City with a soul

This was our second visit to Dublin. We passed through a couple of years ago and decided it was worth another visit--and we'd like to return again. Dublin has many things to see and do, but the highlights are the people and the pubs. The modern history of Irish independence is fascinating, and the ancient history is well preserved. The scenery in the country is breathtaking, and we found the city to be a beautiful mix of old and new. In addition to the historic sites, Dublin is a literary city. There are plenty of book shops and a used book market. We went to a play at the Gate and it was also a thrill to visit places described in James Joyce's Ulysses. Whether you love Irish literature or know nothing about it, Dublin has much to offer.

Quick Tips:

An excellent street map is essential for getting around. The street names change in many places. I purchased the Ordinance Survey Ireland (OSI) Dublin City Centre Street Atlas, which cost 4.75 euros and was well worth the price.

Best Way To Get Around:

Because we had beautiful weather, we were able to walk most of the time, taking cabs on occassion. The cab drivers were all delightful and professional.

The rooms at the Harding are basic, but they are truly spacious. It has a lift to your floor and a pub. Each room has an electric kettle coffee/tea set up and a private bathroom with a shower (no bath tub). My only complaint is that they didn't seem to be Hoovering (vacuuming) the room every day. When I did catch the cleaners, I asked them to do the room and encouraged them with a tip and on that day they did it. In hindsight, I probably should've asked about this at the desk as they were gracious and helpful at all times.

They have a computer in the lobby which you can use to check your email, but is has a dialup connection. There is a much faster internet service right across the street if you need to really use the internet.

Breakfast is not included in the price. It is available in the pub, but I thought it was expensive. There are plenty of places close by to have breakfast. The location is easy to find as it is across the street from Christ Church Cathedral and down the street from the Dublinia exhibit. If you plan to book, you get a good discount by emailing them first and asking about availability.

Visit the website.

We stopped here for breakfast more than once. They have a delightful selection. One time I had the Irish breakfast, which did not have the black or white pudding, but had a delicious chive and potato cake. Another time I had the vegetarian breakfast which had mushrooms instead of the meats.

Everything in this place looked delicous. They have a wide range of pastries. I was admiring the raspberry scones, but I couldn't figure out how to carry it with me without it getting smashed and the woman boxed it up for me in a bakery box with a gold ribbon. I would love to have another one of those scones now!

The place is tiny with just a few tables and it is smoke free. You can't imagine how great it smells. Order the tea there, all tea is served in a pot and each pot is different. And it was delicous. The prices were extremely reasonable.

This is the first time we ever tried a guided tour and this one was great. The bus was comfortable and the tour guide was fantastic. As the bus drove out of Dublin, heading North to the Hill of Tara, Mary Gibbon talked about Dublin and the places we were passing. She pointed out places of interest along the way, including Slane Castle which has hosted concerts by U2 and other famous acts. We passed the Boyne River, where William III fought James II (1690) and drove into the Boyne Valley.

The scenery was spectacular. We were out on a warm, sunny spring day and we saw ewes with their lambs and blooming spring flowers. The first stop was Temair (the Hill of Tara) and our second stop was at Newgrange, an ancient burial mound. At Newgrange we had time to have some lunch and see the presentation in the visitor's centre. By taking this tour, we were guaranteed entrance to Newgrange, which can be crowded. If you'd like to read more about these Tara or Newgrange, check out the journal entries I've written for each.

If you are interested in ancient history, this is a great place to visit. When you stand on the hill, the vista is truly commanding, and you can easily imagine why the ancient kings chose this as their seat.

This is the place where St. Patrick confronted the ancient religion and preached his famous analogy of the shamrock and the Trinity. There's a statue of Patrick commemorating this event. There are ancient objects including the Stone of Destiny and the ancient standing stones as well as the Mound of the Hostages.

In modern history, Tara was the site of one of the greatest crowds ever to gather in Ireland. Daniel O'Connell held one of his "monster rallies" here in 1843 and more than 750,000 people came to hear him speak against union with Great Britain.

We took a guided tour out here as we wanted to visit other sites in the area and did not want to rent a car. I've added a journal entry about the guided tour we took.