There were very few things I knew about Ireland before I went there
a) They drink Guinness
b) They play Gaelic footy – the wussy version of the real man’s sport Australian Rules
c) They like to paint everything various shades of green
Whilst all the above may be true, it really doesn’t provide one with the clearest picture of what to expect from the Isle of Green. So where does my Irish tale start you ask?
In Louise’s room at Boddington, being woke up by our alarm at 4:00am…
Arrived at the Leeds Bradford Airport sleepy eyed and groggy (and surprisingly hungry for 5:00 in the morning!). Checked into our flight, ate a hearty breakfast of a chocolate muffin (are you allowed to have chocolate before 6:00am??) and sat waiting for our RyanAir flight to Dublin.
Note: Just to interrupt I feel it is important to say a little spiel about RyanAir. There isn’t really anything like it in Australia – it is a strange European phenomenon. It is a RIDICULOUSLY low cost airline which flies all around Europe. However, these amazingly low prizes do come with certain risks – like you might not actually get wherever it is where you need to go. And yes you may have only paid 5 pounds for your flight but most would say reaching your destination is relatively important….
So we get to the gate and get on the plane (this would be the time you could breathe the sigh of relief with other airlines…oh but not RyanAir) and luckily headed off for Dublin. And – wait for it – arrived in Dublin EARLY! That must have been a RyanAir first and I feeling pretty privileged to be a part of that! They should design commemorative medals for the passengers or something.
I’ll be waiting for it in the mail.
Although we did arrive early in Dublin it really wasn’t to our advantage as it was only just after 7:00am and still completely dark in Dublin. Can’t do much sightseeing in the pitch black.
So Louise and I hung out in the Dublin airport at the bagel stand, making one of our MANY, MANY food stops that we do daily whilst we are travelling, got a map and started to plan our day.
Caught the bus into the city centre and got to our hostel. Not a single person who worked at the Hostel was actually Irish but that was fine they were all very lovely. Bought a ticket to the Hop On and Hop Off Sightseeing Bus and did a full circuit loop around Dublin. Saw all the main sights and everything that is worth seeing in Dublin. Drove through the Main St, past Trinity College, St Patrick’s Cathedral, The Dublin Gaol, The Guinness Storehouse, The Dublin Zoo, and heaps of museums and other churches. Afterwards we picked out the places we wanted to see that day and did a walk through Trinity College (where I saw the most enormous snowball you have ever seen in your life – photographic evidence is available in my Ireland photos). Following this we headed the Dublin Castle. Now the problem with the choice of name for such a building is it really does not portray the true essence of the structure.
Not because it can’t fully describe its beauty.
Not because it can’t instil in you the true sense of its history.
It’s because Dublin Castle looks like NO castle I have ever seen….
Later on, we did read that Dublin Castle was voted as the number one Castle in Europe which ‘least resembles an actual Castle’ and more just looks like every other historical building in the area.
Ripped off.
Having been significantly disappointed by Ireland’s ability to accurately name their Castles we headed to Temple Bar for our first pint of authentic Irish Cider. The Temple Bar area isn’t one specifc pub but more the description of the whole area. It was really quite cool with HEAPS of proper little Irish pubs and cute touristy shops (you know I love my tourist shops!). However, we had been warned by a couple of other well worn travellers that Dublin was a great city, very lively, very Irish but to be careful because (to excuse my French) it will rape your wallet. Up until that moment we had been doing ok, but it was all a façade people! Dublin was just trying to lull us into a false sense of security before it stole every penny we had (or wait that would be cent because it was Euros…).
Went into an Irish Pub and Louise saved our table while I went to the bar.
Ordered two pints of Bulmers.
‘That will be 12 Euros love’
‘Um excuse me what?’
’12 Euros’
‘Right well I’m just going to go and sell Louise’s liver and my first born child and I’ll be back with the money’.
Ok that’s a little exaggerated. But it was SO expensive.
Went for dinner on Grafton St, to Bewley’s Café, a restaurant recommended to Louise by her parents, who had been to Dublin not that long ago. Had some really great food and a waiter with a crazy accent that Louise could not understand. By far the best part of our night though was the entertainment. Luckily for us, there was a choir group of some kind having their Christmas party in the same restaurant – and after dinner and many bottles of wine they sang Christmas Carols for everyone.
You could just feel the Irish love in the air.
The next morning we went shopping, had a surprisingly REALLY good coffee in a seedy looking Irish café and visited the Dublin Writers Museum. Of course anyone who knows me, knows I have a very special relationship with my books but Louise was a good enough friend to tag along – and didn’t once complain she was bored! Visited the gift shop, bought one book and then had to forcibly remove myself at the risk of wanting to buy all of them. Hopped back on the bus and visited the Kilmainham Gaol where some of Ireland’s most famous men and women were held.
That night we had dinner with Alice and Bec our fellow ‘Radadelaiders’ and Alice’s cousin Megan. Stupidly, we headed for Temple Bar again, to find we couldn’t eat at any of the Irish pubs because of their outrageous prices. And besides after yesterday’s cider experience Louise and I only had one liver between us to sell and I don’t think that is medically recommended. So in very un-Irish fashion we ate at the Hard Rock café and drank 5 Euro cocktails.
It was the DUBLIN Hard Rock, surely we get some Irish credit for that???
Monday saw us leave on our 3 Day Southern Ireland Tour. Got introduced to our bus driver, tour guide and local Irish crazy person Connor, a.ka. Conrad, a.k.a Captain and headed off with 20 others West to Galway. Along the way we met Roxy and Jonathon, two fellow Aussies, Brian the bubbly Canadian and Sarah and Kyle, perhaps the only genuinely nice Americans we have met since we have been in England…(too harsh?!?!)
Along the way Connor pointed out various Irishy things, and gave us many a spiel about Irish culture. Some of them were so classic, they deserve an entry of their own so keep your eyes pealed for that.
Drove past Galway, even further West into the wild Connemara region. Stopped at the village of Cong (no, not as it King) and had lunch at a gorgeous little Irish pub. We were the only people in there but the service was amazing, the food was a credit to those fine Irish people. For the rest of the afternoon we drove through the Connenmara which had some of the most spectacular scenery I have seen anywhere. Visited Kylemore Abbey which was this enormous and ornate mansion built into the side of a hill alongside a beautiful lake. Connor told us it was built by an Englishman for his wife.
Now that is the sort of husband id like!
Spent the night in Galway where we ate in Murphy’s (I had VERY traditional Irish lasagne…) and then headed to Taffe’s for some proper Irish music. The little four person band that played there looked like they had been ripped straight from an Irish postcard (and I would know, I have bought so many since I’ve been here!) and the youngest guy played the tin whistle, the spoons and cracked some amazing Riverdance moves.
And to his credit he didn’t even laugh THAT much when Roxy got up in the middle of a completely empty dancefloor and danced around like a looney trying to impersonate his Riverdance and stealing his spoons.
God Bless the Australians – there’s always one…
Tuesday saw us drive South heading for Killarney, along the coast of County Clare. Again, the scenery was breathtaking and SO different from where we had been only a few hours away the day before. Got some great photos overlooking the Atlantic, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!
Arrived at the Cliffs of Moher and hiked up the way-too-many number of steps to O’Brien’s Tower which overlooks the whole cliffs. Bought, yet MORE souvenirs and got back on the bus.
Spent Tuesday night in Killarney and had a big group dinner at yet another proper Irish pub. Although, at one point they played a terrible Irish cover of ‘Land Downunder’ by Men At Work. Not quite sure whose idea was that but I would suggest in future taking your advice from Michael Flatley and sticking with the Riverdance…
Spent the rest of the night in an Irish ‘club’ (oh dear it was as sad as it sounds) but there was a great cover band on, and once again Roxy kept the ENTIRE tour entertained with her solo interpretations of Irish dancing.The next morning we were introduced to Bill and Patrick who took us on a horse and cart tour through Killarney National Park (Bill was the horse, Patrick the driver in case you were confused…) Luckily the views of the park were amazing, because after sitting in an open aired carriage for an hr in the freezing Irish air you would want it to be worth it!
Drove on from Killarney to Blarney Castle where Brian, Louise and I hiked up the castle to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. Now they say that when you kiss the stone you get given the gift of the Irish gab for seven years. Well the ‘gab’ is something I do not lack so kissing it was either rendered completely obsolete, or I’ve been given an overdose of the talking gene.
Which probably isn’t a good thing for anyone involved. However, I did kiss it and we explored the Castle grounds before heading back to Dublin.
Because a couple of the people on our group were doing the six day tour – they left with Connor to continue on and we hopped on a bus with Shaunie who was taking us back to Dublin. If I thought Connor was a little crazy in his little Irish head, Shaunie is like Glenside personified (sorry if your not from Adelaide and won’t get that!). He was really good fun, but nobody could barely understand a thing he was saying and he lead the bus in an a capella rendition of Backstreet Boys ‘I Want it That Way’.
Need I say anymore.
Headed back home to Leeds with our trusty RyanAir, bags full of kitchy shamrocks and leprechauns (ok well maybe that was just my bag…) and our heads full of Irish tunes.
Was Ireland actually a lot better than I was expecting?
DEFINITELY
Is it a pre requisite for all Irish people to be slightly mental?
MAYBE
Will I ever forget our bus theme tune – The RubberBandits ‘Horse Outside’?
PROBABLY NOT! (and seriously people look it up on YouTube its freaking hilarious!)
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