Ireland — Hidden Gems

Are there Hidden Gems in Ireland?

Danluce Castle, Antrim

Ireland offers some of the best sights including castle ruins, dramatic cliffs, and golden sand beaches. But the end result is that there are too many tourists in high season.

Are there any hidden gems in Ireland? If there are so many Europeans and locals who travel here, is there anywhere that has not been previously been discovered?

Read on to find out alternatives to the overcrowded famous sights — decide which places should you visit as well as get links to our custom Google maps and itinerary planning information.

Author & Photographer: George Mitchell

George’s Bio

Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate links – we have none. Our content and advice is derived from our personal experience and knowledge based on living in Europe for seven years.

What is a Hidden Gem?

One Irish woman on social media wrote “No hidden gems? What on earth are you on about. There [are] multiple things of interest even in my small village with no tourists. I can go for a walk in woods and mountains and pass nobody. The whole of Ireland has something of interest every few kilometres“.

However, in our opinion, a hidden gem is not a place with no people. A tourist trap is not a place with lots of people. Let us define the meaning of tourist trap and hidden gem.

Tourist Trap

A tourist trap is a place that attracts and exploits tourists. These places are heavily promoted to extract money from tourists. They are overpriced and do not provide good value. Examples are Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and tuk-tuk rides in Thailand that detour to a shop hoping for sales.

St John Gogarty Bar, Dublin

Examples in Ireland are Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle; overpriced pubs in Temple Bar area of Dublin; and the €20 fee to see the Book of Kells for 20 minutes before you are kicked out. You can’t really have a good look because of the crowds.

On the other hand, a tourist trap is not a place that has many tourists. Florence and Rome, where we lived for four years, are not tourist traps just because there are lots of tourists during the high season. These are legitimate, famous and historic cities.

Hidden Gem

A hidden gem is a place that is not well known. But having no people is not enough. It has to have something exceptional or special. The hill towns in Italy are hidden gems.

Generally, I feel other tourists want to see hidden gems that could be alternatives to the well known, over touristed places. For instance, there are many places to see cliffs and coastlines that are beautiful but not named Moher.

What do you mean by Hidden Gem?

Visitors to Ireland should seek out places that are unique to Ireland, that are Quintessential Ireland. This is especially true when you are visiting for less than two weeks.

On the other hand, what each person considers unique or special may differ. We lived in Rome for 4 years, London for 3 years and travelled around the world for 3 years. We have very different ideas of what is unique or special than other people who have not travelled as much. Thanks to our experiences, we love art and architecture. Most tourists just get templed out after a couple of hours. Many tourists often visit places solely due to “name recognition”.

Giant’s Causeway Trail, Northern Ireland

We have hiked from the Rockies to the Himalayas. So a pleasant walk in a forest with no views or other special feature would not be exciting. On the other hand, we felt the Giants Causeway Trail (not the over-touristy part) was spectacular. Some other people we heard said it was boring. Wow! Chacun a son propre goût!

What are the Hidden Gems in Ireland?

Do you want to get off the tourist path and into authentic Ireland? If you find the number of tourists oppressive then there are a couple of things you can do. The first is to not travel in the summer high season. The second is to seek out less visited places. Most of these places are not really hidden but are just less visited.

I have divided the suggestion by categories that are based on the features that comprise Quintessential Ireland.

Irish Cliffs

If you want to see Irish cliffs but are turned off by the overpriced entry fees and number of tourists at the Cliffs of Moher (G4.7 €12 per person) then you can go to the following:

Cliffs of Kerry, Ring of Skellig,

• Slieve League (G4.9) – free: supposedly great but we were fogged out!
• Downpatrick Head (G4.9) – free: easy walk on top of cliffs
• Cliffs of Kerry (G4.8) – small cost: dramatic cliffs in a small area
• Horn Head (G4.8) – free: two easy hikes to views
• White Rocks (G4.8) – free: massive vertical cliff
• Giant’s Causeway Trail (G4.7) – free: best hike with views of cliffs and green pastures

As you can see, all of these places are rated as high or higher by all people (locals and tourists) according to the Google Map ratings. Most people go to Cliffs of Moher due to name recognition. You will not miss anything if you skip Moher in favour of one or more of the above places. Rome would be an essential must-see in Italy – Cliffs of Moher, not so much.

Irish Coastlines

Cloughmore View, Achill Island

If you want to see Irish coastlines but are turned off by over-touristed Killarney and Ring of Kerry or ROK (G4.7) then you can go to the following:

• Real Ring of Kerry — Kenmore to Ring of Skellig – provides better views than the ROK such as Derrynane Beach (G4.8), Cliffs of Kerry (G4.8), Geokaun Mountain (G4.8)
• Galway to Gurteen Bay (G4.8) and Sky Road Viewpoints (G4.8): provides dual crescent beaches, coastal views, pine island view of the Connemara mountains
• Amazing Achill Island – drive the west coast along sheep strewn Highway L1405 to Cloughmore Viewpoint (G4.8), Keel Beach (G4.8) and awesome Keem Bay (G4.9)
• Downpatrick Head (G4.9): easy walk on top of cliffs
• Mullaghmore Head (G4.8): easy drive along rugged coastline
• Antrim Coast: must get off main highway to see the coast; e.g. White Rocks (G4.8), Dunluce Castle, Giant’s Causeway Trail…

Irish Beaches

Are you turned off by cars parked on Benone Beach (G4.8) or high “parking” fees at Port Stewart Beach (£6.20 per person)? Then try these usually empty and free beaches:

• Gurteen Bay (G4.9): great picnic place with dual crescent beaches
• Keem Beach (G4.9): beautiful turquoise water laps a golden crescent beach
• Cullenamore Beach (G4.8): beautiful, expansive beach near Sligo with no people
• Portacloy Beach (G4.9): beautiful turquoise water laps a golden beach with no people
• Killahoey Beach (G4.9): expansive beach with no people
• Marble Hill Bay Beach (G4.7): beautiful beach comes with headlands and a great cafe and gelato shoppe
• Ballymastocker Beach (G4.9): beautiful triple beach with no people
• White Rocks Beach (G4.8): expansive beach backed by cliffs

Irish Castles/Sites

If you want to see Irish castles and archeological sites but are turned off by over-touristed and expensive Blarney Castle (G4.7, €22) and Bunratty Castle (G4.6, €17), then you can go to the following:

• Trim Castle (G4.7) – OPW: one of the best castles to learn about the Normans and the significance of the date 1066
• Bective Abbey (G4.7) – free: great picnic spot on verdant grounds of a destroyed abbey
• Cahir Castle (G4.6) – OPW: good views from the outside
• Hore Abbey (G4.6) – free, VG views of Rock of Cashel

The following sites are really well known rather than hidden. However, we did not find them that overcrowded in May. They are definitely worthwhile visiting.

• Glendalough Site (G4.7) – OPW: one of the best sites of a medieval monastic village
• Rock of Cashel Site (G4.5), Viewpoints (G4.7) – OPW: one of the most scenic places for photography
• Kilkenny Castle (G4.6) – OPW: built in the medieval era but its most memorable hall was the Picture Gallery built in the 1860s
• Dunluce Castle (G4.6) – £6: one of the most atmospheric castles on top of a cliff – actually it is very well known

OPW (Office of Public Works) is the government department that runs Heritage Ireland sites. Each site costs €8 or an annual Heritage Card pass costs €40 for all sites for as many times as you want. If you plan to visit 5 of their sites then the card is worthwhile. Many of the sites include free guided tour and the OPW interpreters were all superb and definitely worthwhile.

Irish Quaint Villages

Purple and Red Buildings, Kinsale

If you want to see typical Irish life then bypass over-touristed Killarney, Cork, Dublin, et al. Instead find quaint villages like:

• Kinsale — colourful pubs
• Kenmare — much quieter than Killarney
• Dingle — great food, activities in a pleasant village
• Ballyvaughn — non-touristy village with some thatched roofed houses near the Burren
• Roundstone — non-touristy village near Gurteen Bay
• Clifden — non-touristy village near Sky Road
• Killybegs — non-touristy village near Slieve League
• Donegal — non-touristy town near Slieve League

N.B: Google Maps rates points of interest, accommodation, and restaurants; but it does not rate towns or cities .

Travel Guidelines

Here are some basic principles to follow when you travel in Ireland.

1. Give up trying to “see everything”. You cannot.
2. Some places may be better to visit than others but getting from A to B is just as beautiful as destination B.
3. Tour one concise geographic region in each week.
4. Meet the people — one of the most important “destinations”.
5. Use 75 km per hour to calculate average (not actual) driving time. Ignore Google travel time based on ridiculous 100 kph speed limits on Irish two-lane roads not properly built for that speed.
6. Avoid travelling to a new city every day. Too many tourists think they can drive all day and then see their destination as well.

You need to factor in travel, sightseeing, and activity time.

Quintessential Ireland

White Rocks, Antrim

We like to experience the things that make Ireland unique. Quintessential Ireland is white sheep on green farmland, golden sand beaches, rugged coastlines and craggy cliffs, National Trust (OPW) castles (not tourist traps), glorious viewpoints, and hiking. In the next post we describe what we feel is Quintessential Ireland and what places are examples of where to see it. Our itineraries are based on the features of Quintessential Ireland.

Quintessential Ireland

Final Comments on this Itinerary

Yes there are hidden gems that are less visited places. These places are as highly rated as the so called famous places. The nature and scenery of Ireland is beautiful.

If you want to have a less tourist infested trip in the summer then do our Best Places for Two Weeks in North Ireland itinerary. This is an action-packed itinerary where you can get away from the crowds of tourists who head to sites that are famous because of name recognition. The places are all highly rated by the people as shown by the high Google Map Ratings. Remember, the most important “destination” is meeting the people.

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What things fascinate you? How long is your trip? What questions do you have?

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Itinerary Planning

Do you want to learn how to plan an itinerary? Is your trip less than two weeks? Use these ready-made itinerary maps to plan your trip.

North Itinerary

Ireland North’s Best Sights Map

If you have less time simply quit the northern itinerary at Ramelton, Donegal or Sligo and return to Trim, departure point for the Dublin airport. If you have a few more days, you can easily add days in the Dublin area. Here is the detailed description of the best itinerary to get away from the crowds and find your hidden gems!

Best Places for 2 Weeks in North Ireland

Southwest Itinerary

Ireland Best 2 Week Trip Map

If you have less time simply quit the southwest itinerary at Kinsale, Kenmare or Galway and return to Trim, departure point for the Dublin airport. If you have more than 14 days, add time for the points of interest mentioned in our itineraries.

Here is the detailed description of the best itinerary for Southwest Ireland including hidden gems!

Best Places for 2 Weeks in Ireland

Purpose of Your Trip

What is the purpose of your trip? What are your interests? This itinerary was based on the features that make Ireland unique…

Quintessential Ireland

Ireland FAQ

The FAQ post answers questions such as:

• Where should I go in Ireland?
• What is the best season for travel?
• What is the best clothing?
• Where should I go? What are the must-sees?
• How much time do I need for Ireland?
• Can I see everything in a week?
• How safe is Ireland?
• How much cash should you take to Ireland?
• Should I pay in Euros or my own currency? 
• What apps are useful for travel?
• Should I rent a car? Take a Taxi?

Ireland FAQ

9 Perfect Places for Dabbling with Dublin

Author & Photographer: George Mitchell

George’s Bio

Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate links – we have none. Our content and advice is derived from our personal expertise, experience, and knowledge based on living 7 years in Europe as well as travelling and living for 23 years around the world.

Why Should You Do Dabbling with Dublin Walk

As they say in Rome, when in Dublin do as the Dubliners do. That means walk, shop, eat and drink. Dublin offers pleasant walks on pedestrian streets and a college campus in a very compact area. Dublin can be seen in 2 days but you will need more time to visit all the museums.

The route for this post can be seen in Dublin Map 1, The numbers on the map correspond to the numbers in this post.

Dabbling with History

Being in Europe, one is always amazed by watershed events that changed the course of history. How many descendants of Ireland and Britain realize that they could be speaking a Scandinavian language instead of English? The Viking influence on Irish history is often overlooked. For instance, the Vikings founded Dublin in 988 and ruled the kingdom of Dublin County until it was conquered by the Normans in 1170.

One hundred years earlier, the Norwegian King claimed the throne of England. He was defeated by the Saxons just before they were attacked and defeated by the Normans. William the Conqueror invaded Great Britain in 1066 and changed the course of history. But ironically the Norse won. Why? The terms Norman and Normandy are derived from Norsemen. The main differences were that these Norwegians were granted Normandy in return for protecting France from Viking attacks and they adopted French language and culture.

1. Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican medieval church. The original wood cathedral was built in 1028 by the Norse King of Dublin. The Viking settlement was located at nearby Wood Quay along the River Liffey just north of the church.

Christ Church Cathedral

The current cathedral dates from 1172. The Normans believed in using stone and redid many cathedrals. Norman architecture is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic. Romanesque style incorporates Roman classical forms with heavy use of semicircular arches framed by slender Roman columns with decorative geometric carvings in the arches.

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland

The cathedral was extensively renovated and rebuilt from 1871 to 1878 by George Street. The footbridge from the synod house on the left to the cathedral cost £230,000 in the 19th century or €26 million today!

Chapter House Foundations, Christ Church Cathedral

The foundation ruins in the foreground were the Chapter or Meeting House of the Augustinians between 1163 and 1537.

Homeless Jesus Statue, Christ Church Cathedral

I was taken aback by a cast bronze sculpture of a person hidden beneath blankets on a park bench. There was no sign or explanation. After some research I learned that Canadian sculptor Tim Schmalz designed it to get people to reflect on the plight of the homeless. In fact, the statue is titled Homeless Jesus — I had not noticed the holes in his feet.

2. Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

Over 30,000 castles and ruins are sprinkled across the Emerald Island. Dublin Castle played a significant role in Irish history. It was the centre of British rule until the independence of Ireland in 1922. It served as the residence of the Viceroy of Ireland as well as the administrative centre of the colony of Ireland.

Dublin Castle, started in 1204 by King John of England, has a typical Norman courtyard design. The castle was built near the dark pool (“Dubh Linn”), which gave Dublin its name. The Record Tower (1228) above is the sole surviving tower of this medieval castle.

To its left is the Chapel Royal. It looks Gothic but it is not even medieval. It was completed in 1814! This magnificent Gothic Revival chapel wears a crown of pinnacles rising above Gothic arched windows. It was a place of worship solely for the vice-regal household.

Dublin Castle State Apartments

The State Apartments dating from the 17th and 18th century make this look more like a palace than a castle. There are many ornate rooms where the social life of the aristocracy took place.

Trinity College

Regent House, Trinity College

The archbishop of Dublin requested a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I to create a university for scholars and clergy. Its’ purpose was to bolster the Protestant Reformation in Ireland. That is the reason it was supported by Queen Elizabeth I.

Trinity College, aka the University of Dublin, was founded by in 1592. Regent House above is the college administration and visitor reception area.

It was built far from the centre of Dublin on the location of one of the many monasteries that were shut down. Henry VIII enacted the Dissolution of the Monasteries 1536-1541 which closed down and sold the assets of the Catholic Church to fund Henry’s wars.

Trinity was created as a university solely for Protestant men. In fact, during Cromwell’s conquest in the 1650s, Catholics were actually banned from living within Dublin!! After seeing all the destruction and killing in Ireland caused by Cromwell, one can really hate his fascist mentality.

Trinity was modelled after the collegiate universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and has always been one of the top universities in the British Empire.

The College opened its doors to Catholics in 1793 and women in 1904. Catholics were prohibited from gaining positions of prestige such as scholar or professor. In 1873 all religious tests were abolished. However, the Catholic church banned Catholic attendance from 1871 until 1970.

3. Old Library

Old Library, Trinity College

Trinity College is most famous for its Old Library lined floor to ceiling with books. Trinity is a legal deposit library for Ireland and Great Britain; that is, it gets a copy of every book ever published. It currently contains over 6.2 million printed books. It also has significant quantities of manuscripts. They have many beautifully illustrated Christian texts besides the Book of Kells. Unfortunately the Book of Kells room was undergoing maintenance when we were there.

The Book of Kells (fee €11-14) is one of the great masterpieces of Irish Christian culture. During Oliver Cromwell’s invasion of Kells (near Trim) in 1654, the manuscript was sent to Dublin for safekeeping! It was donated to Trinity College in 1661.

There are several excellent web sites that describe the Book of Kells such as the article by M. Kearney below. As tourists we tend to look at how beautiful the image is, how colourful or how ornate. We may not know that these illuminations are done on vellum not paper. It is estimated that the skins of 185 calves were needed for this manuscript. The article below is a good example of the need to pay attention to details. Look at the figure on the upper right.

The Book of Kells, M. Kearney, BBC 2016-04-26

"The whole page only contains four words, In principio erat verbum: In the beginning was the Word. Then there is the figure of St John himself, with large thoughtful eyes, who is shown holding a book. But far less reputably to his right, there is a smaller figure who seems to be knocking back a goblet of wine, his eyes closed in a alcoholic stupor and totally oblivious of a gigantic monster looming above him." 

The Book of Kells, M. Kearney, BBC 2016-04-26

One has to wonder if there was some symbolism for this depiction or was the monk inserting some humour. The Book of Kells is a beautifully illustrated set of four Gospels. Since most people then could not read, especially Latin, illustrations and frescoes were the principle means of teaching. But despite its renown, not much is known about its origins.

William Leckey Statue

William Leckey Statue, Trinity College

William Leckey was an Irish historian, essayist, and political theorist with Whig proclivities. His major work was an eight-volume History of England during the Eighteenth Century. The statue dates to 1910.

4. Campanile

Campanile, Trinity College

Campanile is an Italian architectural term for bell tower. The Campanile of Pisa, Florence and Venice are so famous you already know them. This campanile was donated by the Archbishop of Armagh, Lord John Beresford in 1853. He graduated from Oxford with a Master of Arts. He was married but joined the clergy in 1797. He was Chancellor of the Univ. of Dublin between 1851 and 1862.

A tour group hides from the rain under the Campanile while a student guide tells gossip about Trinity College. She mentioned that there was an old superstition that any student who passes beneath the campanile will fail their exams. As a result, some students never walk through the arches until they graduate Trinity College. On graduation day, a celebratory walk under the campanile is a rite of passage

The belfry is a cylindrical chamber encircled by Corinthian columns, between which are tall, round-arched tracery windows. Seated around the belfry are figures representing Divinity, Science, Medicine and Law. Clearly, those were considered the highest faculties in those days.

Language

But perhaps the most important faculty historically was English. The Irish have made an big impact on the English language. Some of the words they introduced include brogue, hooligan, slob and Tories.

A Dublin theatre proprietor Richard Daly made a bet that he could, within 48 hours, make a nonsense word known throughout the city, and that the public would supply a meaning for it! After a performance one evening, he gave his staff cards with the word written on them, and told them to write the word on walls around the city. The next day the strange word was the talk of the town and so the word quiz was invented.

The word boycott was named after Capt. Boycott, who is the villain in this story. He was the agent for an absentee English landlord, who refused to lower rents when there was a bad growing season. Capt. Boycott then started to evict tenants who could not pay. The town not only shunned him but refused to work for him. He had no one to perform the harvest. And so the word boycott was born.

5. Chapel

Chapel, Trinity College

The Chapel (1798) was designed by King George III’s architect, Sir William Chambers. The buildings on the central campus were imposing but austere.

Trinity College scholars are students who excel in a special set of examinations. Scholars are given free campus accommodation, free carvery dinner with a pint of Guinness each night, and a glass of brandy or a pint of Guinness – depending who you ask – during their exams.

6. Buttery Food Court

Speaking of food, around the corner is the student cafeteria where I had a very nice lunch and a superb Lavazza cappuccino while I waited for the rain to stop.

7. Sphere in a Sphere

Sphere in a Sphere Sculpture, Trinity College

The bronze Sphere Within Sphere (Sfera con sfera) is by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, which has been much copied around the world, especially in the Cortile (courtyard) of the Vatican Museums.

8. Museum Building

Museum Building, Trinity College

The Museum Building is home to the Geology, Geography, and Engineering departments. It was my favourite architecture, but then I did work in Italy for four years. This Palazzo style building was completed in 1857 at a cost £28,790. The pedestrian bridge at Christ Church Cathedral cost ten times as much!

Grand Canal, Venice

Several web articles and even Trinity College say that the Museum Building was inspired by the “Byzantine” architecture of Venice. However, as you can see in the photo of the Grand Canal above, the Museum Building lacks the pointed arches of the Venetian style – which is not Byzantine but is called Saracenic-Gothic.

The Saracenic-Gothic style is unique to Venice, which was the most powerful city in Western Europe during the Gothic Era until the Renaissance. The Venetians were a naval power and controlled the Adriatic and eastern Mediterranean. They were the only nation that could transport the Crusaders to the Holy Land to fight the Saracens. They made a fortune on their ferry service!

If you look carefully, the Venetian arches are a more upward pointed than the Gothic. That is the Saracenic or Islamic influence in their architecture.

BTW, “Byzantine Empire” is bad 16th century history invented by a German historian: it was called the Roman Empire by the people of that time. Their architecture style is classical Roman. In 330 AD, Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople — it still was the Roman Empire, even when Rome the city fell.

Museum Building, Trinity College

The Museum Building is primarily Romanesque in style as shown by its triple semi-circular arches, and highly decorated pilaster capitals.

Literature

Graduates Memorial Building, Trinity College

Standing in front of the Victorian Graduates Memorial Building, it is time to pay homage to some of the most important graduates and authors, many of whom lived in Dublin — Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, Jonathan Swift, William Butler Yeats and Bram Stoker.

All these names are familiar but who is Bram Stoker? He is author of the extremely famous 1897 story about a vampire! Count Dracula was modelled on his friend, the actor Sir Henry Irving. I wonder what Henry thought about that? One inspiration for his story was the Irish legend of Abhartach, an evil chieftain who rose from his grave every night to drink the blood of his subjects.

Bram lived at 30 Kildare Street right near Trinity College, where he graduated. He worked at Dublin Castle as a civil servant.

Notice that these individuals were literary giants in English not Irish (Gaelic). Thanks to 750 years of occupation by the British, very few people speak Irish today. In fact, Polish is the second most spoken language on the Emerald Island!

Georgian Dublin

The Irish Parliament was abolished in 1801, when Ireland becoming a part of the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Act of Union.

The Georgian Period 1714-1830 — named for the four consecutive King George’s — is synonymous with a neoclassical art and architecture style. Dublin became an elegant capital of British Ireland and the second most important city of the United Kingdom.

9. Merrion Square

Merrion-Square

When Merrion Square was begun in 1762, this area was farmland on the outskirts of Dublin. Most tourists will focus on the green space, the statues, or the grass-covered hump at the corner of Fitzwilliam Street Lower, an entrance to a World War II air raid shelter.

You will be forgiven if you hardly notice the buildings lining the squares of southern Dublin. But these 250 year-old buildings are still in pristine shape. That is a testament to how well built they were.

The buildings are understated and characterized by proportion, balance, and symmetry. I noticed they all seem to have an odd number of window bays with the door in the centre and one window bay above it. The regularity of house fronts along a street was a desirable feature of Georgian town planning. In fact, a standard mathematical ratio was used to determine the height of a window based on its width.

The Georgian style is also based on the classical forms of the Italian Renaissance period. It was invented by famous English architects like Christopher Wren, designer of St Paul’s Cathedral and John Nash, designer of Buckingham Palace.

79 Merrion Square

Now it is time to look at the details to see what makes Georgian architecture interesting. Closely examine the transom window or fanlight over the colourful front doors. A transom is a horizontal beam atop a door. The fanlight could be opened to provide cross-ventilation while maintaining security in the pre-air conditioning era. The phrase “over the transom” refers to works submitted for publication without being solicited. The manuscripts would be thrown through the transom window.

Other neoclassical features are the carved pediments, Ionic pilasters, and cornice (horizontal decorative molding at the top of a building or door) with dentils (literally teeth).

The Georgian buildings in Canada and the United States have a similar design to those in the UK due to the use of pattern books drawn up by professional architects.

58 Merrion Square

Back in 18th century, all the bourgeoisie moved to the fashionable Merrion Square area. Oscar Wilde lived at #1 as a child, Daniel O’Connell (see next post on Dublin) at #58 above, and W. B. Yeats at #82.

54 Merrion Square

Today, most of the houses are commercial; for instance, #54 is the Fulbright (Scholar) Commission.

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D-Day in Dublin

In spite of living for seven years in Europe, this is our first trip to Ireland. People on the Irish FB groups just rave about their trips. Most only spend two weeks or less. Would Ireland live up to all the hype?

Well, the trip started off poorly. We get off the plane and my valise is missing. There was one similar bag but it had a different side pocket. We filed all the necessary details and about an hour later headed off to get our rental car. We got a slight upgrade to more comfortable Skoda Octavia. However, we waited for two hours to actually get the car.

We then got on the M50 but ended up going all around Dublin instead of the M50 that goes straight south through downtown. It is ring road. There was no sign for Dublin “centro”.

We got off the expressway when I saw the sign for Bray and travelled through the small streets to our B&B. It was only 10 km away. Wow, what an old world place full of antique dark furniture and artifacts, a dining area already set out for breakfast. It was now 16:00 hrs. At around 19:00 hrs a courier brought our bag from the airport to the B&B. The naughty tourist had taken my bag by mistake and finally returned it!!

Fortunately we were staying three nights in Dublin. Imagine if we had planned to immediately head to the South. All’s well that ends well.