Travel and Accommodation
Dublin is a small city - once you're in the center basically everything is accessible by walking. The bus system is a bit complicated, but if you're staying outside the city, just find the bus you'll need from the get-go and just use that one bus. It'll be around 2 euro per bus ride so use the bus (with free wifi) sparingly.
We opted to stay in an airbnb in the foodie district Ranelagh right outside of Dublin. It was located right across the street from a bus stop and down the road from the aircoach directly to the airport. The flat itself was a tiny one-room with a loft bed in a classic Georgian townhouse. There are plenty of hotels and hostels closer to downtown if you prefer, but I loved our little quieter neck of the woods and it had some of the best dining just down the road.
Trip Highlights
Our first stop was Trinity College and the Book of Kells. Trinity College was founded by Queen Elizabeth I, and is the oldest college in Ireland. The campus reminded me of a mini-Cambridge, though old buildings were mixed with new concrete ones in a bit of a haphazard fashion. Like Cambridge, though, the grass was off-limits, but the trees were as colorful as can be.
The Book of Kells is a highly-detailed, handwritten set of gospels from the 800s. Neither of us knew what the book was upon arrival, but a nice set of displays tells you about the books and sister books, and how they were made from the skins of calves. The displays tell you about the lives of the monks, the Viking raids, and the constant fires. Finally, you arrive in the "no photography" area where the book lies. It's written in Latin, so I could catch a few recognizable words, but the detail is beyond impressive. One screw-up and you're back to a clean slate (unlike these handy computers here with their delete buttons).
Your Book of Kells ticket also includes a stop in the old library filled with books of importance to Ireland. It's not really a working library anymore, but it was the perfect place for imagining. The floor displays focused on children's books noting books such as The Hobbit, Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter which all take from ancient mythologies and legends.
We left the book to its dark room before heading into the sunshine for a short walk over to the free national museums. Take a wander through the Irish history section in the archaeology museum where you'll learn about everything from Vikings, to human sacrifice, to the bog people. We didn't spend much time in the museum in order to enjoy the beautiful day outside, but I'd go back in a heartbeat wander the eclectic collection.
Our final stops were at St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful little park, Grafton Street with its multitude of shops, and Temple Bar (where the Guinness factory is located as well as all the quirky pubs). Given my poor health, we cut our day short, but future trips would include a stop at the Guinness factory, a trip out to Howth and more time in the museums.
My one food recommendation was located in Ranelagh. It was a new-age pub just down the road called the TapHouse. The atmosphere felt like a traditional pub, but the clientele was younger business-folk and the service was wonderful. A football game was on and the pub was filled with intermittent cheers and boos. I couldn't have any alcohol (boo antiobiotics) but I tried the ginger beer, which was delicious.
Let me know if you take a trip to Dublin, and what you end up doing! I'd love recommendations for my next trip because I know I'll be back!
