
road to the doorstep of our hotel.
As it was too early to check in,
we threw our bags behind the front desk and immediately went out and purchased
tickets for one of the city’s sightseeing tours.
I often hear people say that the
buses are tourist gimmicks, but in my experience they allow for you to suss out
the city and pinpoint landmarks that you wish to visit for a relatively
reasonable price (19euros for 24 hours).
As the bus made its way down the
shopping haven of O’Connell Street we passed a remarkably large pointed
building, one which although I cannot remember how or why it was constructed,
was an awe-inspiring sight.
On the other side of the street
our pre-recorded tour guide pointed out the General Post Office, a building still
scarred with bullet holes from the 1916 uprising.
The General Post Office is one of
the many buildings in the city that feature prominently in tales of the Irish
struggle under British rule prior to nation’s independence.
Geographically Dublin is compact, easy to navigate once you get a general
idea of how it is laid out. The cityfolk welcome you to their city with open
arms and are fiercely proud of where they are from.
We checked out the former houses of Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift
before arriving at Kilmainham Gaol. For just four euros we were treated to a
guided tour, the knowledgeable guide telling us all about how the prison housed
a number of key figures in the various Irish uprising and at one point was
bursting at the scenes holding five times its official capacity of prisoners,
all forced to live in terrible conditions.
The gaol is one of a score of landmarks worth visiting by day. Along
with the impressive and historic Trinity College and St Paul’s Cathedral, there
are lists of attractions all within walking distance either side of the River Liffey
that divides the city.
In terms of evening outings, much of the city’s vibrant nightlife is
centred in the bustling Temple Bar area.
Temple Bar consists of a plethora of restaurants and bars where locals
and tourists rub shoulders as they sink pints of Guinness to the tune of
traditional Irish songs.
Despite a high presence of British stag and hen dos, the city has
managed to retain its character and avoids that knife-edge night-time
atmopshere associated with the likes of Benidorm, Malia and Magaluf.
In three days in the Irish capital I never once felt threatened and this
despite inadvertently stumbling into a colourful protest by angry protestors
against the water rates.
The restaurant and bar staff was all cheerful and welcoming, presumably
because they get to live in such a beautiful and charismatic city.
Although a pint will set you back
around five euros, I found the city reasonably priced and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend
it to couples, families or groups of lads looking for a good piss up.
