April 29, 2024

We have been to Dublin a few times before, including one trip that I took with the ICF Board, so we have seen many of the sights and really enjoyed the city. You can search Dublin on the site and there will be lots of information. I didn’t blog about the ICF visit but we had a wonderful city tour and tours of Jameson and Guinness then. In 2017 on our first visit, we also did those tours and did a bit of pub hopping with a group of friends. We hired a van to take us all around and he was informative and fun.

When we arrived, the weather looked kind of rainy but luckily we only had a few drops the whole day!

We thought we might take a boat trip on the Liffey River – our ship was docked close to the center of town. I went to get a map and the nice woman told me that they need to be pre booked. She gave me the phone number but we decided that the weather was too cool and it might rain, so we shelved that idea. We also never went to the Dublin Castle or the National Gallery of Ireland so we went on the shuttle which conveniently stopped right outside of the National Gallery.

This is one of the bridges over the river, the Samuel Beckett Bridge. It is shaped like a harp, the symbol of the city and was built in 2009.

There is a group of sculptures near this bridge along the river called the Famine Sculpture. It is a poignant memorial located on Custom House Quay. It depicts a group of emaciated figures, symbolizing the suffering endured during the Great Famine (1845-1852) in Ireland. The sculpture serves as a reminder of one of the darkest periods in Irish history, when millions died or emigrated due to starvation and disease.

The National Gallery didn’t open until 11 today so we took a long walk to the Dublin Castle first. We were looking at our map along the way and a nice man was going that way so he chatted with us until we reached the entrance to the Castle.

We bought the self tour option ticket and enjoyed the tour through the State Apartments. The Castle is one of the oldest monuments in Dublin. It was completed as a defensive fort in 1230 after the Norman invasion in 1169. I have a booklet of the History and Art Guide but didn’t really follow the booklet as we were too interested in seeing what was in each room. Here are some of the pictures of the rooms and the art.

Many dignitaries, including Nelson Mandela, have stayed in the Castle over the years and it is now used for special government functions.

After our visit, we decided to have lunch in one of the places the woman who gave us the map and directions recommended, Davy Byrnes. It opened at 12 and we were the first customers. It is located on Duke Street in Dublin and has a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. It was established in the 1880s by a man named Davy Byrne and quickly became a popular meeting place for Dubliners, including writers, journalists, and artists. The pub gained literary fame when it was mentioned in James Joyce’s masterpiece, “Ulysses,” where the protagonist, Leopold Bloom, stops by for a gorgonzola cheese sandwich and a glass of burgundy. They sell this exact sandwich and wine today. We didn’t know the history when the place was recommended!

The place started to get busy and two other couples from the ship came in. We really enjoyed the lunch and also chatting about the history of the pub. I got a chuckle about this picture hanging above the toilet in the ladies room.

On the way to the National Gallery we passed the Whiskey Museum. We didn’t go in but got a few photos.

And a stop in the chocolate shop!

We then walked to the National Gallery of Ireland. It was established in 1854 and houses an extensive collection of Irish and European art spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. The gallery’s collection includes works by renowned artists such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, Picasso, and many others. One of its highlights is the extensive collection of Irish art, featuring works by prominent Irish artists like Jack B. Yeats and Sir William Orpen. And it is free to enter! We spent over 2 hours viewing the many works of art and never even saw the entire collection.

We saw a painting in the gallery of the Davy Byrne’s pub!

We were quite tired after this full day of walking and exploring the parts of Dublin that we hadn’t seen before. And we got through the day without a downpour. Tomorrow we head to Holyhead in Wales.