Dublin | Ireland
Dublin is quickly becoming one of my favorite cities.
With over 1 million people, it has the strong arts, diversity, and food scene you would find in a major capital city. But it is compact and walkable, with a section of cobbled streets, a river running through its center, and a beautiful city park.
My husband is from Ireland, so every year we take the transatlantic flight to his family home in Dublin. We spend most of our time walking along the stone beach, hiking in the Wicklow mountains, or cooking meals with the family to enjoy on the patio if we can catch a break in the weather. But at least once during the trip, we will “head into town” to visit Dublin City Center.
Traveling into Dublin from my in-laws is a 45-minute train ride along the sea on the DART, Dublin’s above ground metro. After taking in the sea views and passing through the shore-side neighborhoods, we get off at the Pearce Street stop and come down the stairs into downtown Dublin. Right next to the station is Trinity College, where my husband spent four years of his life studying, drinking, and making lifelong friends. We usually take the slightly longer route to our final destination by passing through Trinity's Quad, taking in the range of architecture that literally spans centuries and seeing how long the line is outside the library to view the Book of Celts. On summer evenings walking back to the DART, we might meet his friends at the Pavillion, a college sports bar built in the 60s that overlooks the rugby pitch, grabbing cheap pints and fries and enjoy the rare warm, light evening that Irish summers bring.
Eat
Many of our trips into Dublin would be to buy last minute Christmas presents that hadn’t made it over from the states. We’ll spend out day searching Dublin’s many artisan stores looking for the best wool blankets, hand thrown pottery, or a wooden toy for the family members back at home.
Inevitably, we’ll break up our search for the perfect gift with a cup of tea and scone at my favorite tea shop, Brewleys. Located on Dublin’s main high street, we’d place our order and head directly upstairs to escape the cold and crowds, sipping our tea next to the most beautiful stained glass.
We almost always grab lunch when we are in town and often go to Cornucopia for a warm, hearty vegetarian casserole. If we are looking for something more traditional, we’ll go to O’Neills. I’ll get a pint and a huge plate of meat and potatoes with gravy, and be full and warm for hours.
I’m lucky that my husband’s family are warm, fun, people who I enjoy spending time with. But sometimes we would just want a night to ourselves. Our date begins by riding the train into Dublin and watching the fading light across the sea. We like to walk down the cobbled streets to one of our favorite restaurants, Fallon and Byrne. The basement is a wine cellar, the ground floor is a large market, and upstairs is a beautiful restaurant with seasonal, fresh dishes.
After hours of catching up together and commenting on how delicious the food is, we head back into the chilly night to find the No Name Bar. Off of Fade Street, look for the snail above the door and the steps leading up to the bar that feels like someone’s apartment. There, we find a spot in the corner, order drinks, and chat until we have just enough time to catch the last DART home.
Explore
One of my favorite ways to beat the crowds in Dublin City center is by slipping into the National Gallery of Ireland. It’s free and I love strolling through its halls, admiring art from the 14th century to today. The museum also encourages you to be creative and has regular artist workshops and paper and pencils available at all time to sketch. I’m also a sucker for museums cafes, and this one is pretty good with high ceilings, skylights, and strong coffee.
Warm, sunny weather in Ireland is rare, so when it happens, we make it an occasion. Everyone looks for an opportunity to get outside, and my husband and I are no exception. When we are in Dublin City Center, we lay on the bright green lawns of St. Stephen’s Green. If we want to dip our toes in the water, we will take the DART to Sandy Mount and stroll along the water’s edge.
Although I’ve never done it because my strong aversion to anything cold, on particularly warm days you will see people swimming in the sea. And regardless of the weather, no trip to Dublin is complete without a visit to Dun Laoghaire pier. We love getting a 99 cent ice cream cones in the summer, or a steaming coffee in the winter, and walking along the pier while discussing life, passersby, and the beauty of the Irish sea.
