We woke up excited to take on our final full day in Ireland and the last day of our epic 2 week UK + Ireland trip! Our first stop was to the Rolling Donut for some grub. Even though the donuts were pretty and the shop was cute they tasted just OK and I probably wouldn’t recommend stopping here in Dublin – there are many more delicious cafes to try! With our bellies full we began the walk to Trinity College.
Trinity College Dublin was founded in 1592 under Queen Elizabeth the 1st. It’s located right in the heart of Dublin and really is a must see. The first time I visited I just walked around campus a bit admiring the buildings but on my 2nd trip to Dublin I knew I wanted to go inside the Old Library and view the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is a manuscipt they believe was created in 800 AD. Yes, you read that correct 800 AD!
I highly recommend booking tickets online in advance. This is one of those attractions that forms a line around the door – but that line is mostly for people buying tickets. If you already have your ticket you can walk right in. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to take photographs of the Book of Kells because hello its from 800 AD! I won’t lie – the Book of Kells is very anticlimactic. It’s extremely crowded, people shove around to get a good look and then even when I did get up close it’s obviously written in Latin so it’s not like I could read any of it. We spent less than 5 minutes here….but not to fret – I mostly wanted to visit the Old Library.
The Old Library also called the Long Room was build between 1712-1732. The Long Room is home to over 200,000 of the oldest books in Ireland. And of course it’s simply stunning. The arched barrel ceilings, rows and rows of dusty looking books, the giant ladders that line the shelves – it really feels like you’re in a Harry Potter Movie!
After a wonderful morning spent at Trinity College we jumped back on the hop on hop off bus (2 day pass!) and headed towards Christ Church Cathedral. We weren’t originally planning on going inside the Cathedral but alas Davis needed a diaper change. There is a small admission fee to enter the Cathedral but lucky for us they allowed us in to use the restroom free of charge! And even luckier for me the restroom was located in the basement or crypt. Why was this so lucky? Any fans of the show the Tudors? When we walked downstairs I immediately saw a huge painting on Johnathan Rhys Myers the actor who played King Henry VII. At first I was confused but quickly realized quite a few of the scenes were filmed here so they had a mini Tudors exhibit set up with some costumes on display! I definitely wouldn’t say this is a reason to visit the Church but like I said, it was a happy surprise!
After a quick crypt break we walked towards Dublin Castle. This “Castle” is located right in the heart of Dublin – but to be honest it doesn’t look much like castle (since its really hasn’t been for many years) I found it a bit easy to miss unless you were looking for it! It’s definitely work a quick walk around since it’s so centrally located. Now it’s mostly used as a government building, tourist attraction and wedding venue.
No trip to Dublin is complete without a stop in Temple Bar. Just in case you were confused like me Temple Bar is not a specific Bar in Dublin it’s the name of an entire neighborhood! Temple Bar is Dublins nightlife mecca filled with cobblestone streets, old historic pubs and restaurants. We of course were traveling with Davis so decided to visit this area earlier in the day for a quick lunch! We chose Bad Bobs Temple Bar and it was wonderful! Gabe and I always try not to order the same thing but we saw someone else get the fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries and we just had to have it. It was a wise decision!
After our delicious lunch we strolled through Temple Bar people watching as we headed towards the bus. The next stop on our agenda was Irelands Natural History Museum also known as the “Dead Zoo.” Yes, we decided to stop here because we found it a bit hilarious that dubliners refer to this national museum as the “Dead Zoo!” Admission is free so why not check it out!
The museum was built in 1856 and it doesn’t look like much has changed. Honestly, I think the people that visited this museum in 1856 had the exact same experience we did in 2018….which I find fascinating! I later heard someone say that its like a museum of a museum – and it totally was. It also really is a dead zoo, and Davis loved every minute of it! I highly recommend visiting if you’re traveling with kids, an hour or two is plenty of time.
While Dublin isn’t necessarily the prettiest city in Europe it’s full of hidden gems. Esthetically I’d say Dublin has a more victorian feel than other cities in Europe with lots of gorgeous rod iron features and old school arcades. It some how manages to be very cosmopolitan while retaining that traditional Irish feel. The people there are incredibly friendly and welcoming – giving us great ideas on what to do there with Davis. We had the most amazing three days exploring this capital city and I hope one day you get the opportunity to as well!
Britt Heller 