Bookstores, Scenic Views and National Treasures: My 24 Hours in Dublin

 

Welcome back. As we continue our trip down my memory lane, we’re leaving behind the enchanting Munich, and making our way towards cheery Dublin. 

It’s Cold Outside 

We escaped London for a quick day and a bit in Dublin. But the dreary cold followed us, got us sick, but left us with some amazing memories we probably wouldn’t have had anywhere else.

Dublin being a relatively smaller city, we felt slightly constrained by the lack of affordable accommodation options. But luckily, we found a cute AirBnB behind Smithfield Market, which was a twenty minute walk from most places we wanted to visit.  

We started the day with a lovely brunch at the IVY (London-goers, think IVY Chelsea). The aesthetic and atmosphere were both amazing. Which might be one of the reasons for why our brunch extended beyond three hours, as we found our escape from the grey Dublin skies. 

Lost In A Good Book 

With limited hours in the day, we wanted to make sure we did everything that we would not be able to do elsewhere. The first of which being a trip to the library we’ve all seen on Instagram. Did I ever mention that I have a love/hate relationship with how much I’ve discovered on social media alone. I am of course talking about Trinity College & Book of Kells. 

While one may not spend a lot of time in here (mainly because there is always a crowd around you making it hard to take the whole thing in) it’s definitely something you can’t miss. 

A National Treasure 

The second stop of our day was the Guinness Storehouse. This was a recommendation that we got from EVERYONE. Whether one enjoys the beverage or not, it is a global brand that was born in Dublin. And the city takes great pride in this. The storehouse also houses a rooftop with a 360 degree view deck, which attracts as many visitors as the Storehouse itself. 

This might also be the reason we barely got to see any of the view. But the little we did sneak in, looked exactly like the view from our AirBnB. So it felt like we had won a little treat with our accommodation. 

The Night Life

We ended the day-time with a walk around Temple Bar; the part of town every tourist recommended we go to, and every local warned us against. We had managed to walk around the rest of the city, especially some of the hip areas with cool stores and bars, hence the Temple Bar area felt like Yonge-Dundas-esque (if you know, you know) in comparison.

While my recommendations and itinerary don’t speak to how adventurous a day in Dublin can be, I would say, the Irish are VERY friendly and VERY nice. They are almost at par with Canadians in how kind they can be. What they are better at, is having a great time and thus adventure will find you if you let it. If you have any trouble, start with getting some tickets to Bingo Loco and then continuing the night at Dawson Street. 

P.S. Do not book a morning flight unless you plan to make it without any sleep!

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