Dublin is a city I’ve been travelling to since I was a toddler. Initially on shopping trips with my Mum and Grandmother, and later on trips to the zoo with my parents, and to the wax museum with on school trips – before ultimately getting a few trips to Croke Park during Armagh GAAs glory days. As I grew older, it’s a city I generally haven’t enjoyed visiting (until my most recent trip).
It wasn’t my first time visiting the Guinness factory/museum – nor was it my first time visiting Temple Bar, but they were both aspects I thoroughly enjoyed.
We had organised the trip pretty last minute, and it was just one night in Dublin; but I largely think you can see most of what’s worth seeing in Dublin over one or two days.
We had quickly dropped our bags off at the Temple Bar Hotel, located just a short walk from the famous “Temple Bar” pub, and literally next door to the delightful Palace Bar. Great location, and a very reasonable price – after very hastily arranging a taxi, we went to the Guinness Factory at St. James’ Gate. Though I must warn, they run a simplified version of the tour through COVID times. When you first enter – they explain the ingredients of Guinness: the barley, hops, water – and how they toast the barley at 232°C, as it’d combust at any higher temperature.
As you pass through into the next room, there’s a brief video telling you about Arther Guinness (the founder of Guinness) and his wife, Olivia. They had 21 children, of whom 11 lived to adulthood. It’s pretty easy to guess what he liked doing when he wasn’t brewing stout…
Afterwards there’s a brief history of Guinness’ transportation through the years – about the logistics of Guinness shipping their product around the world, and how they made their own casks to store it – employing approximately half of all Dublin’s coopers (barrel makers) in their heyday.
After this was the section I found most interesting – the marketing and advertising section through the years.
Beginning with a framed photograph of their first ever newspaper advert, they then run through their different campaigns through the years, from why they use the Harp logo, to the iconic toucan, to award winning TV adverts (I won’t give away too much or you’ll have no need to visit yourself).
There’s a side room off the main floor where you can grab a scent of the different ingredients in Guinness – the last time I visited you got to try a small mouthful of Guinness where the guide would explain how to properly taste the different notes in it (pretty much bathe your whole tongue in liquid before drinking). On from this is a small section detailing Guinness’ leadership team through the ages, and how 9 generations of the Guinness family were directly involved with leading the company until the 1990s.
After this room, the tour ends, and we were able to use a voucher to have a pint of the black stuff. In previous years you were able to pour your own pint and got a certificate for doing so – but COVID restrictions have stopped this.
After the Guinness factory we returned to the Temple Bar area to change and have dinner, we dined in the lovely Buskers Bar/Restaurant connected to our hotel and had a few drinks in the stunning Palace Bar, which was frequented by many of Dublin’s finest poets in their days. It has such a quaint decor inside and a charm to it, although reaching the toilets is a bit of a trek as you’ve a steep staircase to go down – but it’s one of my favourite bars in Dublin.
The next day we ventured for breakfast before having a few drinks in the famous Temple Bar before venturing home. I noticed Oysters on the menu, and as I never tried them before, I decided to be adventurous – not the best idea on a delicate stomach, but I’d try them again.
Temple Bar itself was very cool. The inside paying homage to many aspects of Irishness, I was particularly taken aback by a little shrine to James Joyce. The spacious pub offers many varieties of Irish beer on tap, whiskeys from around the world, and plenty else to wet your whiskers.
As mentioned at the beginning of the post, this particular trip to Dublin was short and sweet – but I’d been multiple times before and will suggest some other sights to see in the capital.
The GPO
When the Irish proclamation of independence was read during the 1916 Easter Rising, it was read from the steps of the GPO. There is now. An interactive museum on site on the grounds of the GPO detailing the Easter Rising.
Kilmainham Gaol
Similar to the GPO, Kilmainham Gaol is related to the 1916 Easter Rising. It is the grounds where many of the rising leaders were executed. The song Grace depicts the story of Joseph Plunkett marrying his lover Grace Gifford mere hours before he was executed.
Croke Park
Croke Park is the GAA headquarters – and hosts the All-Ireland finals (of both hurling and Gaelic football) every year. You can book a tour of the stadium, which has add ons to allow you to access the GAA museum also, and to go up to the very top of the stadium and look at the entire city’s skyline.
Trinity Library & the Book of Kells
And last but not least, the famed Trinity library – like something out of Harry Potter, this hall of books is home to the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is a 9th Century illustrated Bible created by Columban monks, and is one of the most famous early New Testament bibles of it’s style.
