We arrived in Dublin three full days before the tour started so that we would have ample time to explore the city and take day trips to Newgrange and Glendalough. Our hotel, Buswell's, as is always the case on Rick Steves tours, was centrally located, near Grafton street and just across the street from the National Museum Archeology. The first thing we did was to buy tickets for a hop-on/hop-off bus tour of the city from the hotel concierge, which we caught just one block away on St. Stephen's Green. It was a great way to get oriented to the city.
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Our first impression of Dublin was not great. There was a lot of construction in the central part of the city where they were installing rail lines for a tram line which made it a little difficult to get around and ruined a lot of photographs. Dublin is more of a grimy, working city than the handful of other European capitals that we've visited, and, most memorably, our first night there, as we were strolling along the Liffey, we walked into the middle of a fight where four guys were beating the daylights out of another guy. Bystanders picked up his broken phone and several of his teeth.
However, by the time we moved on to Kinsale, we were sad to leave it behind. Dublin has a vitality and youthfulness about it that is missing from other large cities we have visited. The good humor and the liveliness around the pubs all over town made us feel more like Dubliners than visitors after just four days and we had a lot of fun there.
However, by the time we moved on to Kinsale, we were sad to leave it behind. Dublin has a vitality and youthfulness about it that is missing from other large cities we have visited. The good humor and the liveliness around the pubs all over town made us feel more like Dubliners than visitors after just four days and we had a lot of fun there.
The bus tour was helpful because it took us to some of the more distant places we wanted to see, including the Guinness Storehouse and Collins Barracks. However, you can spend a lot of time waiting for buses. Most of Dublin's attractions are an easy walk from the central city. Another option would be to sign up for a walking tour and taking a cab or city bus to any places you want to see that are too far to walk.
We took the historical walking tour led by a Trinity College historian, recommended in Rick's guide book. Our guide was outstanding and the tour took us to many of the "don't miss" sites. We also enjoyed the literary and traditional music pub crawls, also recommended in Rick's guide book. Book them both before you go. We had to beg our way onto already sold-out tours.
Spend as much time as you can at pubs where traditional Irish music is being played. Our favorite was O'Donoghue's, where the Dubliners got their start.
We took the historical walking tour led by a Trinity College historian, recommended in Rick's guide book. Our guide was outstanding and the tour took us to many of the "don't miss" sites. We also enjoyed the literary and traditional music pub crawls, also recommended in Rick's guide book. Book them both before you go. We had to beg our way onto already sold-out tours.
Spend as much time as you can at pubs where traditional Irish music is being played. Our favorite was O'Donoghue's, where the Dubliners got their start.
Molly Malone seems to be the anthem of the city of Dublin, heard everywhere and inspiring a statue on Grafton Street.
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