Co. Dublin

During a visit to Dublin, there are several must-see places. We went during the week of the Bloomsday Centennial to catch the festivities and show our 23-year-old son the city. By and large, the experience was great, marred only by the effects of the high pollen count and dust and dirt of the city, which wreaked havoc with allergies. We spent a good part of the time sneezing and wiping runny noses and red eyes. We didn’t have this experience in a prior visit, so I can only assume it was the time of year (early June, as opposed to September).

Trinity College and the Book of Kells, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ’s Church, Guinness Storehouse, Jameson’s Distillery, Brazen Head pub, Kilmainham Gaol, Grafton Street, Temple Bar area, and St. Stephen’s Green are high-priority stops. Dublin is a crowded, small, and dirty city, but the contrast of new and old and the people make it as charming and quirky as a character out of a Joyce novel.

People are friendly, and directions are easy to get but only slightly accurate. Transportation is good, but don’t try to drive. Parking is limited, and streets are very narrow. Walking will get you places quickly, and the bus can get you to further destinations easily and with cheerful commentary.

Prices are high in Dublin, and if you are traveling around the country, chances are you can get souvenir and craft items at a better price elsewhere. We did have some of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin, oddly though, not at the Guinness Storehouse. You'd think the mothership would be the best.

Dublin seemed to be a fairly safe city during the day, although there are seedy areas. I’d be more careful at night in certain parts of town, especially on the north side of the O’Connell Street Bridge. We wore money belts to avoid any problems with busy hands in the pockets. We had no problems at all.

Be sure and explore the area you stay in. You probably won’t be in city center unless you want to spend a lot. The outlying areas are less expensive and a quick bus hop from the center of town. We like Drumcondra and specifically Avoca House B&B. There is a park nearby, the Botanic Gardens and Glasnevin Cemetery are within a short distance, and there is a wealth of pubs and restaurants in walking

Quick Tips:

We didn’t find any coupons that were outstanding. You might want to purchase a Dúchas Heritage Card; however, there are not many locations in Dublin where you can use them. The real benefit is when you are traveling throughout the rest of the country and visiting Heritage sites. There is a complete listing of locations included in a nice book, and you can preview it at http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/. We estimate that you’d have to visit about seven to nine sites to have the card pay for itself. In a two- to three-week tour, it is pretty easy to do. Any of the Heritage locations can sell you the card.

Best Way To Get Around:

Purchase a city tour bus ticket if you are going to be in town all day. There are several bus lines that make the city tour and have free maps of the stops. The driver narrates as he drives, and there are frequent stops. You may hop on and off as you please and just show your ticket when you get back on. Tickets are purchased from the driver. Most buses are double-deckers with open tops. You get a better view atop but also more dust and rain, should it be a soft day. We hopped a regular bus to get into city center and then got off near Trinity College. From there, it is easy to get around via the city tour buses. There is quite a bit within walking distance of this area, and an information office nearby can provide free maps and directions. If you are staying for several days, it might be better to purchase a better map with more detail.

This is the perfect place to stay in Dublin! Don't hesitate, look around or view other offers, go for this one if you intend to stay in the Dublin area! Located between the airport and city center in Drumcondra it is easy to get anywhere and you won't suffer lack of sleep from the downtown noise. This is a very nice, multi-story, brick townhouse-style bed-and-breakfast. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms (for you spoiled Americans). The rooms are clean and neat — a bit small for more than three adult people, but you'll manage, what do you expect in Dublin? This is an old city, people were smaller in the good old days, and you're in Ireland on holiday, so no sniveling! Beside, you should only be in your room to sleep anyway.

Wood floors and high ceilings give a lovely atmosphere. Rooms have a TV (interesting programming abounds throughout Ireland), tea and coffee pot, cups, and dressers and an armoire. Audrey's (your brilliant and intelligent hostess) breakfasts are excellent, in a crowded and friendly dining room (it's a good way to meet the other guests). Go for the full monty, (and don't forget the black and white pudding), you'll need the energy as you walk throughout Dublin's winding streets. There is also a front patio area, backyard area, and a sitting room with TV and fireplace. If you are exploring the city, chances are you'll be to tired to take advantage, but there you have it.

The location is central to the whole of the Dublin area, with easy access to the bus, to the airport or city center by bus or car. Take the bus, you don't want to drive in the city centre unless you enjoy dodging tourists and circling endlessly for parking. Fagin's Pub is up the street West by an ATM, and bus stop. They have decent pub food or a cut above and pour a brilliant pint. There is a decent Indian restaurant across the street from Fagin's as well. There is a pharmacy next to the Indian restaurant for general medical needs like allergy pills and sunscreen.

Jack and Audrey are wonderful hosts, and very helpful with directions and suggestions. Their business card (available on the hall table) has a map on the back to get home with the necessary bus info. One word of warning: don't follow Audrey's directions to the Gravedigger's Pub (you can tell her Scott and Karen said that). Several sites that you can actually find are close by including Glasnevin Cemetery and the Botanical Gardens.

Their web address is www.avoca-house.ie. There are several phone numbers, but Jack responds quickly to email so that's your best bet.

Dublin has many city bus tours with a daily rate. All are worth the ticket price if you're traveling around the city for a day. You get a good running commentary on the sites as well as a map. Some drivers are better than others, but all have the gift of craic and will make the trip seem shorter. All the major sites are included as stops or are within easy walking distance of a stop. The driver can tell you where to get off along with how his mother is doing, his uncles health and the latest sports news.

Dublin isn't a big city, but you can waste a lot of time walking. Liberal sampling of the black stuff or the Jameson's distillery samples will also necessitate the use of the bus system. Just hop any bus going by and pay the driver. Your ticket will be good throughout the rest of the day. The only confusing bit is remembering which of the bus tours you started with. Especially so with liberal samplings at the Guinness Storehouse or Jamesons Distillery. The buses look similar and can be confusing. We got on the wrong one and were politely pointed to the door when showing our ticket. The right one was along in a minute.

Dublin City Tour buses are double-deckers and can be fun in good weather in small doses. Dublin is a pretty dirty and dusty city so those with allergies beware.

Trinity College is easily reached just across the river following O’Connell Street. Cross the bridge and follow the buses. It is very close to Grafton Street, the main shopping area. If you see the Tart with the Cart (Molly Malone statue) you’ve passed it. Entry is through large wooden doors, making you feel like you are entering a fortress, not a college. The grounds are large inside with a large courtyard and buildings all around. Signage is only fair, but you can opt for a walking tour. Times are posted just inside the entrance along with a lot of other interesting items. The tour includes the history of Trinity and stories about famous graduates and activities. The tours run about every 40 minutes throughout the day.

A general map of the grounds can be found at the college site. The Book of Kells, by far the most visited attraction is located in the Trinity College Library, located to the right and back from the main entrance. Be sure to wander through the great hall of the library after viewing the Book of Kells. The hall contains high ceilings with rows of high shelves. Down the aisle are interesting displays of various antiquities and busts of famous authors.

Trinity College started as a Protestant school interestingly enough, but now has no restrictions on who can attend. The buildings span a variety of architectural styles, but all are interesting to examine. The campanile or bell tower in the center of the square is especially interesting and dates from 1853.

The General Post Office was built between 1814 and 1818. A significant landmark in the Easter Uprising of 1916, it was taken over by members of the Irish Freedom and Citizens army and held for a week until the British forced them out, destroying the GPO in the process. The bullet marks can still be seen on the columns in front. The GPO was rebuilt and reopened in July of 1929.

Patrick Pearse read the proclamation for the new and short lived Irish Republic from the steps of the GPO. Days later the British guns had pounded it to rubble and the rebels surrendered and several were executed. Inside is a working and often crowded post office with fine paintings of the Uprising and other artwork. Especially nice is the sculpture of Cúchulainn by Oliver Shepherd in the front window. Cúchulainn was a champion of the Red Branch of Ulster and a mythical(?) hero of Ireland. The fixtures are period and display fine woodworking and carving. The ceilings are high with a second floor arcade.

For the stamp lover the GPO also houses the home of An Post's Philatelic Office. When we were there on the 100th Anniversary of Bloomsday we purchased several commemorative sheets of stamps and stamped postcards with the date. The GPO is easy to find on O'Connell street. It is on the north side of the bridge a short distance up on the west side of the street. Admission is free.

St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, originally known as "The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick, Dublin and in Irish as Árd Eaglais Naomh Pádraig" is a must see site in Dublin. It is a stop on every bus tour route and well worth the negligible 5 euros entry fee.

In 1191, under the leadership of John Comyn, the first archbishop of Dublin, Saint Patrick's given the status of a cathedral. Erected between 1200 and 1270. Over time the cathedral deteriorated, despite many attempts to restore it. After the Reformation in England, St Patrick's became a Protestant Cathedral, although most of the population remained Roman Catholic.

From 1783 until 1871 the cathedral served as the Chapel of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, members were known as the Knights of St. Patrick. The heraldic banners and helmets of the knights still hang over the choir stalls.

Between 1860 and 1900 restoration based on the original design, was carried out funded by the Guinness family. They received some criticism by donating a stained glass window of Rebecca at the Well reading "Iwas thirsty and ye gave me drink". One of the Guinness family's statue is outside the south door.

The entrance is fairly nondescript compared to Christ's Church, but don't let that fool you. Inside is a whole world of incredible work in wood, stone, tile, and stained glass. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, was Dean of St. Patrick's from 1713-1745 and he is buried just inside the entrance to the right. This is a functioning church, so be quiet and respectful. They allow photographs and tripods (this is rare), but don't use your flash. The tripod is very helpful as the interior is quite dark and lit mostly by the impressive stained glass windows.

Of special interest are the wood carvings in the back of the cathedral. They are painted and very detailed. To the front and left is a very interesting spiral staircase of stone with delicate pillars. You can't climb it, but you can get right up to it to examine the workmanship. The pulpit is also very nicely carved and worth closer examination. The stained glass throughout is very well done and reflects a variety of styles.

The tile floor is very well done with a variety of patterns. Try and get a picture with the light from a stained glass window striking it. The backside of the exterior is much more impressive than the front and backs onto a large greenspace. This is an excellent area to admire the cathedral and do some people-watching. If it is lunchtime there will be quite a crowd. Grab a sandwich and a mineral and join them. There is a small cafeteria in the cathedral that has sandwiches and snacks and the all important restroom.

The Brazen Head is Dublin's oldest pub with a history going back eight centuries around 1198. Located on Bridge Street by the River Liffey on the Southside of the city. The Guinness Storehouse and Christchurch Cathedral are just blocks away. There has been a bar on this site since the 12th century when it was located in the medieval city with the original tavern being replaced by a coach inn in the late 17th century.

As you enter the The Brazen Head the first thing you see is a fine stone face looking a little like a castle with flowers in bloom should it be the season. Through the archway is an old cobblestone courtyard. In good weather you can take advantage of the tables amongst the kegs. The Brazen Head has two bars that are strewn with old memorabilia reflecting the bar's long history. During the day the seating is easy to come by, evenings you might want to arrive early to stake a claim. A restaurant is upstairs above the bar.

Famous patrons include James Joyce, Patrick Kavanagh and Brendan Behan, Wolfe Tone, Robert Emmet and Daniel O'Connell. You can sit where they sat and enjoy a pint. It is an ideal spot for a rest between the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Distillery. Believe me, if you sample the product at Jameson, you'll need a sit down.

Jameson's Distillery can be a bit hard to find, a map helps. It is across the Liffey from the Guinness Storehouse and down some side streets. The hardest part is carting your loot back to a bus stop after a good jolt of uisce beatha. Jameson's dates back to around 1780, but we didn't see any bottles that old. Just as well, we couldn't have afforded a taste anyway. We'd been here last Dublin go round, but this was Josh's first shot. We purchased tour tickets and killed some time wandering around and looking at the displays in the lobby area. We coached Josh to raise his hand quickly when they asked for volunteers, and we picked central seating at eye level with the tour guide in the small theater.

We watched the short presentation on Jameson's (a fairly interesting and well done short film) and then the group was asked for volunteers. Josh's hand shot up as coached and sure enough, he was picked for the tasting along with two others of the group. It might have been luck or maybe that the tour guide was young and female, either way, he was in. We took the tour through the building and listened to the process of making Irish whiskey (with an e). Each room is a different step in the process and the air is redolent with the smells of fermenting grain. It moves along quickly and is interesting and well done. It is difficult to take pictures as it is very dark with spot lighting.

At the conclusion you come out into the bar area. It is large with a warm wood and brick feel. Josh sat down with the others and everyone was handed a small glass of Jameson's. The lucky three were able to taste several kinds of whiskey from Ireland, the US and Scotland. The process and tastes were described and favorites were chosen. Josh picked Bushmills as his favorite. At the conclusion, diploma's were handed out to the tasters. Karen was chosen last time we were here, so we're keeping it in the family. We adjourned to the gift shop (through the exit door, how clever) and they relieved us of a fair amount of cash for clothing and liquid product. We picked up a bottle of Murphy's whiskey for our Irish language teacher that he had mentioned he liked. We didn't see it anywhere else, so it is a good thing we grabbed it there!

Price is about 7 euros a person adults, and appropriate for all ages. There are group and family rates. The tour is about 45 minutes long and runs consecutively all day until about 5:30pm.

This pub is famous for being Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's local watering hole. Evidently the Clinton's stopped here for a pint on the way to the airport. Maybe Airforce One was still refueling.

Busy for food service during the day and sporting events in the evening, big screen TVs are located throughout the area. It can be a bit loud during an well attended sports event and the higher ceilings create a bit of echo. The menu is decent, ranging from steak to curry with some oddities in the middle. The food is good and the pints excellent. There is a full bar if you want something stronger.

Wood and brick type decor with some greenery isn't traditional Irish pub, but comfortable. Quite a few kids make it family friendly for dinner. There is a beer garden to the East side with outdoor seating and service in nice weather. After if it is still light, take a walk through the park across the street. There is quite a bit of greenspace and a nice stream with ducks.

We rejoined a passing tour bus from Kilmainham Gaol and we're off to the home of Guinness. The bus drops you off right at the door. There was an old gent with a wagon and horse in front of the entrance. Posing and asking for the price of a pint no doubt. The wagon didn't look like something one would want to ride. We slipped in the main entrance and assessed our options.

We opted for the self-guided tour, it is quite expensive, and they try to placate you with a "free" pint in the Gravity Bar at the conclusion. Very high tech tour, didn't explain the process very well. Lots of electronic images and froofy floff, but no meat or substance to it. The Jameson's tour was much more charming and detailed.

We went to Gravity Bar for the "free" pint, they put a shamrock in the foam while pouring, how cute. Not the best 14 euro pint I've had. The view of the city is beautiful and we took some pictures. The gift area is a homage to everything Guinness. Clothing of all kinds, hats, and luggage occupy one section and the rest is anything you could imagine with a Guinness imprint. Glasses, bar trays, mirrors, and posters abound as well as candy and other edibles. The lines are long but move quickly, relieving you via credit card or cash. The sign over the entrance should be "abandon all hope, ye who enter here". Pockets lighter and bags heavier, we departed the shrine of consumerism and went in search of a place to sit down. We found a little pub just down the street, next to a gravestone manufacturer and sat in their back outdoor courtyard for a pint. We figured the Guinness must be good as it was only a few hundred yards from the brewery. The pints were excellent, better than the Gravity Bar and the surroundings relaxed. The sun warmed the courtyard, but the umbrellas at the tables provided good shade. Somewhere along the way we'd neglected to pick up something at Guinness, so back we went for another pocket lightening experience. Much poorer and heavy laden with packages (could we look more like tourists?) we caught a City Tour bus back to O'Connell Street.

Admission to tour is 14 euros. Extensive gift shop is free to enter (at your own risk).

Grafton Street stretches between Trinity College at the bottom and St. Stephen's Green at the top. The street was named after the first Duke of Grafton, who owned land in the area. The street was developed from a then existing country lane by the Dawson family in 1708, after whom the parallel Dawson Street is named. It is the shopping focus for all of Dublin. O'Connell Street has stores and shops, but Grafton Street is the real star. Along the way are a number of shops and sides streets with interesting shops, pubs, and markets. Especially interesting are the book shops and music stores for any kind of taste.

Buskers and other performers abound and add to the ambience of a global town center. Bewley's Oriental Cafe, is a Grafton Street institution since 1927. It is popular with tourists and locals alike. Grafton Street has no pubs on it due to some ancient zoning laws, but the side streets hold a wealth of interesting historic pubs including Davy Byrnes, The Bailey, The International, The Old Stand, Bruxelles.

There are a number of sites around Grafton Street including Dáil Éireann, the Irish houses of Parliament, The National Museum, The National Library, the Dublin Civic Museum, Dublin's Mansion House and Trinity College. St Stephens Green is at the upper end and is good for a quiet stroll.

Your mileage may vary on Grafton Street depending on the type of shopping you like. The street proper is larger mainstream shops with the inevitable McDonald's and Subway. Side street hold the more funky and odd shops with antiques, old jewelry and books. Overall it is more of an experience than a group of shops. It is mostly open air, so the weather can dampen your experience. On a sunny day it is a joy to stroll along and be entertained by the crowd and performers.

We were not overly impressed by the Temple Bar area. Either we're not average tourists, or we hadn't had nearly enough to drink. We tried it with no Guinness and once had a pint in the area. We still found it noisy, crowded, smelly (think of a damp crowded urinal and you might be close).

I think the charm ensues from a lot of Guinness, quasi-traditional music and low lighting. Evenings would be the best time to visit. There are a number of shops that have interesting products. We poked around in several music shops, but found that the prices were higher and selection worse than smaller shops in local areas. For shopping, Grafton Street was a better option.

Malahide Castle is located about 9 miles North of Dublin. Located on extensive grounds (around 250 acres) the castle is large and in very good repair. The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 12th century. It was home to the Talbot family for 791 years, from 1185 until 1976, the only exception being the period from 1649-1660, when Oliver Cromwell gave it to Miles Corbet after his bloody conquest of Ireland. Corbet was hung following the demise of Cromwell, and the castle was given back to the Talbots. It was inherited by the seventh Baron Talbot and on his death in 1973, passed to his sister, Rose. In 1975, Rose sold the castle to the Irish State partly to fund inheritance taxes.

The castle has many scenic views. You can walk over much of the ground and through parts of the castle. A tour is available for about 7 euros and lasts 35 minutes. Much of the castle has period furniture. There is a nice little gift shop inside with reasonable prices. The grounds behind the castle are very scenic, especially the wood and metal gates and doors. Malahide Castle has five ghosts. You can read more about them here.

So the evening started something like this: we'd been out all day in Dublin, sampling Guinness, viewing the sites, breathing the dust, pollen, and general dirt. Dublin is a dirty city. It is small, busy, and old, but like an old Irish farmer, rises every morning and shakes the dust off and gets back to work. We arrived back at the B&B tired, dirty, and thirsty.

All that sampling makes you thirsty for more. We asked Audrey, our hostess, where another good pub might be found. We'd been to Fagan's (highly recommended) several times already and once to the Cat and Cage up the road (not recommended). She said that we must try the Gravedigger's Pub, not too far away, for a lovely pint. She described how it backed onto a cemetery, and the gravediggers went there for a pint after their shifts, as did mourners after services. Evidently, there is a hole in the wall between the pub and cemetery, and a shovel is passed through the hole and returned with pints upon it. She said it was easy to find and gave us specific directions. It was at that point that I knew we were doomed. When you receive specific directions in Ireland, there is little chance of finding the place.

We set out in the car, armed with a Dublin city map and the specific directions (I believe they were left, then right, right, then left, and straight on, and there it is). We made the first left, and then the right was questionable. The road veered to the right, but was it a true right turn or just a jog in the lane? The road also jogged left and straight. We wandered through a maze of streets and returned back several times to the B&B to start again. As the thirst increased, tempers shortened. My wife gave up and went silent. As we had no address, the map was of little use. Our son Josh took over watching for signs, examining the useless map and making remarks like, "that street looks familiar, again"?

After covering every possible permutation of the directions, we still had not spotted anything resembling the Gravedigger's Pub. I pronounced the final verdict. It doesn't exist; it is a ruse to get the Americans out of the house and lost. We then speculated that the pub did exist but had vanished and reappeared a la Brigadoon. Perhaps it was only visible to Irish eyes, and everyone else saw an unappealing butcher shop or other useless storefront. We stopped at the next pub we saw, walked in, collapsed in the nearest booth, and played several games of cribbage while downing successive pints of the black stuff. It was a fine pub but paled next to the lofty expectations painted in glowing terms by our hostess.

The next morning, over a hearty Irish breakfast, Audrey cheerily asked how the pub had been, and was it just as she described? I snarled something about the lack of its existence, and were we sent on the proverbial snipe hunt? Audrey, true to her nature, doubled over in laughter, leaving us none the wiser.

On arriving back home, I did a web search for the Gravedigger's Pub and found that it indeed did exist. Several statements concerned me, however, one being this one:

Well-known pub in Dublin. Sort of place you go to after work with your mates. Pints are priced average and taste good. Can be hard to find at times. All in all, I would rate this pub as worth a try.
Andrew, Dublin

Did you catch that? Can be hard to find at times? Does it move, vanish, or change in some way? Our fears are confirmed, and I have little hope of visiting it the next time I'm in Dublin. The fact that it is also known as Sean Kavanagh's and is most likely signed that way doesn’t help. I could find no directions or pictures on the web, either, so its transitory nature stands confirmed.

Gravedigger's Pub (Sean Kavanagh's), 1 Prospect Square, Glasnevin (+353 1 605 7700)
http://www.dublinpubscene.com/thepubs/seankavanaghs.html

Glasnevin is a very large cemetery between the airport and Dublin city center. It is easily accessible from several entrances, although we found the main entrance easy to find with plenty of parking. Be aware that this is still an active cemetery, and at any point during the day, funerals may be occurring, so talk quietly and watch where you walk. There were two separate funerals going on the time we were there.

Orientation can be difficult in the cemetery, as it covers many acres. The best way I found was to orient to the tall round tower (O’Connell Tower) by the main entrance. You can pretty much see it from anywhere in the cemetery.

There are also guided tours of the grounds. The walking tour lasts 1.5 hours and tours the graves of Daniel O'Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Eamon DeValera, James Larkin, Maud Gonne MacBride, Countess Markievicz, Ann Devlin, Brendan Behan, Michael Collins, and many other graves of interest. The tours take place every Wednesday and Friday at 2.30pm. All enquiries and bookings can be made by email or telephoning the cemetery at: (01) 8301133.

The grounds are extensive, with many trees and a wide variety of stones, monuments, crosses, and sculptures. Our group of three split up and agreed to meet back at a specific time to avoid looking for each other. I covered about a quarter of the grounds in the 2 or more hours we were there. As I was walking among the graves, there were many photo opportunities of ancient headstones covered in ivy. As I was walking through one section, I observed a man digging. Evidently the graves are primarily dug by hand. This would account for the Gravedigger’s Pub nearby to quench the thirst of the diggers and mourners. While we never found the pub, it is said that quite a few mourners stopped there prior to a funeral and quenched their grief to the extent that the coffin remained outside the pub forgotten and the burial had to be rescheduled for a following day.

Our son Josh swore that a black cat was following him through the graves. Every time he stopped to take a picture, it would appear and stare at him. This is probably not a place I would like to spend the night, but it is very interesting to visit due to the history and beauty. We would have stayed longer, but a heavy downpour forced us back to the car. Imagine that in Ireland?!

There is a map of the more popular graves at http://www.glasnevin-cemetery.ie/html/map_of_the_ceme.html

Glasnevin Cemetery is easily accessed from Dublin City Center. Bus nos. 13A, 19, and 19A can be taken from the city's thoroughfare, O'Connell Street, to Harts Corner (which is approximately a 5-minute walk from the cemetery's main entrance on the Finglas Road). Bus nos. 134 (from Corn Exchange Street) and 40, 40A, 40B, and 40C (from Parnell Street) stop directly outside of the main cemetery entrance.

Now, this may be a wonderful place to go for some people, but as a male, I found this to be a nice place to hang out in front of rather than inside. Lush is a shop dedicated to fresh soaps, bath items, and other substances applied to the body in various places and times. The smell hits you as you walk in the door, and the riot of colors and shapes is overwhelming. The odors are floral and fruit, primarily, and pretty much punch you in the nose, drag you around by said appendage, and then hold you down and rub it raw. I found a headache developing after the first few minutes. My wife wandered oblivious through the piles of product, occasionally holding something out to me and saying, "Doesn’t that smell nice?" My thought was, "No, it doesn’t, and I couldn’t tell if it did anyway."

Product is stacked by type, with several scent options available. Soaps are whacked off in chunks and sold by the pound. I’m told by those who know (female) that the bath balls are wonderful. Judging by the quantity available, should you like bath balls, you should find something to suit your tastes. I do have to note that the salesgirls were remarkably cheerful, helpful, and appeared headache-free.

When it became evident that this was a shopping excursion, I excused myself and headed for the entrance to people-watch and let my nose recover. This is a good location to view Dublin life, as it is a few yards away from the Molly Malone statue and in front of Trinity College.

We left, many euros poorer and trailing unmistakable pungent odors from the packages and our clothing. In some parts of Dublin, this is a blessing (Temple Bar doorways often smell of urine), but by and large, it marked us as tourists—but at least fairly good smelling tourists.

There are several Lush locations worldwide, and they have a website. I am just concerned that the smells might come through my computer, and I don't know that I could handle it again.

(Subsequent note, we now have one in town and I paid a quick visit at Christmas to get a few items for my wife, it hasn't changed)

We hopped a City Tour Bus and headed off for Kilmainham Gaol. I don't know if I'd recommend this tour for people with weak stomachs, vivid imaginations, or young children. The front of the building is foreboding enough before you find out the history.

Kilmainham Gaol is a grim reminder of what Ireland went through under British rule. As you enter through the stone doorway and metal gates, you feel like you are entering a serious prison. The large, studded wooden doors emphasize the fortress-like feel. The entry hall is small and cramped.

This is a Duchas Heritage site and we used our cards to get in (we hoped they'd let us out). Otherwise it is about €5 a person. There is a small, rather severe tearoom and restrooms to the right. To the left it is the entrance to the museum. We took a quick look while we waited for the tour to start. It is extensive, 3 or 4 floors of displays. I recommend you go through the tour first, the museum will have more meaning after you’ve seen the prison and heard the tour presentation.

The tour enters the prison and goes down an open area before entering the main building. The spikes on the downspouts foreshadow the grim reality of the place. There is a short, but well done, presentation in the chapel that provides images and history as well as what daily life was like. The Gaol saw a lot of activity over the years, from the famine to the 1916 Rising. During the famine, people would commit crimes to get in and be assured of one meal a day. Often the whole family would camp out in the cell or corridor. The cells have been left pretty much as they were with some cleaning. The walls are incised with messages and names. If a well known figure occupied a cell, their name will often be on a plaque over the door. The cells and corridors are cold and damp, even in the summer. We could only imagine what it was like in the winter. After the Easter Rising the ringleaders were held and executed here and a marker in one of the courtyards marks the spot. Another courtyard, we were told, hold the bones of countless dead. The stones were taken up and the bodies buried with lime and then taken up again to bury more. The walls around the courtyards are high and little sun gets in. It is a very oppressive feeling. The corridors inside are mazelike and one always feels a little lost and glad for the guide.

The guides provide historic information throughout the tour and are very knowledgeable. The tour finishes back at the museum. Once back at the museum, you are free to peruse the many floors of documents, artifacts, and multimedia presentations of the history of the Gaol. There are books showing the records of prisoners, the dates they entered, the crime they were guilty of, and their sentence. Several were striking in that the people were quite young, crimes minimal and the sentences many years. Stealing a flower or a loaf of bread could be five or more years. Since the life expectancy in the Gaol could be months or a year or two, this could be a death sentence. We spent a couple of hours wandering through the exhibits and left very sobered.

The best way to get here is by bus--either the city bus or one of the City Tour buses. You can visit the Guinness Storehouse coming or going. Going is highly recommended, as you’ll need a pint to uplift your sober spirits after.

Kilmainham Gaol
Inchicore Road
Kilmainham
Dublin 8
+353 (1) 453 5984