Visited Dublin last weekend (June 4th - 6th). It was a very busy, yet welcoming city. Spent 2 days and 2 nights there, exploring on foot. Stayed at the Temple Bar hotel.
Saw the Book of Kells at Trinity College, an extremely old tome with amazingly detailed illustrations. More awe-inspiring, however, was the Old Library. A vast array of very old books stacked on towering shelves. Amazing woodwork and a tall arched ceiling in the library.
Also, took the Guinness Brewery tour. It was filled with facts about brewing and the company itself, but the best part was the gravity bar at the end. It's a round room several stories up with glass walls, which gives you a 360 degree view of Dublin. Guinness is served at a round bar at the center. A wonderful lounge-like atmosphere.
Other points of interest were Christ Church and Dublin Castle, both of which had lots of history and context. Christ Church is a great gothic church. The crypt was quite large and contained some impressive tombs and treasures on display. Dublin Castle has gone through many major rebuilds and is still used as a government building. One of the corner towers was thought to be destroyed, but was "discovered" in a somewhat recent excavation. The tour takes you underground to see the tower and the original moat. The moat used to be part of the river Liffey, and in the excavation they found 100's of skeletons there, probably soldiers at one time. Since Guinness used to get its water from the river, the tour guide joked that that is why Guinness is so "full-bodied". :)
Dublin's National Museum displays ancient celtic and viking artifacts (ornaments, weaponry), as well as more modern religious and military items. Ireland has quite a rich history, both cultural and political. The Museum traces quite a range, from prehistoric to present. Met a charming elderly woman who was very proud of the museum and happy to be there. She told me she thought if more young people understood the knowledge and context of Ireland's history they would be more proud and respectful of their heritage, which would help them stay away from drugs and crime and so forth. She had a certain wisdom and I enjoyed talking with her.
Found it interesting that most plaques and signs around Dublin are both in English as well as Gaelic. I sometimes overheard people speaking Gaelic too. Kind of lyrical in tone, it's pleasant to listen to. I wasn't able to decipher much of the language, though.
Took walks through Temple Bar, Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green, and Connelly Street. All were vibrant and buzzing with people. Tourists and locals enjoyed themselves at the pubs and out on the streets. Also, there was lots of live music around with musicians of all kinds. Saw a man play the spoons, another play an electric slide guitar, another play harmonica, a young girl sing a capella, and yet others playing flutes, fiddles, guitars and so on. I dropped a few coins by the ones I liked. One man sang and played guitar with 2 dogs at his feet. I gave him extra -- sucker for canines.
The pubs are colorful, some along narrow, cobbled streets. Most pubs use dark woods inside and feel very cozy. Smoking is no longer allowed in the pubs, so many people would hang out outside to have a smoke. I think the legend that Guinness is better in Ireland is a bit of a myth. It does taste better, but I think it's only because you're in Ireland, not because the brew is any different. :P
Ireland is on the Euro, so I'm glad I can use the cash I have leftover in other countries around Europe (well, except the UK ;). Curious, I had to present my US passport when entering Ireland, but did not have to when returning to the UK.
Ta for now.
