Dublin is the gateway to Ireland – for us, it was the stop-over for travelling the Ring of Kerry. But it is an amazing place to visit in its own right!
Modern Dublin
We stayed in the Docklands, a newly built up area in former parts of the harbour area. Today, it is a mix of some old houses and many new buildings and home to many high-tech and banking firms. It is a sometimes strange mix of bustling energy and work around the financial quarter, cool cultural spots like the Emigration Museum, but also some glaring mistakes in planning – such as the huge shopping centre at the Point that just stands completely empty. We stayed at the Gibson Hotel, which is great due to its proximity to the red tram line that connects to Conolly and Heuston railway stations and to a stop of the Dublin Express Airport bus.
Recommendation: Cool Hand Coffee
Cool Hand Coffee is a stylish small coffee roastery and café located at Mayor Square in the IFSC in the Northern Docklands. The coffee is amazing – much better than the standard fare of coffee served in Ireland. 😉 They also offer croissants, so it’s enough for a small breakfast.
Historic Dublin
Historic Dublin shows a very different face: old churches and universities dating back hundreds of years, traces of British history and the fight for independence, and everywhere you can feel the vibrant multicultural society of today. The city centre south of the river Liffey is bustling with activity around the Temple Bar district (named for an actual bar and made up mostly of, well… bars), Grafton Street (the main shopping street of the city) and Trinity College with its beautiful campus. One recommendation though: don’t go to Temple Bar for your pints, there is many pubs in Dublin and all of them are cheaper… 😉
Bengt Beier - travels and photography 