Dublin

Dublin was a quick stop for us as we worked our way north back to Belfast for our flight to Scotland. The Republic of Ireland’s capital was absolutely bustling as we explored the city by foot, especially the central shopping district along Henry Street north of the River Liffey. It was the most concentrated collection of people we’d seen anywhere in Ireland. Walking down Henry Street was actually a bit of a challenge the crowds were so thick! There were street stalls and buskers everywhere, quite fun to be amongst the throngs of Christmas shoppers after spending most of the prior week in remote portions of the country along the Wild Atlantic Way. The media had put the citizens of Dublin in a bit of a tizzy with headlines of Omicron filling the newswires almost constantly: Ireland had enforced some of the globe’s stricter COVID regulations since the first wave in early 2020, but the outdoor mask wearing in Dublin when we visited was like nothing we’d experienced anywhere else in Europe. At least the pubs were still serving Guinness!

Dublin is recognized for its seemingly endless array of historic pubs and bars. Temple Bar (which is a neighborhood, not an actual bar…) just south of the River Liffey is arguably the most famous of the city’s nightlife districts, where some of the pubs have been operating for centuries. We realize that touring a city’s drinking establishments mid-afternoon with an eight and 10 year old may not be everyone’s idea of appropriate parenting, but both of them love people watching at the pubs, and the city was so alive with all the pre-Christmas shoppers mulling about. And any honest Irishman will tell you that there isn’t a whole lot else to do on a Friday afternoon in Dublin in December, anyway! During our travels both kids have almost always drawn winks or a conversation from patrons and waiters as we’ve sat and watched the world go by, we’ve lost count of the number of free bags of chips and complimentary drinks the two of them have scored. It was actually a little tricky to get a seat at some of the historic pubs we visited, even mid-afternoon on a Friday. I can only imagine what it must be like during summer or when there’s a big game at the nearby Aviva Stadium.

Our time in Ireland has bestowed on me a newfound love of Guinness: I’d never really given it a chance, but in the chilly Irish autumn weather an icy lager really never sounded appetizing. Especially in the 4°C/39°F weather as we were sitting outside on the streets of Dublin. Indeed, at one or two of the country bars we patronized in western Ireland, ordering anything but a Guinness was certainly frowned upon. That first sip… “Once it hits your lips, it’s so good!”

Our exemplary tour guide Lisa managed to mix in a little education to our pedestrian tour of Dublin with a visit to Leinster House – the seat of the Irish parliament – and the Department of the Taoiseach – the office of the Irish prime minister. With so much history to absorb across Europe – especially that associated with the judicial systems of each country – the kids have shown quite an interest in courts and how laws are made so it was interesting to be able to make a stop at the Irish parliament. Given Ireland’s checkered political past, it wasn’t surprising that both the buildings were heavily guarded and closed to visitors, but the guards at the gates to both were very friendly and allowed us to snap some pics from afar.