Hello Fair City!
- Tania Snook-Villalobos
- Jul 12
- 7 min read
Time visited: Summer (over there), 2025
Time spent: Four days
Day 1
I had visited Dublin before, way back in 2001, but it was winter and far too cold and dark for me. This time I went with my husband and daughter at the height of summer. We were there for three nights and really enjoyed what Dublin had to offer in July! We stayed at a hotel just next to Trinity College, which is the most famous university in Ireland and home to the Book of Kells. My husband warned me that it wouldn't be that hot, and sure enough, it was a chilly 11 degrees as we ventured out into the Irish capital. Good weather to walk in, he said. I told him I wanted coffee.
We walked across to the Temple Bar area, which is the entertainment hub of Dublin. As we walked along the cobblestones, my husband pointed out some choice pubs that he used to frequent. We would see a few of them over the next few days. On that morning though we ended up at the Temple Bar itself, which is a beautiful typical Irish pub done up in lights and decoration. We joined the crowds snapping selfies and enjoying the laidback vibe of visiting a pub at 11:00 am. We went inside the pub and saw there was a band playing trad Irish songs. The place was packed and there were loads of tourists getting stuck into the Guinness. My husband insisted on having his photo taken with a statue of James Joyce, the author of Ulysses!
There was a lovely shop next door, so we stocked up on some souvenirs for our family and friends at home. Gabi loved the ambience of the area and sat outside taking it all in. There was a market happening in the square area near Temple Bar, so we went to have a look.
After Temple Bar, we walked up to Dame Street in search of the statue of Molly Malone. There is a famous song about Molly Malone, who apparently used to sell cockles and mussels on the streets of Dublin. Unfortunately, tourists have a habit of touching her breasts for good luck. The tourist guide now needs to stand close to the statue to ensure Molly is left alone.
There was a band playing next to the statue and the sun had finally decided to come out. We kept a close eye on Molly to make sure she wasn't bothered by anyone. At that point, Michael and Gabi wanted to have a pint, so off we went to the Stag's Head, which was chockers. It was lovely sitting down hearing everyone's different accents. After our refreshments, we went for a walk down Grafton Street. I enjoyed the buskers, and it reminded me of a street in Santiago, Chile!
My back was sore from all the walking so I needed to find a massage place. I found one five minutes away. This was very interesting as the place was owned by a Brazilian woman! Who would have thought I would be speaking Portuguese in the middle of Dublin!! It's a lot more multicultural now than in 2001.
Day 2
My husband told me that it was time to visit the Northside. We had explored much of the Southside on the previous day so it was time to cross the Liffey! We walked up Dame Street and turned right past the Brutalist building that is the Bank of Ireland. We walked down to the Temple Bar area and again it was a magical experience. All the pubs were open, and we could hear Irish traditional music on every corner. We found a delightful little shop selling cakes and coffees and I enjoyed speaking Spanish to the Argentinian shop assistant. We walked through the Merchant's Arch, which is the dramatic entrance to Temple Bar, and we stopped for some moody shots.
We loved crossing the Ha’Penny Bridge, which is a small cast-iron bridge that curves over the Liffey. Having grown up and gone to school on the Northside, my husband was very happy to be back. We kept on walking, past famous pubs like ‘The Lotts ‘which displayed a who’s who series of portraits of famous Irish people: Sinead, Phil Lynott, Oscar Wilde and many others! We got to Henry Street, the gritty heart of Northside shopping. We were famished so we decided to head for some food at a cosy café in the ILAC shopping centre. The ILAC has been an institution in Dublin since 1981. It used to be rough and ready but was given a major facelift and now has all the brand stores.
An hour later, we were ready to do some more walking. We got to the top of Henry Street, past some iconic Dublin stores - Roches Stores, Dunnes Stores and Bewleys. We were standing on O’Connell Street, which is the most famous street in Dublin and packed with historic buildings. In front of me was a massive steel pole that stretched into the sky. It is known as the Spire of Dublin and is 120 metres tall. Apparently, it is the world’s tallest piece of free-standing art!
The first port of call on O’Connell Street was the General Post Office. It is a beautiful old building which hasn’t changed a bit since 1916, when it formed the centrepiece of the 1916 Rising, when Irish Republicans took up arms against the British colonial power. It was lovely to walk around the GPO and see that it is still a functioning post office.
We crossed the street to Clerys, which is a posh department store. Before mobile phones were invented, Dubliners used to meet up for dates under the famous Clerys clock. Songs and documentaries have been made about this clock. We passed by the Daniel O’Connell statue and started to cross back over the O’Connell Street Bridge, back over to the Southside and back to our hotel for a well-earned rest.
Day 3
There was still lots to see. Everything is within easy walking distance in Dublin so off we went to Dublin Castle. The castle was built in the early 13th century. it was the HQ of the British government when they were in power. Now it is a major government complex, and a big tourist attraction. The architecture is stunning. There is a massive cobblestone square; attractions include the Throne Room and St Patricks Hall. We took loads of photos there and the weather was glorious!
After that we decided to head back to Grafton Street as my husband wanted to see the statues of Luke Kelly and Phil Lynott, which are just off Grafton Street on adjacent streets. We had to be patient with the Phil Lynott statue as a lot of rock fans wanted to take selfies with the great man. There was an Iron Maiden concert the same day, so a lot of Maiden fans made the pilgrimage to see ‘Philo’, lead singer of Thin Lizzy, who were a fantastic rock band of the 1970s. Next to the statue is Bruxelles, a famous music venue, which was heaving with rock music tourists.
We had really worked up an appetite by then, so we decided to grab a bite to eat. KC Peaches Café on Nassau Street was the spot, and I was thrilled with the offerings. Yummy gluten-free food was on the menu, and I loved what I ate there. We sat back and enjoyed the ambience. We left an hour later full and ready to walk off the food we had eaten.
A stone’s throw away was the side entrance to Trinity College. We walked through a gallery and suddenly we were on the lawn of the college gazing up at the Front Arch, which has a bell tower. Make sure you don’t walk under it when the bells are ringing as this brings bad luck! It is super popular with tourists as they all want to see the world-famous Book of Kells, which is the centrepiece of the Trinity College library. The library itself looks like something out of Hogwarts!
Day 4
For our final day, we decided to walk along the Quays and go for a train ride. We began along the River Liffey. My husband wanted to show me a side of Dublin that most tourists don’t know about: the legendary Early Houses.
We started at The Wind Jammer on Lombard Street. This pub is a local institution, holding a rare license that allows it to open at 7:00 in the morning. Walking in there at 9:00 am was a strange experience. The Wind Jammer was already packed with a mix of night-shift workers and noisy locals. It has porthole windows and purple walls. It felt like a doorway to a bygone era.
Feeling energetic, we strolled along the Quays. We enjoyed seeing the Custom House, a masterpiece of 18th-century architecture, and the Samuel Beckett Bridge, which looks like a giant harp rising out of the water. We also saw the glass-fronted Silicon Docks as this area is very modern now with a lot of offices. The iconic Ferryman Pub is still there though, which was comforting.
Eventually, we made our way to Pearse Station to catch the train north. My husband was eager to show us Rush, a seaside town famous for its market gardens and this is where his family lives. The train journey was amazing; we travelled along the coastline, passing through Malahide and crossing the sweeping estuary at Donabate, where the water seemed to touch the tracks.
Arriving at the Rush and Lusk Station, we took a short hop to Rush, South Beach. The July sun was out, and we could see Lambay Island, where wallabies live, apparently, but no one knows exactly how many there are! It was the perfect, peaceful finish to our Dublin adventure. The mix of salty sea air and historic riverfronts was a great conclusion to our last day in Dublin.
Comments