If ever you go to Dublin town
In a hundred years or so
Inquire for me in Baggot Street
And what I was like to know.

Patrick Kavanagh

We arrived at Dublin Airport and got picked up by Kieron our driver. Because I’m travelling with my (aging) mum, I opted for a private shuttle service to the hotel. This turned out to be quite fortunate since all the buses (except the private hop on-hop off) are on strike.

We made it to the hotel in good time and hit the pavement almost immediately. The Temple Bar area was on our list for today and, luckily, it’s a fifteen minute slow walk from the hotel. We walked by Trinity College, but we’re saving it for tomorrow due to time constraints. The Temple Bar area was even more colourful than I imagined, some of the buildings are spectacular in their decor and the atmosphere was fantastic (and it’s just Tuesday!).
We found Gogarty’s, but unfortunately (and as expected) it was quite full. I tried to ask when a good time to get a table would be and the reply was a friendly and exasperated “never!”. Don’t think they’ll be filing Chapter 11 ever 🙂

We ended up at Busker’s, a little ways up the street from Gogarty’s, right next to Hard Rock (a tip from Anna, a local street vendor) where the waiters were friendly and the food was brilliant.

It looked bit like a night club with a tad too few punters, but the music isn’t too loud (you can easily have a conversation without yelling) and the food was great. We both had a sirloin steak with fries, onion rings and delicious gravy for 36 euros. Not too cheap, but it’s Temple Bar…

After dinner the sightseeing on foot continued, we ended up “going touristy” buying various cards and gifts at the nearest Carroll’s (tourist gift shop) before walking back up O’Connell street and checking out the statues and monuments.

Got a closer look at The Spire too, 120 meters high, 3 meter diameter at the base. It looks quite impressive up close. Built for no good reason other than to maybe commemorate the Celtic Tiger, the Dubliners make quite a bit of fun of it. They give it nicknames like “The erection in the intersection”, which of course, makes me burst out laughing 😉

A good first day. We’re collected quite a few brochures for daily excursions as well, (hot tip for anyone, but especially when travelling with someone who can’t walk as far as us young’uns), so we’ll see where we end up. Tomorrow though, I think we’ll try to catch some James Joyce history and maybe a cruise down the river Liffey.

And God bless the taxi drivers 😉