Have you ever thought about going somewhere over the weekend –because the couch of your house has your butt’s shape and you know the Netflix catalogue by heart– but you don’t really know where you could go and you don’t really want to spend too much of your beloved savings?
Well, I am sure you have and if you are in the same situation as me, you also know that it is very difficult to choose a destination. So I thought, why not suggest people a destination and organize the all trip for them?
My choice has fallen upon the Irish capital: Dublin. Famous not only for its Guinness but also for the kindness of its citizens. Dublin has also housed quite a few famous people like Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett and of course, James Joyce who wrote the masterpiece Dubliners.
Here follows the itinerary I have put together for a long weekend trip: you will definitely be able to see the majority of the sights Dublin has on offer.
It is morning and you just arrived in Dublin so what can be more perfect than a good old brunch? I suggest you go to “Herbstreet”, in Hanover Quay, Grand Canal Dock, it offers good quality at an equally amazing price.
After this brunch break, you can start the tour.
First make your way over to Trinity College, one of the most prestigious universities in the world that was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I. Some of its students were Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. Here, two things are really worth a visit: the Old Library and the famous Book of Kells, a gospel manuscript written in Latin.
Walking by Grafton Street, you will reach Molly Malone’s statue. The area between Grafton Street and Powerscourt Townhouse is full of shops and is only accessible by pedestrians. Just nearby, you can find the Dublin Castle, with its neo-gothic Chapel Royal, the majestic Throne Room and the medieval Viking Undercroft.
The second day will start with the visit of the Liberty Market, one of Dublin’s longest- running markets. From there, after a very brief walk, you will reach Dublinia, an exposition about Dublin in the Medieval and Viking era.
Very close to Dublinia, there are Christ Church and the St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The next step-over is St. Stephens Green, a marvelous public park where you can stroll around and look for the bust of James Joyce, the fountain representing the Three Fates and the memorial to the Fenian leader Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa.
For lunch, I really recommend to go to the Temple Bar in the cultural heart of Dublin with its pubs, restaurants and galleries, and maybe even eat at the Temple Bar itself.
From there, you will go to the National Museum of Archaeology, with a great collection of fascinating artifacts. Not only is it beautiful and interesting, but it is also free!
Since this will be the last day of your trip, why not start it with a typical and cheap Irish breakfast? After browsing a bit, I can definitely say that Beanhive, close to St. Stephen’s Green, is a very good choice.
Walking to O’Connel Street, you will reach the Spire – the highest sculpture in the world – and the James Joyce statue. Then, on the same street, you will find the James Joyce Centre, also known as the Dublin Writers Museum, that collects the Irish literary tradition with first-edition books, paintings, manuscripts and other artifacts related to Irish writers.
After the visit, you can stroll around Henry Street and then go to the last step of this trip, the Guinness Factory, the most-visited place in Ireland.
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