Raising a glass of Guinness in Dublin, Ireland, at the Guinness Storehouse

Raising a glass of Guinness in Dublin, Ireland, at the Guinness Storehouse

Note from Bill: Mary and I were fortunate to be able to visit Ireland on vacation earlier in the month of May. This posting will be the first of a 4 part series on our adventure.

In early April, as the ski season was winding down, Mary and I decided that for our May vacation that we would visit Ireland. We planned our Ireland trip totally on the internet, taking advantage of the many web sites that exist on the subject. We relied heavily on Tripadvisor.com to provide recommendations for lodging, and we were not dissapointed.

Our trip started in Dublin after an overnight flight from Boston on AerLingus. Comically, the plane arrived in Dublin at 5:30 AM. If you do the math, you will realize that this equates to 12:30 AM in Killington. Still about 2 hours before my normal time to go to bed at night in the winter.

O'Connell Monument Click to enlarge

We picked up a Hertz rental car at the Dublin airport. We declined the additional insurance, which would cost us later, as we thought that we had coverage through other means. By around 6:30 AM, we were clear of the Dublin airport taking in our first adventure down the Irish roads leading into the city.

Dublin is a very old city with low buildings and narrow, twisting streets. Based upon previous experiences staying in other cities, we selected an inn that was made from a converted brownstone, the Waterloo House, in a tony part of the city about a 5 minute walk from St Stephens Green. St Stephens Green is the Dublin equivalent of Central Park or the Boston Commons, although it is much smaller in size.

Half Penny Bridge Click to enlarge

We arrived at the inn at around 7:15 AM, knowing full well that a room would not be available due to the early hour. Never matter, we parked the rental car, a Toyota Yaris, in the parking lot of the Waterloo House and headed out for a walk about Dublin.

We started our walk at St. Stephen's Green. From there, we headed down towards the River Liffey and O'Connell Street past the monument of irish patriot Daniel O'Connell. This section of town was quite busy with a combination of commercial activity and students heading towards class at Trinity College.

We walked about a quarter of a mile up river from O'Connell Street to the Half Penny bridge. (Pedestrians used to be charged a half penny toll to use the bridge to cross the Liffey.) The bridge connects the city, linking to the Temple Bar area, know for it's restaurants and various pubs. We continued to wander around the city for a few more hours, before heading back towards a pub just up the street from the Waterloo House. That evening, we had dinner at a nice restaurant/wine bar beside St Stephen's Green named Peploe's.

Dublin Castle Click to enlarge

After starting with a nice breakfast at the inn on the second day, we resumed our walk around Dublin, this time with a purpose. Our first stop was the Dublin Castle, which for seven centuries was the seat of British rule in Ireland. The castle has mostly historic significance at this point, although many government offices are located nearby.

After leaving the castle, our next stop was Saint Patrick's Cathedral. We paid our 5 Euro's each to tour the cathedral, gift shop at the back of the church included. (Didn't Jesus drive the merchants out of the temple... it was a little wierd.) Saint Patrick's is steeped in tradition, said to have been founded near the site where Saint Patrick baptized converts to Christianity in the 5th century AD. The interior of Saint Patrick's also contains a memorial to Jonathan Swift, of Gulliver's Travels fame, who was one of the many deans at Saint Patrick's.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral Click to enlarge

Finally, no visit to Dublin would be complete with out a trip to the Guinness Factory at St James Gate and the Guinness Storehouse. The tour of the Guinness Storehouse cost 14 euro's, but for beer lovers it is the "E ticket" (to date myself) of Dublin. Without a question, the Guinness people take the story of their beloved beer very seriously. In addition to hearing about the history and process of making Guinness, the tour also includes a sampling room, plus a trip to Guinness's "Gravity Bar" 7 stories over Dublin for a full pint to end the tour. Mary and I laughed initially at the "7 Story" tag line, but in Dublin being up 7 floors is the equivalent of being on the top of a skyscraper.

Guinness Storehouse Click to enlarge

We ended our second, and last, day in Dublin in a cheeky little bistro in the embassy section called Roly's with a nice evening meal and a bottle of wine to balance the Guinness consumed during our day's walk about. By the time we returned to the inn, jet lag was rearing up, along with the realization the tomorrow would see the first real test of the tiny rental car on the little roads of the Irish countryside.