Eventually, we found our hotel in the newly designated ‘Cultural Quarter’ of Dublin, the Smithfield district. After depositing our luggage in our minimalist, modern styled room, we swiftly strode towards Dublin’s city centre. However, we made little progress before we soon found our feet making their way towards St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Believed to have been constructed near the site St. Patrick baptised the converts, the cathedral towered over us as we ambled through its picturesque gardens towards the entrance.
More like a history book than a cathedral, St. Patrick housed numerous graves and states commemorating prominent figures in Irish history. While we perused the cathedral, the voices of the choir resonated in the background, their voices lifting in unison to the high arches of the ceiling.
Our hectic travelling throughout the day left us famished, and we soon began scouring Dublin in search for authentic Irish food. Heading to the Temple Bar District, famous for its lively atmosphere and pubs, we stumbled across a friendly-looking, cosy restaurant. After gorging ourselves on hearty bowls of beef and Guinness stew, we meandered our way in the direction of a firehouse-red pub that caught our attention earlier. Encroaching upon the entrance of the pub, we whiled away the night with crowds of friendly locals and musicians raucously playing in the corner.
The next day commenced with a brisk walk towards what we held as the highlight of our trip: the Guinness Storehouse. Built to resemble a colossal pint of Guinness, its seven stories exhibit nearly every aspect of the Guinness Company. From the history of Arthur Guinness, to the brewing process, right down to advertising, the Storehouse provides a plethora of knowledge of all things Guinness. After devoting a good portion of the day to sightseeing on each floor, we anxiously steered ourselves to the Gravity Bar. Whilst savouring our complimentary ruby-red pints, we reclined in the seats and enjoyed the elevated panoramic view of Dublin that the bar offered.
Later that afternoon we navigated our way to Kilmainham Gaol. Gazing around the dank wings, we listened as our affable tour guide escorted us around, offering lengthy accounts of the conditions prisoners endured during their incarceration. In particular, he discussed the leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising repeatedly, and it was evident from him that those individuals held a sense of pride for the Irish population. The grim ambience of the stone fortress was only heightened by the frequent singing of an old Irishman in our company, with his macabre voice ringing out traditional dirges of past prisoners. Eventually we departed from the prison with an impression of its austerity and the suffering of its past residents.
After viewing the historic significance of yesterday’s sites, we opted to visit sites similar to the previous to broaden our knowledge of Irish history. First stop was Trinity College, where we sauntered past the tidy white rows of 18th century buildings for the Book of Kells exposition. Under dim lights, we examined the elegant calligraphic pages of the tome. What was even more surprising than this was its remarkable condition, considering it has travelled all over Ireland since 800 A.D. and survived an excessive number of fires!
Next was a brief visit to the Museum of Archaeology and Ancient History. The museum houses an abundance of Viking and Iron Age artefacts in addition to an impressive display of Celtic gold jewellery. Feeling a tad overwhelmed by the day’s history lessons, we made for Grafton Street in search of retail therapy.
However, it was not too long after we reached signs for the likes of Louis Vuitton and Chanel that we suddenly remembered we were poor students, and instead detoured to Dublin Castle.
The castle standing today is not the original, and a tour inside emphasizes this. More palace than stone fortress in appearance, regardless it is worth a visit to see all the opulence of the different rooms, which have accommodated prominent figures such as Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. A short walk however is all it takes to view the subterranean foundations of the original castle. Submerged in the green swampy waters of ‘Dubh Linn’ from which Dublin originally derives its name from, one can see the grimy stone foundations of the original castle, which burnt down in a fire.
On our last day in Dublin, we spent it at the Jameson’s Distillery. Following a brief tour we all gathered around for the whiskey tasting session. This alone constituted the entrance fee, and soon we were all knocking back different varieties of scotch, Irish whiskey, and American whiskey. After a few more shots and some chats with the bartenders, we dejectedly made our way to the exit to begin our journey back to England.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed all the sites we visited, the food and drink we consumed, and the music, the thing that struck me the most about Dublin was the overwhelming friendliness of the locals. Whenever we had our noses stuck in a map, people on the street would stop and offer their assistance. Nearly every bar we entered we found ourselves chatting with a random group of people for some part of the night. Everywhere we went people would hold doors open, chat with us, or even offer their seats for us. Their friendly demeanour consistently surprised me, yet it was jointly uplifting knowing that wherever you went you would be met with a happy face. One would be hard-put to find any dispositions equal to theirs, and it is for this reason that I eagerly await my next trip to Dublin.
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