Getting To Grips With Dublin

Jump to Comments

Up bright and early (5:15am), we had breakfast and stowed our gear in the car before heading for the airport. Heading up the hill into town it was realised that we had left the Edinburgh map at the flat and as a consequence were flying blind. Because of roadworks associated with the new tramway we soon found that the normal route to the airport was blocked and that we were directed into an area of the city that M&M were yet to explore. With time ticking away, (though in reality with quite a buffer), things got a bit tense in the car. Eventually stopping at a service station we found we were not that far away from where we wanted to be and after a short diversion via a motorway we were at our car park.

Bidding the car farewell it was into the courtesy bus for the short trip to the airport and the Ryanair desk. As a low cost airline Ryanair offers very cheap flights however the flip side is that they also charge very steeply for anything other than the basic service, (see the cost of having them print out boarding passes). Their baggage limits are very strict and large penalties apply, (even down to refusing to carry it if you exceed these limits). As a result all manner of subterfuge is used by passengers to get as much on board in the cabin as possible. One tactic is to wear as much of your clothing on board as you can. As a result, even though it was quite a steamy and warm morning there were numerous people wearing jumpers and coats as if for wintery times. We did notice one disgruntled young man leave the desk after being told it would cost him in excess of 100pounds for his luggage to fly, (presumably like us his ticket had cost less that 20 pound).

Breathing a collective sigh of relief when our reservations were accepted we made our way through to the boarding lounge to be told by the boards our flight would be 15 minutes late. We were just about to relax when a couple of minutes later our flight was called. As seating on Ryanair flights is on a first come first seated basis it is useful when travelling in a group to get in the queue as early as you can. Having secured our spots we began the wait to board only to be told that in fact the gate we were at was not in operation so we would have to go to another one nearby. Of course this stimulated some mild disquiet however we were soon in another queue and ready to pass down onto the tarmac before getting on board.

The rest of our 50 minute flight was very uneventful, especially for those amongst the party that had a snooze. Landing in Dublin three of us joined yet another queue as Miche sped through immigration on her UK passport. Once in the arrival lounge it was decided to grab a snack and some money before collecting our Europcar hire car. On the way out of the airport building Mr P’s attention was caught by a clamped motorbike.

The Europcar base was quite a way from the airport itself but we soon had our booking confirmed and told where our car was. When we found it however we were bemused to find that it had numerous minor collision marks on it that were not on the report form. Worse however was the fact that the passenger side mirror was missing the electrics housing cover. Ms V delegated herself to complain and an alternative car, (a manual Pugeot 308) was arranged and we were soon taking bets on when Mr P would stall it first.

With directions to our accommodation at DCU in hand we took to the roads. Remarkably Mr P and Ms V could remember much of the lay of the land from their last visit and after some minor delays with a remarkably inefficient booking lady and some problems with the door card we were in our rooms.

Next it was time to head to central Dublin for some sightseeing. Getting into town was quite easy but finding a carpark was a bit more tricky. Finally we found one for 12 Euro for the day and left our car to head for the street. As with our previous visit, the streets were busy with cars, bikes, (no helmets needed here as in Scotland) and pedestrians. Heading over the very dirty Liffey we headed for the castle. Wandering around a little aimlessly we noticed a tour group and sidled over towards them. At a suitable break Mickey enquired if we could join the tour which was answered in the affirmative as the tour was one of the free tours that operate in numerous European cities.

Despite the fairly steady rain, (overnight areas of Dublin had experienced quite significant flooding), the tour was a great introduction to the city as we were regaled with stories of Dublin from the past to present including how the castle was situated next to the Dub Linh or Black Pool which the Vikings had used as their base many years before. The pool has long been isolated from the river and sea and is now filled in and serves as a heliport for visiting dignnatories. At the back of the now lawned area is a wall built so that when Queen Victoria came to stay at the castle at the turn of the century she didn’t have to look out at the slums that were just beyond the wall.

The rest of the tour took us around via numerous precincts and sites significant to Dublin and Irish history including the site of one of the original and most intact Viking settlements in Ireland that is now completely covered over by the new city offices. A nearby arrangement of stones in the pavement indicates the basic floorplan of a Viking house which typically housed twenty or more inhabitants in a very small space indeed. Another fact we learnt about the Vikings was that the commanded fleets of significant size with fifty and more ships in each. Vikings also despite popular conception never worn horned helmets as it was too dangerous to sail and fight wearing them, (argghh Hollywood again).

Passing through Temple Bar saw the original bar owned by the owner of the area at one time Sir William Temple. We also caught up with more current history in the form of Rory Gallagher’s guitar high on the side of a building wall and saw the venue where U2 first began to play. We also stopped off at the Queen of Hearts for a very tasty, (though slightly overpriced tarts and drinks). Crossing over the river we heard the story of the Ha’penny bridge and the various Dublin City Council Millennium projects including another bridge and the underwater clock in the Liffey, (the latter which didn’t quite work and was quickly removed). We also saw the Father Pedr Clancey plaque which appeared one night on the O’Connell bridges commemorating the death of said priest which didn’t actually happen.

Looking back up O’Connell St, reputedly the widest street in Europe, it looked strangely out of place next to the other quite narrow and crowded streets and laneways. We also took in the tallest sculpture in Europe in the Millennium Spire.

Wandering on through the quite persistent rain we entered Trinity College taking shelter in the Campanile in the centre of the square. Here we heard tales of how some students have sought to use the old rules of the college that have not been changed over the time since Queen Elizabeth the First began the college in the 1700’s. We then went past Leinster House the former residence of one of the Irish Lords but now the site of the Irish Parliament before ending up in St Stephen’s Green and some statues commemorating the great Irish patriot Wolfe Tone and on the other side the great Irish Famines. The second of these famines caused the Irish population to be more than halved through starvation and displacement of the population.

Leaving our tour guide at this point we walked out from the park and found directly ahead the Exhibition Building like St Stephen’s Shopping Centre. Heading inside to spend 20Euro, which we didn’t actually have so we got in for free, we checked out a couple of shops and headed back towards the Queen of Tarts for some more expensive tarts.

Finding our way back to the car Miche and Ms V spied another shopping centre. Suggesting that Mr P and Mickey might like to take in the by now quite warm late afternoon sun and enjoy a pint or more at the corner pub nearby, the ladies left for 30 minutes of shopping. Some 70 minutes later they emerged again suggesting we get some supplies at the M&S food hall. As Miche had not actually eaten as much as the rest of us this was a good idea and a pizza was purchased to take back to DCU to warm up in the student lounge at the end of the dorm. Adjacent to our rooms were some indoor soccer pitches in use by the Wednesday league. This provided Mr P at least with some entertainment as the pizza warmed. Having finished this and a bottle of Spanish Tempranillo off it was time for bed.

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized