A Day in the Life: Dublin, Ireland
Introduction
A thabhairt isteach
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is full of a rich history that has been passed down through the generations. Their warm, lively, and friendly culture will make you feel welcome in a new place and like a part of their family. The people of Ireland are proud of their nation and culture and are willing to share it with you when you visit.
Visiting Dublin would not be complete without a look at its history and where it has come from. Must sees are unique, local restaurants and stores that show the culture at its truest. Knowing a bit about how the natives communicate with each other and simple etiquette techniques will help you interact with natives and give you a complete experience of Dublin. Lastly, a trip to Dublin would not be complete without a little bit of wiggle room. Opening up your plans to visit the places your new native friends love will open doors to places off the beaten path and into a truer Dublin.
A Brief History
Stair Ghairid
Dublin was originally founded as a Viking settlement in the 10th century. It is located at the mouth of the River Liffey on east-central Ireland.
Throughout it’s history Dublin has changed leaders many times and functioned as a capital for many of them. After the Viking’s leadership Ireland was lead by the Norman rule, then to the Lordship of Ireland (1141–1541), the Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1800), and then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922). Finally in 1921, after the Anglo-Irish war that separated Ireland from Britain, Ireland became it’s own nation. This started the era of the Irish Republic (1919–1922). The most recent change in leadership came with the partition of Ireland, which separated Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State (1922–1949).
A beautiful piece of Dublin’s history is Dublin Castle. The castle was commissioned by King John of England in 1204 to be used as a defensive fortification. Construction was largely completed in 1230. Since it’s beginning Dublin Castle has served as a defensive fortress, a place of royal residence, a host for Parliament and inaugurations of Irish Presidents. Currently the castle is still the home of Irish President inaugurations, is a tourist attraction, and is usually open to the public. Dublin castle is located on the east side of Ireland, near the mouth of River Liffey in Dublin.
What to Do
Cad atá le déanamh
Here you will find a full day of some of Dublin’s unique restaurants and most famous sights. We will start off with a traditional Irish breakfast, visit some historic Dublin sights, then finish off the day with some relaxing and Dublin touring (camchuairte).
To prepare for a busy day of traveling through Dublin you should start off with a full traditional Irish breakfast. A great place to do this is at Bram’s Cafe. A traditional full Irish breakfast includes meat, eggs, vegetables, and potato served with Irish soda or bread. This meal is meant to fill you up before a full day of work, with all your traveling, you may want to fill up. However, if you are not up for a big breakfast you have a number of options for a smaller meal at Bram’s cafe.
After a filling breakfast a great place to start the day while in Dublin would be Trinity College. Trinity College was founded in 1592, the full name of the college is College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin. The main college is approximate 47 acres and its campus is full of beautiful, historic buildings.
One building, the Campanile, is a bell tower located in the northwest part of of Trinity college and is one of Trinity college’s most iconic landmarks. Campanile was donated by the former Archbishop, Lord John Beresford, designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, and sculpted by Thomas Kirk. The building of Campanile was finished in 1853.
There is a superstition among the students of Trinity college that any student who passes underneath the campanile when the bells toll will fail their exams. Because of this superstition some students never pass under the tower until they finish their time at Trinity.
After visiting the campanile head over to the Douglas Hyde Gallery, also in Trinity College. The Douglas Hyde Gallery is a publicly funded contemporary art gallery. After it’s opening in 1978 the gallery was the only public gallery of contemporary art for a number of years. The gallery holds two exhibition spaces that hold concurrent exhibitions.
Next, if you travel just a little ways away from the heart of Trinity College you could find yourself at the beautiful Provost’s house. The Provost’s house was built in 1759 for Provost Francis Andrews of Trinity College. The house is a Palladian design and has character from the bottom floor and up.
Lastly, at Trinity college a must see is the Library of Trinity College. The library holds about five million books, including serials and a significant collection of manuscripts, maps, and printed music. The library was became a legal deposit library in 2003, meaning the College is legally entitled to a copy of every book published in Great Britain and Ireland. The library building itself is worth a visit, its beautiful architecture and design will make you want to spend your entire trip exploring this building.
The original (Old) Library of Trinity college has towered over the university and city since it’s completion. The Old Library is home to the most famous book in the Library as a whole, the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is manuscript of the Gospel in Latin. It was created in a Columban monastery and is believed to have been created in ca. 800 AD.
After a busy morning visiting parts of Trinity College a great, unique place to go for a late lunch is the Pig’s Ear. Located just off Trinity’s campus it is a quick find, however, you can’t forget to call ahead for reservations. One option on the menu is a“Slow Cooked Lough Erne Shepherd’s Pie”, shepherds pie being a great traditional Irish meal.
With all of the things to see at Trinity college you may want a place close by to stay for the night. Only an 11 minute walk away is Jury Inn House Hotel, a great option to stay. Jury’s Inn is located just off of the River Liffey where you can have a relaxing evening walking along the river front or shopping on Henry Street. You can finish off the night with dinner at Ely bar & brasserie, just a 3 minute walk from your hotel.
What to say
Cad atá le rá
When you travel to Ireland there may be some differences in communicating than you are used to. The Irish are known for their humour and wit (they call it having “the craic”). They tend to have a self-deprecating or ironic sense of humor. Don’t be offended if you are teased or insulted by people you get to know, it’s not unusual to tease or insult others (they call it “slagging”).
While you’re traveling around Dublin you will surely run into some new people. Kwintessential says that the etiquette for meeting people in Ireland includes a handshake and hello or salutation appropriate for the time of day. Eye contact shows trust and should be maintained during a greeting. Lastly, greetings tend to be warm and friendly and could turn into conversations.
If you are not sure about what to talk about with the people you meet a good place to start would be Irish culture (literature, music, history, or sports). Irish people tend to be proud of their culture, so talking to them about your experiences and what you have enjoyed can be a great conversation starter. You can even ask the people you meet for suggestions on places you should visit or things you should do, they would love to share their culture and experiences with you.
Kwintessential describes the Irish communication style as polite, modest and primarily indirect. A lot of what is said is implied through stories and anecdotes. Conflict is highly avoided and a polite answer is often more valued than the absolute truth.
The Irish have turned speaking into an art form of lyricism and poems and they value well-crafted messages. Another value of communication is modesty. It is suspicious for someone to be loud and brag about their own accomplishments, instead you would want to casually slip in bits about yourself into conversation over time.
The Irish also highly value family. They have a history of storytelling to pass down information from generation to generation. Another great way to get to know the Irish culture would be to look into the stories that are passed around or read the stories they use to teach their children their values and history. This could give you great insight into the culture.
Since family is greatly valued in Irish culture, you will have no trouble at all connecting with your friends and family back home during your trip. Hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses commonly have free Wifi or have computers available for guests to use.
Final Thoughts
Smaointe deiriddh
The Irish culture is full of history, tradition, and family. They value rich conversations, stories, and humor. Visiting Ireland will give you a glimpse of the past through their historic buildings and traditions. Dive into the culture through a day visiting traditional restaurants and buildings from years past. But don’t forget to talk to the people you meet. Be flexible with your plans and plan time to learn from the natives. Visit some unplanned places and soak in the Irish culture.
