Dublin, Ireland

In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone

As she wheeled her wheel-barrow

Through streets broad and narrow

Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!

Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

When I think back on my trip to Dublin, those lyrics will probably be my biggest trigger and reminder of my experience. The second day we were in Dublin, I heard and sang that song three times. I am not even sure how I knew it but I sang loud and proud just like the Irish. 

The first day in Ireland was kind of rough. We left in the evening to go on a train ride to the west side of England. We rode the train through Wales to the ferry port. By the time we arrived at the ferry port it was around 2 a.m. The ferry was much grander than I was expecting and was probably closer to the size of a cruise ship. There was an arcade, a cinema room, a restaurant, a café, and a bar on the ship! I was impressed needless to say. The view of the ocean from the ship window was amazing. The waves almost looked like they were painted there. We were on the boat from about 3-6 a.m. so we got to see the sunrise. None of us got very much sleep on the ship.

Once we landed on the ferry port in Dublin, we immediately got on a shuttle and rode to our hostel. I stayed in a room separate from the others with five other girls from all over the world. Three of the girls are from Austria, one from Canada and the other one never spoke to me haha. We couldn't check into our hostel until later that afternoon so we went and got an Irish breakfast (they eat baked beans and something called pudding that is actually an animals blood for breakfast). I just got toast and cereal. From breakfast, it was straight to the all day tour on a hop on hop off bus. We saw several museums, cathedrals, libraries, the Book of Kells, Trinity College, and most importantly the Guinness factory where I tried beer for the first time. The first day was extremely long. About 40 hours of no sleep and constant movement. Needless to say we all showered, got a quick bite to eat and went to bed.

The second day in Dublin was amazing. I went on a tour with two other girls to the north coast and Malahide castle. The castle was just like I had pictured. Stone walls, archways, gardens, ivy, and of course a tower. We toured the castle and walked around the courtyards. Then we drove to Howth, which is a town on the northern coast. The shoreline was filled with these giant rocks and seaweed. There was a lighthouse and tons of sailboats in the harbor. Plus we saw seals swimming beside some of the boats. It was so much beauty and uniqueness in one setting. I love it. Then we rode the bus alongside the coast scenic route back to Dublin. We walked along the main road and shopped. That night we went to dinner to hear live Irish music and you'll have to read the next blog to find out what happened there. 

 

The final day in Dublin was spent walking around exploring the city. We also went by this really nice shopping area and ate at a nice cafe. The group walked to the writers museum and took an audio tour to learn about James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Johnathan Swift. All of who were influenced by Dublin and had references to Dublin in their works. Then we got on a shuttle to the airport and headed back to London. Flying back was waaaayy easier than the train and ferry route but it was all an experience. Speaking of experiences...I had my bravest moment in Dublin. More to come on the next post.