One way to get to know a country well is to spend some time in its capital city. Today I am talking about Dublin Ireland – one of my favorite European capitals. Here are five reasons I love visiting Dublin.
The #1 reason that I love Dublin – Beer…Guinness
Anyone who knows me will not be surprised to hear that I love Guinness. It is my favorite beer in the world. They make it in Dublin. Do yourself a favor and visit the Guinness brewery. Take a tour and spend some time there. Be sure to drink a Guinness at the gravity bar which has nice views of the city. Buy a souvenir glass for your pint. Slainte!
Reason #2 – Sites
Dublin is actually a pretty small city. That makes it easy to walk around and visit the historical sites. Plenty of places that are worth visiting like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grafton Street, and Trinity University which houses the Book of Kells. Wander around and experience all there is to see and do in Dublin.
Reason #3 – Whiskey
Yes – the Irish make great whiskey. Tour the Jameson distillery and do a little sampling. It is a lot of fun. Pick up a bottle while you are there. Enjoy yourself. If you are sensing a theme – Dublin is a party town. If you go there and don’t have any fun – it is your fault.
Reason #4 – Pubs
There are pubs all over the city. It has one of the oldest pubs in the world, the Brazen Head. I recommend going there. Many pubs are located in the Temple Bar area. Sure – it is no fun to be at Temple Bar on a hot summer night surrounded by bachelor and bachelorette parties. But, be sure to spend some time in an Irish pub while there. You can hang out, drink a beer, or whiskey, talk to some people, and listen to music.
Reason #5 – Music
Dublin is a music city. The pubs have live music almost every night of the week. Kim and I saw my favorite band, U2, play live in their hometown. It was unbelievably cool. After the concert, we went to a pub and listened to more music. If you are a fan of live music, then Dublin is definitely your kind of town.
Practical tip – where to stay in Dublin
We stayed near Temple Bar, not in it. If you stay in Temple Bar, you will hear people howling at the moon all night long. Many of the pubs, restaurants, and sites are near Temple Bar, so stay near it, not in it.
Three quick questions about visiting Dublin
- What is my favorite place to visit in Dublin – Guinness gravity bar. Perfect place to end the tour.
- What is my favorite site in Dublin – Book of Kells. Ancient Bibles written by Irish monks. Fascinating history.
- What is my favorite pub in Dublin – Porterhouse Temple Bar. Microbrewery in Temple Bar.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.