“Standing atop the Cliffs of Moher was an experience like no other. Most of the things I’ve seen so far studying abroad have been manmade, but this was completely natural. I definitely felt the grandeur of God’s creation witnessing such beauty in its purest form.”
Excerpt from 2/18/19
I spent two days in Dublin and one day traveling to see the Cliffs of Moher and Galway City. If I had to do it again, I would flip this around and do two days for the Cliffs of Moher/Galway and one for Dublin. I personally feel with adequate preparation it is doable to see most of the main sights in Dublin in one day. On the other hand, I was left wishing I had more time to explore the Cliffs of Moher and Galway.
Dublin
Dublin was definitely a lot different than I expected, and not in a bad way. To start off, it is much more of a modern city that I thought it would be. It reminded me in some ways of London, but of course with Irish accents and even more pubs. It was also surprisingly warm for mid-February, which was when I was there. I see now why the color green is closely associated with Ireland because the grass there was a vibrant green unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Trinity College & The Long Room of the Old Library
Trinity College is quaintly situated in the city of Dublin. I almost forgot I was in the city once inside the campus though. It was fascinating being surrounded by so much history, and I was amazed at how wonderfully it has been preserved despite being in the midst of a modern city.
The Long Room is the iconic room of the Old Library at Trinity College. I remember first seeing pictures of this room on Pinterest and being intrigued. I love reading and books, so I was in awe by the stately elegance of the library as well as the seemingly never-ending shelves of carefully preserved books.
Unfortunately, entrance into the library is not free. The tickets cost 12 euro, which also includes access to the accompanying museum that is home to the famous Book of Kells. While I think 12 euro is a bit steep considering what I paid for admission to other museums throughout Europe (many of which had student discounts), I’m still glad I was able to see it. I would have regretted not seeing it much more than shelling out the money for the ticket.
Can we also just talk about how enchanting this spiral staircase is?
Grafton Street
Grafton Street is one of the main shopping streets in Dublin and conveniently located near Trinity College. I recommend queuing up Ed Sheeran’s song Galway Girl where he sings, “I meet her on Grafton street right outside of the bar.” It really put’s you right in the scene. At least that’s what I did lol.
St. Stephen’s Green
Grafton Street leads right up to St. Stephen’s Green, which includes both a massive shopping center and a gorgeous park. The mall is flooded with natural light and artfully sprinkled with greenery both on the outside and inside. In addition to the normal kinds of shops you would expect to find around the perimeter of a mall, the ground floor is interestingly set up with a series of small glass-topped stores. I must say, this is probably the most beautiful mall I’ve ever stepped foot inside. What can I say, I’m a sucker for natural light.
Right next to the shopping center is a sprawling park separated from the sidewalk and streets by a stately arch. It is a wonderful place to escape the hustle of the city and experience nature’s calming effect. It’s so refreshing to see a place like this set aside in the middle of the city.
Dublin Castle
The Dublin Castle is a key governmental and historic building. There is a gorgeous park sprawling in front of it that is perfect for walking around and taking in the scenery. A couple was even taking their wedding photos while I was there.
Aren’t these colorfully painted buildings next to the castle unique? It’s interesting how starkly they contrast to the subtle stone of the castle. I’m honestly curious what inspired the buildings to be painted this way.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is both the tallest and the largest church in Ireland. Its gothic architecture is beautiful, and the open park next to it is the perfect place to sit and relax. The one downside is it costs money to see the inside. Coming from Rome where you can pretty much go inside any church as you please, I couldn’t justify paying to go inside. Nonetheless, I think the outside is still worth seeing.
Temple Bar
Temple Bar is perhaps the single most famous bar in Dublin. It is know for its iconic fire-truck red facade and its extensive selection of whiskey. This place is always packed. My friends and I went on a Sunday afternoon thinking we would avoid the crowds by not going at night. That was not the case, however, and there was barely even room for the four of us to stand. The atmosphere and energy is a lot of fun to experience though. There is a sense of camaraderie and shared joy amongst everyone inside. It’s definitely a must-have experience if you go to Dublin.
Ha’penny Bridge
The image below is one of my favorites from Ireland. I’m so grateful I was able to capture this gorgeous rainbow extending so gracefully above the Ha’penny Bridge. This charming pedestrian bridge is built over the River Liffey and makes it easy to cross from one side of the city to the other.
Samuel Beckett Bridge
This bridge is designed for both pedestrians and vehicles. It’s probably one of the most unique bridges I’ve seen, probably in part due to its asymmetrical design and the fact that it was created to look like an Irish harp.
Guinness Storehouse
If I could only recommend one thing to do in Dublin, it would for sure be touring the Guinness Storehouse. It is self-guided, which I actually appreciated because it allows you to go at your own pace.
I love the way the Storehouse is designed because each floor is a different experience. The first floor is all about the ingredients that go into Guinness beer, including barley, hoops, yeast, and water.
The second floor is all about the brewing process. I found it fascinating that Guinness roasts the barley at exactly 232 degrees Celsius, which they have found to be the optimal temperature for their unique flavor.
Floor three was essentially a museum of how Guinness beer has been advertised throughout time. My favorite floor was probably the fourth, which consists of a guided beer tasting. Apparently there is a “correct” way to drink Guinness beer, which I was shocked to find out. You are not supposed to sip Guinness otherwise you only get the bitterness sitting on top. Rather, the correct technique is to breath through your nose as you take a big gulp, let it sit in your mouth for 2-3 seconds as the various flavors dissipate, and slowly swallow as you breath out through your nose.
The fifth floor is a bar with a 360-degree view of Dublin. You get to redeem a free pint of beer as part of the ticket price so I tried the West Indies Porter, which is a rich, dark stout beer. I guess I should mention that before this I was not a huge fan of beer, but Guinness totally changed my mind.
Cliffs of Moher
I can honestly say that seeing the Cliffs of Moher was one of the highlights of my whole study abroad experience. I’m so glad one of my friends pushed for us to go because I wouldn’t have planned it on my own. Sure I was vaguely familiar with what they were, but they are on the complete other side of Ireland in relation to Dublin.
Luckily there are several different bus companies that provide transportation from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher. We selected one that also stopped for a few hours in Galway, which is not too far away from the cliffs. The bus left bright and early at 7:00am, and the total driving time was about four hours. Honestly, I thought it went by very quickly. Not only was the drive incredibly scenic, but the tour guide would come on the microphone at various points of the drive to point out certain landmarks and notable historic ruins.
Once we arrived, there were several different trails to choose from to hike along different parts of the cliffs. These paths were rocky and muddy, so you definitely had to watch where you were stepping to avoid slipping. From that high up the wind is also incredibly fierce. My friends and I tried taking pictures, but it was almost impossible to get a good shot with our hair blowing every which direction.
Words cannot describe the experience of standing on top of those cliffs. It was the epitome of beauty. That moment alone made the trip to Ireland worth it.
After about two hours of exploring the cliffs, we had to hop back on the bus. We drove about 20 minutes to Burren, which is an area along the coast with very distinct lunar-looking rocks. This was a quick stop, but we were able to get out and walk around. The incredibly sharp and porous rocks made this quick difficult, but I must say I have never seen anything quite like them.
Galway City
After a two-hour picturesque drive along the coast (and several more times listening to “Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran), we arrived to Galway. We only had about two hours to explore before starting the drive back to Dublin. This was definitely nowhere near enough time to see all this charming city has to offer.
It reminded me of a much smaller, more historic version of Dublin. With the short time we did have, we walked around the bustling streets, observed the colorful street art, and sat down for a dinner at one of the many pubs. That was the first real meal we had of the the day, so needless to say we were famished. It made the lamb burger and beer I ordered taste that much better.
The drive back to Dublin was fairly uneventful. It was dark most of the way back, and everyone was exhausted so most people just slept. We arrived back to Dublin around 8:00pm.
Memories
- Trying Irish coffee…
When it comes to food and drinks, there are very few things I do not like. Irish coffee has been added to that short list haha. I was so hopeful, especially since I love coffee so much. If you aren’t familiar, Irish coffee is basically a combination of espresso, Irish whiskey, and sweet cream. I don’t know if the one I ordered was just too strong, but I could not get past the overwhelming whiskey taste. I think since I love coffee so much, I just did not appreciate the alcohol overpowering it. After a few sips, I could not physically stomach any more. At least I can say I tried it!
- Listening to live Irish music…
For dinner one night, my friends and I stumbled across a pub that was advertising live Irish music. The food was incredible (I ordered pork ribs with mustard sauce and mashed potatoes), but the music was definitely the highlight. It consisted of two guys, one strumming guitar and singing and the other playing violin. By that time of the night, we were exhausted so the music was both relaxing and inviting. It was almost hypnotic how soothing and pleasant it was. They even brought out two Irish dancers for one song and that was so fun to watch. I have no idea how they move their feet so fast.
Conclusion
Between Dublin, the Cliffs of Moher, and Galway, there really is so much to see in Ireland. Three days was not enough to experience all this gorgeous country has to offer. I hope I have to chance to go back someday.
CHECK OUT MY PODCAST EPISODE ABOUT THIS TRIP:
