We booked this trip a while ago, as we are both interested in travelling and were aware of the fabulous sightseeing opportunities and activities available to do in Dublin. We stayed at the Ripley Court hotel which is based central in the city and a 10 minute walk from the main road O'Connel street and shopping area Henry street.
My Mum had previously been to Dublin days before for a day out with her friends and had told me that I would enjoy what Dublin has to offer, so it is safe to say me and Becky were both excited to get away for a couple of days.
The hotel was lovely and clean. Staff were friendly and helpful and there were countless leaflets in reception advertising various trips and activities available to do in Dublin. Additionally, we had booked bed and breakfast meaning we could indulge in a full English Breakfast every morning. The hotel also served a carvery lunch, However me and Becky wanted to experience what Dublin had to offer and eat out in restaurants located in the city centre; we never ate dinner at the hotel.
On the day of our arrival we checked in at our hotel, dropped our bags off and headed out into the city. We walked down the main shopping area 'Henry Street' and went in countless Irish Merchandise shops which sold leprechaun hats, Irish key rings, Guinness glasses and a lot more. The atmosphere walking down the street was fabulous, you would walk past musicians playing traditional Irish music and various Irish entertainment acts which had a crowd of people stood around them taking in the atmosphere. Dublin shares many shops with Manchester such as Topshop, Marks and Spencers and Lush cosmetics, however their equivalent of Primark is called Penneys which I found strange. The currency in Dublin is in euros and the price of food and drink is expensive. We were informed that some bars put the prices up every hour for drinks.
On the first night we set off to Temple Bar, a street in Ireland known for its traditional Irish night life and music. We started off in an American themed cocktail bar and then ventured out to an Irish bar named 'Quays'. Here there was a band consisting of two men, one playing a guitar and singing, the other was creating a beat with a drum. The pub was incredibly busy, 80% of the customers held a pint of Guinness in their hand. Everyone was on the same high, dancing and singing along to a variety of classic songs- it was amazing. We came out of the pub and headed back to the hotel, taking a quick detour to the local McDonalds.
The next day we woke up and went down stairs for breakfast which I could not fault. There is a variety of foods that cater to every dietary requirement. There was also unlimited coffee, tea and orange juice available. After breakfast we headed out in to Dublin. I went to the beauticians to have my nails done whilst Becky finished off a bit of shopping. We then headed to the 'hop on and hop off' bus, which we had been told was a definite activity to take part in whilst in Dublin. A 24 hour ticket was 17 euro and allowed passengers to get off at any bus stop to look around the city and then get back on at their own leisure. The bus came every 15 minutes and whilst travelling a tour guide would talk you through each historical fact about the city, as well as what activities are available at each stop. Me and Becky ventured out to look at temple bar and Dublin Castle, Additionally we purchased tickets for the Guinness Storehouse. Guinness is the traditional Irish beer and is part of the Irish culture. The tour explained the process of making the drink, the key ingredients and we even participate in a taster session. At the end of the tour we were given a free pint of Guinness to which we could enjoy up on the 'Gravity bar', a bar located at the top of the storehouse consisting of windows; allowing a 360 view of the city. After this we hopped back on the bus and continued the tour around the city until we reached our stop at O'Connell Street. The tour was well worth the 17 euro fee, as you come off feeling well educated on the city and aware of what Dublin had to offer and the key attractions.
In the evening we went to an Italian restaurant named 'ToTo' for tea where we both enjoyed a pizza and relaxed. We then went to a bar/restaurant/ night club named 'The Church' located at the end of Henry Street. The Church was fabulous. Here we enjoyed a couple of cocktails and chilled out, which was well needed after a day of walking around on your feet.
Thursday was our final day, so we wanted to do as much as possible and make the most of our last 24 hours. We started the day with our Full English breakfast and checked out of the hotel at 11am. The hotel allowed us to store our luggage in the hotel until we had to go to the airport which was very helpful. We walked beside the river Liffey and saw the statue that portrays the distress of people during the potato famine. This was interesting for me as we studied this a few months ago at college and I recognised it straight away. We then walked around some of the back streets to Dublin, every so often nipping in to the small gift shops. Me and Becky had a browse in the Library and the national Museum of Ireland; furthermore educating ourselves on Irish history. We walked through St Stephens Green and enjoyed the stunning park views from a bench as we realised our feet started to ache from a lot of walking! After taking a detour through more shops we ended up at a Mexican style food restaurant where we enjoyed traditional Mexican food and were able to relax before travelling to the airport.
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