Well, Linda and I did Cross the Sea to Ireland – in fact we crossed a few seas (Caspian, Black and Irish Seas) – by air on our way from New Delhi to Dublin on a business trip back in July. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to see the sun go down on Galway Bay, or to Kiss the Blarney Stone, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t take time out to smell the shamrocks. Indeed not! We were simply fascinated by what we saw of Dublin and a wee bit of the surrounding area, namely Wicklow.

The history of Dublin, the capital city of the Republic, is usually linked to the Vikings, who established a settlement “Dubh linn” (meaning black pool), in 988 AD, although it is generally accepted that the area was inhabited before their arrival. The official millennium, however, was celebrated in 1988.

Linda and I arrived at our Bed & Breakfast in Central Dublin at 7am, a little too early to ease our jetlag, because our room was still occupied by the visitors of the previous night. We therefore dropped off our bags and did what we normally do to get acquainted with a new city; we took a city tour. A pamphlet in the lobby introduced a ‘hop on, hop off’ city bus tour. This is a marvellous concept. Double-decker tour busses with open-air tops stop at about 20 of the major attractions and basically, the riders ‘hop on’ and ‘hop off’ at random according to which attraction they fancy. There are at least two companies offering approximately the same thing and the price of about €14 is quite reasonable considering that the pass is valid for 24 hours and that there is virtually no waiting time at bus stops, as one comes by every 10 minutes. We hopped on and off about three times during the day, and noted the location of other attractions that we planned to visit during our week in Dublin. Bye the way, if your hotel is located in Central Dublin, you can walk to most of the major attractions. And it’s hard to get lost if the River Liffey, which runs through the city from west to east, is used as a reference point.

Wild Wicklow

With no business appointments scheduled for the second day, we opted for a day trip to county Wicklow. There are a few operators offering the Wicklow tour and the one we chose showed us a Wild time. Our driver-cum-guide – a jovial chap with a great Irish name of Dennis O’Reilly – was one of the star attractions of the tour. His personal stories (one being of how he and his brothers, as boys, used to prepare Irish coffee for their father’s house guests), and his narratives concerning attractions had us laughing all the way.

Dennis took us out of Dublin and along the coast past the homes of some of Dublin’s rich and famous including one owned by Bono of U2 fame. We then stopped at Sandy Cove where Martello Tower – originally built by the British as a defense against Napoleonic forces – houses a small museum dedicated to the life and works of James Joyce. In fact, Joyce stayed in the tower while writing the first chapter of Ulysses, which takes place here. Sandy Cove is also a cool place for swimmers. Speaking of ‘cool,’ Dennis told us (with tongue in cheek) that the water is so cold, “A man dives in and comes out a woman!”

We then proceeded into the highlands, where according to some, the most breathtaking scenery in all of Ireland can be found including mountains, valleys, waterfalls, bog land and lakes. We even saw the place where the movie Brave Heart was filmed (I bet you thought it was filmed in Scotland!). We also spent quality time at Glendalough, where a 6th century monastic site founded by St. Kevin is nestled in a picturesque valley alongside a tranquil glacial lake. The site includes a (31.4 metre) stone tower and a church called St Kevin’s Kitchen, because the belfry resembles a chimney, and a number of tall crosses. Visitors to Dublin would do well for themselves by taking a Wicklow tour. Further information on Wicklow and Glendalough can be found on the internet. These few paragraphs are only meant to whet the reader’s curiosity. Now back to Dublin.

Dublin for Bookies

James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett – these writers are known worldwide. Another thing that they had in common, besides being writers, is that they were all Irish. They and many others are featured in the Dublin Writers Museum, one of the only museums in the city in which the visitor can experience the collection by digital audio guide. Besides overviews of the authors’ lives and literary achievements, there are exhibits of personal possessions such as typewriters, pipes and pens. There are also some curious items such as Lady Gregory’s lorgnette (opera glasses with a handle,) Austin Clarke’s desk, Samuel Beckett’s telephone, Mary Lavin’s teddy bear, Oliver Gogarty’s laurels and Brendan Behan’s union card. Imagine a signed letter from George Bernard Shaw in which he refused to provide his autograph! Was it a slip up, or an example of his marvellous sense of humour?

Linda and I visited the Writers Museum one afternoon, and topped the day of Irish literature off with a literary pub crawl through the streets of Dublin in the evening. We met at a pub on Duke Street and a team of two actors led our group of about 20 enthusiasts on a trail from pub to pub, while narrating interesting stories about Dublin’s finest writers. There were no props, no special lights, no make-up, just the voice and personality of the actors interacting with the audience. Great fun indeed!

Lively Entertainment

The world-famous Riverdance – a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish step dancing – was playing in Dublin while we were in town. I’d seen their performance in Montreal a while back and wanted Linda to experience them, but they were fully booked. Our hotelier, however, suggested an alternative; Celtic Storm was playing in a nearby theatre restaurant. We took him up on the suggestion and it was marvelous, with step dancing, violin solos, singing (including Galway Bay) and stand up comedy, and to top it off, a delicious meal. I’m not about to say that Celtic Storm was a suitable alternative to Riverdance; I will say that they are both unique in their own way and are therefore both excellent choices when considering an evening of traditional Irish entertainment while in Dublin.

Shopping near the ‘Tart with a Cart’

The reader must have heard the lyrics: In Dublin’s fair city; where the girls are so pretty; I once met a girl named sweet Molly Malone; and she wheeled her wheel barrow; through the streets broad and narrow; singing cockles and mussels alive alive oh. Legend has it that at some point in the 17th century a young woman named Molly Malone sold fish from a wheelbarrow by daylight and entertained the boys from nearby Trinity College (founded in 1592, and the oldest university in Ireland) by night. Hence she is often referred to as the ‘tart with a cart’. A statue of Molly Malone is located at the northernmost end of Grafton Street, Dublin’s famous shopping street, and is hard to miss when walking around the city. The statue is probably one of Dublin’s most photographed landmarks.

Moving southward on Grafton Street one passes huge flags bearing brands such as Mont Blanc and Rolex, indicating the upmarket atmosphere of the shopping environment. Grafton Street ends at St Stephens Green, one of three ancient commons within the city. Ireland’s first modern shopping mall, St Stephens Green Shopping Centre is nearby. Credit must be given to the architect who built it in Victorian greenhouse style, thus not distracting from the character of adjoining Georgian architecture. The theme is continued within as shops are not on the wide open ground floor, but in galleries above.

Taste of Black

What is Ireland’s most famous export? Guinness beer of course! Guinness is not that popular in India yet, so I must explain to my Indian readers that its colour is black, hence the reference to ‘black’ above. And a visit to Guinness Storehouse, located in the heart of the St. James’s Gate Brewery, should not be missed. The building is laid out over seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped in the form of a giant pint of Guinness. The ground floor houses a massive exhibit that introduces visitors to the four ingredients – water, barley, hops and yeast – all of which are combined to make a pint of Guinness. Visitors are also introduced to the fifth ingredient during a tour, which is the one and only Arthur Guinness himself in a historical portrayal of the famous Irish brewer’s life (1725-1803). As Linda and I moved up through the building while learning about the brewing process we also came across an exhibit that evoked a sense of nostalgia in this avid beer drinker; this was an exhibition on the history of Guinness advertising campaigns. Our tour ended at the Gravity bar where we were treated to a 360 degree panorama of the city, while sipping on a pint of Guinness of course.

Dublin’s Cultural Quarter

What is Temple Bar? No, it’s not a bar in a temple; not a bar near a temple; nor is it a bar owned by a family named Temple, but the latter is closer to the mark. According to a plaque in the main square, the area near the banks of the Liffey was acquired by Sir William Temple in the 1600s. In ancient times, bar was a word for ‘path’ or ‘walk.’ So, Temple Bar was a walk along the River Liffey owned by the Temple family. Now that I’ve sorted the name out: a little about Temple Bar of today, which is warmly referred to as Dublin’s Cultural Quarter. Besides being home to more than 50 cultural organizations, Temple Bar is known for its shops, medieval architecture, small theatres and museums, restaurants, pubs, street buskers, and most of all, for its lively nightlife, which carries on till 3am on most nights. So Temple Bar is recommended for culture buffs and party animals alike. I won’t tell you in which category I fall!

City with a Soul

Dublin is a ‘City with a Soul,’ and it would take more than a short travelogue like the one you are reading to describe all of her attributes. For instance, I didn’t touch on her magnificent places of worship – St Paul’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral; both are medieval masterpieces. Nor did I mention the National Museums, and Dublin Castle but take my word for it; if you miss them on a visit to Dublin, you’re not seeing the whole picture. Then there is the Centennial Spire, pin-like stainless steel monument 120 metres (393 ft) in height, situated on O’Connell Street. Don’t miss any of these.

Dublin, by the way, is an excellent base for visiting other parts of Ireland. There are special trains offering day trips to most parts of the country, including one to County Cork, where one can Kiss the Blarney Stone, and yes, there’s one to Galway Bay. All special tours can be booked at the Dublin Tourism Office. Of course, the Dublin Tourism Office has an official website (www.visitdublin.com) where all of the attractions mentioned herein (and many more) are covered in detail. Tourism Ireland also has an Indian office as indicated below as is their website. I recommend a visit to each of these websites for those planning a visit to Ireland.

I also recommend Ireland as a tourism destination. It’s great!