Ha'penny Bridge

Today we have planned a full day of sightseeing, discovering historical roots, eating Irish food and drinking plenty of Guinness in Temple Bar (Dad and I have been saving ourselves for a Guinness or 2 or, as was the case 3 pints each).

Our Airbnb host, Tom, drove us to Tallagh to catch the Luas, a light rail to get into Dublin. It proved to be a very smooth and quick way of getting in to Dublin central. Our stop was Smithfield from where all major points of interest, be they the Jameson distillery, Guinness Brewery, Temple Bar amongst the many other attractions were an easy walk away.

Once at Smithfield, Katie & I went our own way to find the street where Katie’s nan lived, and nice walk 30 minutes away through Dublins hustle and bustle. Once we had finished in Shelbourne Road, we made our way to Jameson Distillery tour. This consisted of a walk through how they make the whiskey, then a taste testing of Jameson, Jameson Crest and Jameson Black. The Jameson Crest is not available in NZ or Aus so will be sorting out how we get some back with us!

We then had a look at some shops and made our way to Temple Bar area.

Temple Bar is what most tourists regard as Dublin’s most famous landmark. It is promoted a Dublin’s cultural quarter and as a centre of Dublin’s city night life. It’s colourful bars and restaurants, all adorned with impressive and colourful planter pots and hanging baskets, come alive to the sounds of live Irish music where many people flock to enjoy a pint and good meal and listen to or take part in live music.

The 4 of us met for drinks at Fitzgerald’s Pub in Temple Bar, where live Irish and non Irish music was on offer. People were dancing in the aisles, singing along to the songs. Whilst ordering our 2nd round of Guinness pints at the pub, I met Jeff, a traveller from Quebec, Canada who had just landed in Dublin today and was about to embark on a 12 day Ireland tour. I invited him to join our table where we swapped stories of where we had travelled during our time in Ireland, which Jeff found informative and note worthy. We decided to move pubs and head to a pub across the road from the most famous pub in Temple Bar, known as The Temple Bar. It is the red and black pub on the corner which is depicted in all of the guide books and tourist brochures and get more expensive as the night draws on- they have so many tourists that come to the pub just to have a drink and get their photo taken outside the pub that they can charge whatever they want knowing tourists will pay the asking price(s).

The Spire of Dublin, also known as the Monument of Light, also referred to as the Walk of the Dead, is a 121 metre high stainless steel, pin like monument located on the site of the former Nelson’s Pillar on O’Connell Street, the Main Street of Dublin. It cost a staggering €4 million to build.

It is referred to as The Walk of the Dead, because party goers are attracted to its lights at night after pubs have closed, just like ‘zombies being attracted to light’.

At the end of the evening in Dublin we made our way back to Tallagh Station on the Luas light rail where we were met by our Airbnb host, Tom, to take us back to the Airbnb to get ready for tomorrow’s flight to Malta. Needless to say we all “slept like the dead” till the alarm rang at 4 am. Here starts the Malta leg of our trip.Read more