A Day in Dublin, a Taste of Music and Guinness

Ever since I was about 8 I first spoke to my grandfather about our family that had come from Ireland (we all have red hair, so this wasn't a surprise) and found out we came from the northern town of Monaghan I've been desperate to see the Emerald Isle. As many Americans have experienced, our Irish blood has a tendency to call us home to the lush and rainy little island; and so after about 5 years of travel I found myself finally on a plane headed for Ireland.

Unfortunately this was to be a rather rushed trip, and so my dreams of leisurely driving down little Irish country roads and wandering dramatic sea cliffs was going to have to wait until another trip (which finger's crossed will happen some time this summer). But what I did get to experience was the city of Dublin, which was quite a surprise and unlike what I had come to expect from all the years of dreaming of an old Ireland.

Dublin, like Glasgow and other industrial growing cities doesn’t have quite the same amount of history as the little towns along the coasts, but it also boasts a lot more culture and things to do. So your trip to Ireland, if it includes a stop in Dublin may hold more for you than you expect. But if you’re looking for quaint Ireland then you may want to try further up or down the coast.

We flew in on June day which to our surprise was sunny and not unwarm. The airport in Dublin is less than hospitable, but once through customs they are quite helpful in finding buses and where you want to get to the city.

The whole of Dublin had a kind of grown-up cosmopolitan feel that I didn't expect. Wandering along Temple Bar in the afternoon sun we were met by all different kinds of performers from fire eaters to Jamaican singing and drums. Not that there wasn't Irish music to be heard coming from the numerous local bars, and the amazing aromas of food coming from the local restaurants was enough to send a penny-pinching traveller into a frenzy.

Quick Tips:

I visited Dublin on a budget (there are many trips I've made on a shoe string, but Dublin possibly tops them all - I took a Ryan Air flight across which cost me about £12, stayed in a hostel in Temple Bar which was about a tenner, and got the bus both ways also a tenner; after that I had no more than £25 for total spending). It certainly can be done, though it takes some maneuvering. There are no shortage of good Irish bars and pubs and if you nurse your pint of Guinness you get a good night of music and Irish spirit and atmosphere very cheap indeed. Also there are many restaurants along the street (including an excellent Spanish one which I will be reviewing) that have a reasonable menu. Of course, if penny pinching isn't what you have to do then there is no shortage of ways to splash out either.

Though it wasn't what I had expected of Ireland (in the same way my first impression of Glasgow was a misleading intro to Scotland), Dublin has a lot to offer, and has no shortage of atmosphere. Because we were only Island Hopping for the night, just to get a taste of Irish culture we spent the afternoon wandering the famous central square, Temple Bar; the red buildings brilliant in the setting afternoon sun listening to the odd but pleasing combination of a happy Jamaican singing and dancing in the square and the tin whistle and fiddle being loudly bashed out in the famous Temple Bar pub. The streets are filled with tourists, but there is something about the slight seediness of the city which makes it feel more like you are all together experiencing it, rather than you've somehow ended up at Disney World.

Dublin is a very unique place, both in Ireland and amongst cities, and even if you are planning a rural trip around the Emerald Isle, I think a stop over in the capitol for a pint of Guinness and a bit of local music is a must.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around in Dublin and Ireland depends entirely on what you want to achieve with your trip. If it's lots of local sight seeing that you’re after then as usual I would recommend a car to be able to properly appreciate the rural scenery.

But for Dublin itself you can get by quite easily with out one. Flying over from Edinburgh we got the airport bus directly into the centre of the city for a very reasonable price and luckily once in the centre many things are in close striking range. We did all of our sight seeing of Dublin on foot with the exceptions of the bus rides to and from the airport which were efficient, on time, and easy to use. It's also isn't a direct route and makes a fair few stops, so if your only in the city for a day or two as we were then it's a good way to get to see other parts of the city you may not have other wise seen.

So if you plan to be in Dublin alone, you can easily get by on foot or on the local buses. Other wise renting a car (which you can rent from the airport easily enough) may be the best option. Although there are also lots of sight seeing bus tours that leave Dublin travelling all over Ireland for a reasonable fee, though check out their websites for times of year... often these bus tours won't run to many places in the winter.

Though I do I actually hate giving bad reviews, I must say that this particular hostel did nothing to improve my stay in Dublin, and has in fact tainted my over all opinion of hostels.

But, because it does have its uses, I'll start out first with the positive aspects. The first and probably most important advantage for many people looking to stay in a hostel in central Dublin, it's very cheap. I've already mentioned in my overview just how tight of a budget I was on for this particular trip and the Avalon House certainly did accommodate this budget. As with all hostels the time of year will effect the price that you get, but I visited in June and still got an excellent price.

You can get a bed in this hostel from £15 a night (or about $30) which for the location is very good indeed. The location is excellent. You are with in 5 minutes walk from many hot spots in central Dublin including Temple Bar, Grafton Street, and several parks and museums. The bus from the airport will drop you off just minutes from the hostel and from there it's a very quick walk to many of the places you may want to go. The place is basically clean and even though it's shared dorm rooms, you can (as we luckily did) get little upstairs alcoves with in the room if there are more than one of you. My friend and I got a bunk set in one of these alcoves which - except for the snoring from downstairs - was almost like having your own room. It is tricky, however, getting out of it if you have to leave early to catch a flight. Even the building is architecturally great, and can make for some really interesting photos.

But, there are also some definite downsides to this hostel. For one thing, it's very old inside and you kind of feel like you are staying in an old army barracks than in a hostel. Fine, of course, if your only there for the budget rate and a bed, but not great if your spending the week chilling out in the city. It is basically clean, but you it looses the impression of cleanliness because everything is so old and basically run down feeling.

For me the worst thing about this hostel was the overall vibe of the place. It wasn't the least bit welcoming; in general it was pretty unfriendly and reminded me more of nights I’ve spent camped out in bus stations than in hostels. I was really surprised by the lack of communal friendliness shown in this place, and it has actually put my off hostels since. For me the only good thing about sharing rooms and space with strangers is the advantage of swapping friendly stories and experiences with other travellers.

There was none of this at Avalon House Dublin, and in fact the writing COVERING the bathroom walls in the shared bathroom was very depressing.

One of the real bright spots in my Dublin night was the little Spanish Restaurant La Paloma. After a sun soaked afternoon of wandering around the streets of Dublin and listening to street performers in Temple Bar, my friend and I decided we could no longer ignore the noises our bellies were making and would have to have a meal somewhere.
The budget we had for this trip was excruciatingly small, and so we had planned to make do on the cheapest form of sustenance we could find in the city, what would most likely end up being a soggy McDonald’s burger. But after an afternoon of walking the incredible smells from the Temple Bar restaurants enticed us beyond our will power, and before we knew it we found ourselves turning down a little cobbled side street - quite literally following our noses to the smell we could not resist.

Even as we walked up to the little side door of this warm tapas restaurant we were saying, 'shouldn't we have some real Irish food while we're here?' But one waft of the smell of warm cilantro and tomatoes and we stepped through the door with out hesitation.

This is a greatly versatile restaurant, which makes it very useful for travellers. The waiters were friendly and welcoming and gave pretty good service. The environment is warm and fairly authentically Spanish so that you did feel as if you were sitting down to have tapas rather than in a Spanish theme park.

It was the quiet afternoon before the dinner rush when we wandered in and we got a table and the restaurant largely to ourselves. We sat completely enjoying the smells and watching the sun set outside while we waited for our meal.

The great thing about this place is that it suits so well whether you’re on a scrimping budget and just desperately want some food that isn't fast food, or if you want to splash out on a great array of Spanish cooking. They have a great menu and even have flamenco dancing and live Spanish music on certain evenings, and a very good wine list.

My friend and I shared a small array of starters and tapas, happily filling ourselves with non-McDonald's food and enjoying the scenery. The location of this restaurant is also very good, being right off Temple Bar and though on a side street, not difficult to find.

So if you are in the mood for some very good Spanish food (and I do mean Spanish and not Mexican) while in Ireland, I can' think of a better place to recommend.

Quite possibly my favourite bit of my little trip to Ireland was the night spent in the Temple Bar. The fact that one of the most famous bars in the city has the same name as the cultural centre of Dublin can be quite confusing, but once you realize they are two separate things, then it all becomes quite clear. So if someone tells you 'You have to go to Temple Bar' it doesn’t really matter if they mean the area or the pub, because in many ways they are one and the same. The pub is right in the centre of the area known as Temple Bar, and also one of the easiest places to find. Located on the corner of Temple Bar road, at a cross roads of cobbled streets, and is hard to miss.

If you’re looking for a little bit of traditional Irish night life, you really can't go wrong with Temple Bar. It's an often noisy and crowded pub, with several sections and rooms, and people loud and talking and always enjoying themselves. The atmosphere is fantastic, and just what you'd hope to find in such a bar. The service is good, and pretty quick and the bar right at the entrance of the pub. Have a pint of Guinness and then find a spot and listen to the live local music that resounds through the entire place and out onto the streets.

Every image you have ever had of an Irish pub at night comes together here, and not only with locals but with a host of other like minded travellers, all wanting to a taste of the local culture and a chance to spend the evening with locals and travellers alike.

My friend and I sat nursing our shared pint of Guinness throughout the night while the fiddle playing and singing went on without stop, and the place got more and more crowded (even though it was a weekday the place was still heaving). The prices were reasonable and the atmosphere fantastic, and all of it easy to find and in very easy walking distance from most places in the centre of the city including some hostels. What more could you ask of an Irish pub? I highly recommend that if you’re in Dublin you give it a look.

Growing up with Irish relatives, or even by simply watching or reading about Ireland's history, it's hard not to picture it; even now, as a quaint and poor country. But Dublin's Temple Bar, the cultural centre of the city which has come to be known as 'Dublin's Left Bank' is a success story that mirror's it's country's recent rise in economy and cultural stature.

Ireland has never been lacking in musical culture, nor has its citizens lacked in other artistic and cultural talents. But the city itself has only fairly recently began to nurture these in what has become known as Temple Bar.

A derelict part of town as late as the early '90s, this area from O'Connell Bridge to Christchurch Cathedral has been transformed into a cosmopolitan epicenter of what is a surprisingly modern and up and coming city.

There is no shortage of bars, pubs, restaurants, or all other forms of entertainment to be had in this area, and is easily the best and most versatile area of the city to view a lot in a little bit of space.

It's best to arrive in town, drop your bags and go for a long and leisurely stroll around Temple Bar. It's not that big an area, but there is a lot to see in a short space - and it can be appreciated even more knowing a little bit of the history behind it.

As one of the worst run down bits of the centre of Dublin, it was apparently scheduled for demolition, before it was undertaken by a project still going today to completely revamp the entire area and make it a haven for the artist and history of the area.

The only downfall of a place like Temple Bar that I can see is that you do get an inordinate amount of tourists here, so for the best enjoyment of the place it may be best to visit in the off season. But if a few extra people wandering about doesn’t bother you then all the better, because in my opinion a place like this (reminiscent to me of places like the French Quarter in New Orleans or Fremantle in Western Australia) lends itself to visitors, and the more new people that visit it, the more it adds to the flavor and distinction of the place. Don't go expecting a Disney World feel - there is still a reminder of edge and grime from the not so distant days when this was a poor area of town. But that too only enhances its uniqueness and for me this is the heart of new Dublin, and in fact, new Ireland.

Very easy to get to from the airport, and easy to find pretty much anything on foot once you're there. Going to Dublin with out strolling through Temple Bar would be like going to Paris with out seeing the Eiffel Tower. It's a must, and each pub and bar along the way offers something a little bit different for a full evening.