15th July Dublin

15^th July 2015 – Dublin

‘Dublin has experienced a renaissance. Today, this gracious and cosmopolitan city on

the Liffey is one of Europe's premier destinations.

The capital of the Republic of Ireland, Dublin is an intimate place that is easy to explore. Stroll past St. Stephen's Green or survey the gray, stone façades of Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university.

The city is also remarkably well-preserved - every June 16, scholars retrace the paths of James

Joyce's characters in the novel "Ulysses," set in Dublin on June 16, 1904.

Dublin possesses a storied history. A settlement has existed on the banks of the River Liffey for at least a millennium and a half.

Succeeding waves of Gaelic, Viking, Norman and English invaders have left their mark on the city.’

- tourist brochure

Having visited Dublin a few years ago we only wanted to join a small city tour that included the Guinness factory and wander around a bit. It’s twenty years since we were here last and we noticed a few changes with buildings and new bridges, one in particular was an opening cantilever bridge over the Liffey that we hadn’t seen before.

While partaking of a pint of Guinness at the factory we got talking to a couple of nice young blokes one who turned out to be a pilot with an Irish airline and had spent quite a bit of time travelling in Australia. How the world has shrunk we have come across so many people that have been to or travelled in Australia particularly young people, it is no longer a novelty or something that becomes a particular talking point, perhaps something that is just mentioned in passing.   

The weather in Dublin was kind to us compared to yesterday in Cobh.