The Adventure

The last day of my late 2023/early 2024 adventures was spent in Dublin, Ireland. I started in the centre of the city, around where a lot of the tourist attractions I would be looking for were. The first of these, which I had been told about, was the Christ Church Cathedral. The building itself was impressive, but what stood out to me most was the archway attached to it which crossed over the street. I hadn’t seen anything like that before. There was also a neat memorial cross dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. I’m not sure what the connection to the cathedral was, but seeing just a glimpse of another part of the world was fun.

After this, I made my way across the river, discovering other cool churches and museum buildings as I walked. I also walked past the Spire of Dublin, whose purpose I still don’t understand. I ate lunch in an area that I think was commemorating one of the world wars, but alas, I can’t read Irish, so I’m not sure. Regardless, there was a very cool statue in the area. Then, I walked towards the ocean. I ended up in a smaller area of Dublin, with a quite extensive beach. I had originally intended to walk across the beach, but it was much larger than it appeared. It must have been low tide, because Google Maps showed my little icon as being in the water as I walked. In the distance, I could see the silhouettes of houses and hills, creating a very beautiful view. On my way back into the city, I came across a stadium, more historic buildings, and some swans in a canal. It was a very nice little walk. I even stumbled across a home where Oscar Wilde apparently lived for a while.

Mid-afternoon, I wandered onto the Trinity College campus. As far as campuses go, Trinity College has got to be one of the best. It wasn’t just a collection of buildings thrown together to house classes, but was beautiful and historical enough to draw tourists from around the world. I personally can’t imagine looking forward to visiting a school, but Trinity College might be the exception. Around this time, I also saw the St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I grabbed some food, ate it in a park, then headed back to get a good night’s sleep before my early morning flight.

Highlight

I think that the highlight of Dublin has to be when I went towards the beach. It wasn’t as big as the city centre, but still had a fun vibe. I felt like I was seeing a lot of things that the average tourist probably wouldn’t. Smaller churches, local stores, and everyday life how someone living there would actually experience the city. As much as I enjoy the tourist experience, I am more of a small city person, so it was nice to be in a different area of town and by the beach. And like I said in the Galway blog, Ireland has so much beautiful nature, which is just more visible further from the city centre.

Cost

The food I bought in Dublin cost €4.49 or $6.81 CAD. This was a deal at a convenience store for a sandwich, drink, and bag of chips. In addition to that, I got a little gift for the family that hosted me during my stay in Ireland.

Concluding Thoughts

I would recommend visiting Ireland. As far as cities go, Dublin felt like one of the more consistent ones, with stuff to see throughout the city, each playing their own part to make Dublin special. The city and country has so much to offer, both within the city and outside. Ireland is a neat country where you can see both the historical city and beautiful nature. I will never forget the water, the rolling hills, and the striking green of everything I saw.