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Sunday 14 July 2013

Dublin

I recently visited Dublin, the capital of Ireland, with a few friends. The aim of the trip was to let off some steam and reunite after our respective first years at university. I can tell that you are not interested in reading about my friends and I. I can see that you want to know the main jewel of the emerald isle. Here are my bitesize reviews:

Phoenix park
Dublin's main park. Home to the Wellington monument (Wiki it) a very impressive monument, home to the president of Ireland, the zoo and several aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Right next the courthouse if that is your sort of thing. I saw some bikes available for hire near the main entrance. Park score- 7/10. Lacks a lake, but to be fair I didn't really venture that far in.

St Stephen's Green
A nice, well maintained park south of the river. Near some pubs. Google it. A small-medium inner city park, containing a lake, gazebos, several pathways and a drunken man at 5 PM. He provided plenty of entertainment. Park score- 7.5/10. It knows what it is, you don't come out of it thinking you missed a lot.

The Guinness storehouse
Google it. I personally found it very good, I apparently pulled the "perfect pint". Several samples available as well while progressing through. Word of advice, book your tickets online so it is cheaper. Also, good views of Dublin from the top of the storehouse.

Brilliant view of Dublin.
Pub pint prices
€4-5. Seriously. You have to remember that you are in the capital of Ireland, so drinks will be pricey. Pricey yes, but the service you get is brilliant. Also, I personally couldn't taste much difference between the Guinness of the UK and the Guinness of Ireland.

Trams (Luas)
Very good, very fun. Come on, trams are trains in the middle of the road. Who wouldn't love that. We visited a town named Dundrum (south of Dublin) using the tram. More on that later.

James Joyce House
Shut when we were there, to the disappointment of one of my friends.

Leprechaun Museum
Brilliant. An innovative museum explaining their culture and history, while keeping it light-hearted and entertaining. €10 for students, €12 for adults. Definitely worth it, I highly recommend drawing a picture at the end and getting it framed.
A masterpiece by an artist who will be forgotten by time.

Food
Breakfast- I recommend Court's Coffee shop, next to O'Shea's pub on the south bank of the river. A filling cooked breakfast for €5, with free refills on tea and coffee.
Dinner- The "oriental restaurant quarter" as the map called it. Down Parnell street, find somewhere reasonably priced and enjoy! Exploring is all part of the fun.

People
Very friendly. If you are lost, just stand somewhere and look lost. Looking at a map or a street sign with a look of confusion also helps. We found the Irish are just as friendly as you would think.

Spar
No, I didn't misspell "spa". There are seemingly "Spar" cornershops everywhere. Keep an eye out.

Postboxes
Green.
Green.

Dublin
A commendable city, if you want a quick getaway from the UK or elsewhere it is ideal. If you want somewhere which seems a little further away from home, try a city where the first language isn't English. 

Have fun!




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