Three Days in Dublin

DAY 1 ♡

   February was a trying time for me and my friends at university so, by the time the days dragged to March, we were too ready to get away. After some deliberation, we decided on visiting Dublin as flights were fairly cheap. I had never been to Dublin before so I was on a whole new level of excited!

   I sat next to Holly on the flight and I could see the regret in her eyes as the plane lifted off the ground and I gripped my seat, exclaiming: "Oh my god, wow!" Granted, that was probably a slight overreaction but I had not been on a plane since I was eight years old. I was marvelling at how a mammoth chunk of metal carrying people could lift itself so smoothly off the ground. Consider me bamboozled.

Anyway, let us stop pondering the wonders of aerodynamics and swiftly return to the Dublin blog.

   The first thing I noticed, when we landed in Dublin, was the abundance of strong native Irish accents; how they rolled quickly and naturally off the tongue. That was when the reality of being a foreigner truly set in.

   Boarding a bus, we travelled to our booked apartment in Temple Bar, which we could not wait to see. It was situated in a beautiful alley consisting of vintage shops and cafes and lit up with fairy lights. Picture perfect.

Our apartment overlooked the alley (perfect for people watching!) and composed of one bedroom, a living room with a sofa bed - which I shared with Izzie - a kitchen and a bathroom. My favourite room was the bedroom with its turquoise colour theme, intricate wallpaper, mirrored wardrobe and the huge window that reached the floor.

   The afternoon drifted by pretty quickly as we sorted our luggage and prepared to go out for a meal followed by clubbing in the evening. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe, which is a rock n' roll themed chain restaurant that serves burgers and American classics. I don't believe I've ever come across a restaurant that has it's own merchandise section before!


The clubs were absolutely packed that evening, which was bad news for me as I am quite claustrophobic. I am usually alright with crowds but when there's pushing involved and a literal current of people that tries to drag me off, it makes me extremely anxious. Therefore, it took me a while to shake that off but, when I did, it was great! The Irish sure know how to party!

DAY 2 ♡

   Despite the rough morning, we were up and raring to go! Determined to make the most of our full day in Dublin, we kickstarted with a brunch in the Copper Alley Bistro. I had a club sandwich with a side of chips, which I could not even finish as it was so filling. 

   Our big plan for the day was to go to the Guiness Storehouse, the ultimate tourist destination! Along the way, we came across the majestic Christ Church Cathedral. I simply couldn't not take a picture of its romanesque beauty. 

   Although I am not particularly fond of beer, I did thoroughly enjoy the tour of the Guiness Storehouse. It is just one of those things you have to do if you visit Dublin! Thankfully, the girls and I were able to get student discounts with our tickets.

The guided tour certainly was fascinating and gave us an insight into the company, how the beer is made, its history and advertising over the years. The presentation was astounding. There was even a taste testing section, during which I recall being told that there was "a hint of chocolate" in the beer. I thought to myself, "Oooh, okay. Maybe I'll like this after all!" Guiness, you sit on a throne of lies. I demand to be compensated with the missing chocolate!

At the end of the tour, you have the option of getting a free Guiness (I'll pass, thank you) or a soft drink at the rooftop bar. The surrounding view was marvellous; it provided a great backdrop for group selfies, of course. There is also a merchandise store on the ground floor, which comprises of everything from bottle openers to christmas decorations (in March)!

   The absolute highlight of the entire trip was travelling from the Guiness Storehouse back to our apartment in a horse drawn cart. If you have never done this, I strongly recommend that you grab the chance if it ever becomes available to you. The horse's name was Lizzie and she was like a white canvass splashed with black - a gentle giant. 

During the ride, Colette and I each had a turn riding up front, which gave me the most exquisite feeling of weightlessness as the wind whipped through my hair. I felt like royalty and even waved at people when they looked! Much to my embarrassment, one of of these people was a man in his car and I waved when we hit a junction. He waved back but we happened to be going the same route anyway. Awkward. Fortunately, we both found the situation equally as funny.  

   We happened to be dropped off smack bang in the middle of an ongoing protest and I immediately remembered that it was International Women's Day! We found ourselves encased by music and people passionately projecting their views of the eighth amendment in Ireland, which effectively issues a constitutional ban on abortion.

The opposing sides of the protest were merely separated by a road. Each were armed with homemade colourful banners, signs and their voices. The atmosphere was incredible. As we comprehended the situation, we realised that we were on the side that wanted the eighth amendment repealed. This was the side with the greater turnout. There was a real sense of community as both women and men alike called for change, sang songs and brandished their banners. I felt very privileged to be there. 

   The evening was spent discovering an assortment of lush bars. We met up with Holly's Irish friend, Kate, who showed us the ropes to having a night out in Dublin. I remember sitting in an outdoor area on a balcony, which had heated seats and was illuminated with fairy lights. That was my favourite part of the night even though the scrumptious cocktails were a little pricey!

We could not have ended the night more perfectly. As soon as we returned to our apartment, we kicked off our shoes, made a cup of tea and watched The Peep Show on the sofa bed together. I would choose that entire evening over clubbing any day of the week! 

DAY 3 ♡

   I was awoken by my name being repeatedly cried out. I bounded out of my bed and towards the bathroom - the root of the commotion. My feet were soaked. The bathroom was flooded with water and Izzie had a mask of panic on her face.

"It won't turn off!" She shrieked as she gestured to the tap. 

Still half asleep, I turned the tap and the water flow stopped running instantly. Izzie looked disbelieved. She told me she had been trying to turn the tap off for ages and even got Holly out of bed to try as well. Mystery! 

So our last day began with frantic mopping and wringing out! Thankfully, we were able to resolve that problem pretty quickly and no real damage was done. 

After packing, we had breakfast at Eddie Rockets, which is a classic American diner. Most of us ordered a 'Tender Basket', which included three pieces of chicken tenders, chips, garlic mayo and a drink for less than eight euros. Great value for delicious food!

We ended our trip by checking out of our apartment and looking around various shops before making our way to the airport again. A truly unforgettable experience of Dublin.