After weeks of planning and anticipation, the culmination of all my
previous travels had arrived, my return to Ireland (with a trip to Venice
following). I had all my plane tickets and hostels booked. I had all my train
schedules ready and thirst for Guinness growing. I should mention that I would
be traveling entirely on my own for the next week and a half. My journey began
with a trip to the Beauvais Airport, a place so remote and inaccessible that
Ryanair (Europe’s largest low cost airline) could not think of a better place
to set up its Paris operations. I took two trains and a bus and got to the
airport four hours early, in anticipation of any potential mishaps. After the
hours were up, I was on my way to Dublin. It would be my first time returning
to Dublin in five years.
The last time I was in Ireland was with a school trip, just after
completing my junior year of high school. It was also my first time in Europe
and is now one of my fondest memories. It was only after my study abroad began
that I realized how long ago those five years were and how much I have changed
since then. I would be interesting to see how Ireland (my home away from home)
had changed since my last visit. Upon first arriving five years ago, I felt a
special connection to that place. My first trip was filled with the shock and
thrill of realizing a dream come true. This time around my goal was to try and
understand Ireland, a place I will only ever truly know as a tourist.
I arrived in Dublin airport and took a shuttle bus into the
city center. My timing for this visit was fortunate, since April is Ireland’s
least rainy month (more on that in later posts). It was my first time seeing
Dublin in sunlight. After hunting down my hostel, I checked in and headed out
to explore the city and find something to eat. Dublin was much as I remembered
it, and it was fun to retrace some of my steps. I stayed pretty close to
O’Connell Street, the main shopping street in Dublin. I found a pub where I got
a pint of Guinness and some fish & chips. After dinner (which was
admittedly a bit lonely). I went back to the hostel and went to bed early, as I
was pretty exhausted from all the traveling. The hostel was connected to a bed
and breakfast, so everything was really nice and had a great character to it.
The hostel goers also got to have a full Irish breakfast.
I woke up the next day and enjoyed my full Irish breakfast
and set out for my day’s adventures. I started by walking along the River
Liffey to a place called the Kilmainham Gaol. Kilmainham was a prison built by
the British and used to hold Irish political prisoners during their fight for independence.
The prison had been remodeled several times during its tenure and featured a Victorian
era wing. The structure was fascinating both historically and architecturally.
I saw rooms where many prominent political prisoners were held, including
Charles Parnell, the so called “Uncrowned King of Ireland.”
After touring the facility I headed over to the
Guinness Storehouse, for a tour and a free pint of Guinness. The Guinness
Storehouse was a bit kitschy and over stylized but it was fun and still pretty
informative. At the top of the storehouse there is a bar that has a 360 degree
view of Dublin. At the bar I got my complimentary Guinness and enjoyed the
view. After touring the storehouse I visited the James Joyce Center in Dublin
and picked up a couple of books. After that I found a good place to eat dinner
and proceeded to explore the city. I spent several hours looking for places
that I remembered from my last visit. The difficulty was the fact that I didn’t
have a map last time and just followed the group around Dublin. This time I was
able to piece together more of how I traveled around the city. After a long day
and a great deal of walking I returned to my hostel, read a bit of my new book
and went to sleep. I woke up very early the next day to catch a train to Galway;
from there I could travel to my next city, Clifden.
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