We decided before our time living in the UK ended we needed to make a trip to Dublin.  The main reason was because my husband Tim is a massive fan of Guinness.  We booked flights with Ryan Air and 2 nights at the Trinity Capitol Hotel and we were set.   Our first (and last) experience with Ryan Air was less than pleasant.  No need to go into the hassles, I’ll just say – never again.  It’s a quick flight to Dublin from London’s Gatwick so I guess that was the silver lining of the flight.  The visitor’s package we received with our hotel included 2 tickets to the Guinness Storehouse and a 2 day pass for the Hop on Hop off Bus.  In all our travels in over the past 18 months we never tried the bus thing, we were pleasantly surprised how informative & convenient it was. 

Saturday morning our first stop was Trinity College, we arrived in time for the 10:15 half hour tour of the campus, the tour included entrance to see the Book of Kells.  After a photo stop at the Molly Malone statute we hopped on the bus – hopped off at the Kilmainham Goal.  We took their guided tour (the only way to see the interior).  It was very interesting and full of Irish History.  After the Goal we walked to the Guinness Storehouse.  It is an old building that has been converted into a museum of sorts with a large shop and the Gravity Bar – a glass enclosed circular room on the top floor where you get a pint of Guinness (included in the almost 15 Euro admission fee).  In my opinion the museum fell short, not presented very well, dimly lit and hard to follow but in the end all anyone is there for is that pint on the top floor.  The Gravity Bar was extremely crowded so we enjoyed our pint, got a few photos (lucky for us it was a clear day) and picked out a few souvenirs.  We then headed towards Christ Church Cathedral where we attended their Evensong service.  The rest of the evening we wandered around seeing St Patrick’s Cathedral and another part of the Bus city tour (Phoenix Park then along the north shore of the River Liffey).  Walked through Temple Bar –which we learned, is an actual area/district and an actual pub.  Speaking of pub’s, we stopped in at Mulligan’s on Poolbeg Street, a no frills establishment with a quite corner to enjoy – you guessed it – a pint of Guinness. 

We found Dublin to be a good city to explore; it’s easy on foot or on bus.  The city has a lot to offer its visitors – history, culture and a great pint of Guinness (or two).  Highlights of our day – The Kilmainham Goal, my first pint of Guinness & Evensong service at Christ Church.     More photos on our Facebook page.