I can resist everything but temptation

Today we broke the long standing world record for the number of hop on hop off bus tours taken on one holiday, when we orbited fair Dublin city in the 'Do Dublin' bus tour.

Starting in O'Connell street we first passed the iconic Dublin GPO, scene of the fiercest battles in the 1916 Easter Rising. The Irish Republican in me always gets a lump in my throat when thinking of the Easter Rising and seeing the GPO again was another misty eyed moment.

We then continued around the most famous sights of Dublin, which come thick and fast, even though the full circuit takes two hours to complete. The weather was typically Irish, so the Southlander in me felt right at home, but the North Islander beside me was shivering, so we soon abandoned our perch on the upper deck and adjourned to the slightly warmer climes of the enclosed lower deck. The more climatically comfortable surroundings of the bottom deck allowed both of us to take in more of the sights and terrific commentary from Gareth Lawless our driver and tour guide. I know gift of the gab is an Irish cliche, but cliches evolve because there is always a kernel of truth in them. Gareth gave the best tour commentary I have ever heard, along with regular Irish songs as we passed the Irish Writer's museum, the famine memorial, the Irish Emigration Museum, St Stephen's Green, Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol and Phoenix Park.

What an amazing, vibrant and history filled city Dublin is. The real highlight of the day though was the visit to EPIC - the Irish Emigration museum. This museum only opened in 2016 and it harnesses the most engaging and creative technology to tell the story of how the Irish diaspora has altered and affected every corner of the globe they have settled in. It charts all aspects of how it has come to pass that Ireland has exported so many of its people. It is by equal measure sorrowful, celebratory, proud, defiant and unbroken. It would make anyone with even a single drop of Irish blood cherish the gift of such an incredible heritage. I know I am far from an unbiased commentator when it comes to this issue, but the bottom line is that Ireland's greatest export has always been its people.

After an incredible two hours we exited EPIC and headed back to O'Connell street to visit a souvenir shop, which are very hard to find. Why in one twenty metre stretch of the street I was lucky to find only four such shops. Handing over my crisp Euros I walked out with a Maloney key-ring proudly advertising my family coat of arms, a commemorative Easter Rising coin and a bag of Baileys chocolate, for emergency purposes only. Souvenirs secured we caught the Airlink Express back to the hotel and a meeting with an old friend from Southland.

Tomorrow we touch down in good old Glasgy. Come on the Bhoys!Read more