EUROPE - IRELAND - DUBLIN : STROLLING THE STREETS OF DUBLIN WITH LITERARY GIANTS
by Ursula & Eldrid Retief



It was only natural that we should be drawn to the Dublin Writers’ Museum to explore the Irish capital’s immense literary heritage – Swift and Sheridan, Shaw and Wilde, Yeats, Joyce and Beckett, O’Casey and Behan are among those portrayed there by their books, letters, portraits and personal items.

But it wasn’t the first time we had rubbed shoulders with these literary giants. The night before we had strolled the cobbled streets of Dublin as part of a literary pub crawl, introduced to Dublin’s lively pubs – take your pick , there are over 700 of them – and given a crash course on Irish literary history by professional actors performing from the works of Dublin’s most famous writers. We stopped frequently to raise a glass to them, to both the actors and the writers.

The Dublin Writer’s Museum is one of the 20-plus attractions on the route of Dublin’s Hop On - Hop Off sightseeing bus, a great bargain. It operates like clockwork, leaving every 10 minutes, (but not before 9.30 in the morning, in case you were on that pub crawl).

Look out for the distinctive green and cream bus stops. The Hop On - Hop Off bus gives you the freedom to explore and experience the history and culture of this stunning city at your leisure, visiting all the main Dublin attractions along its route, with entertaining, often very funny, live commentary from bus-driver tour guides showing you the city as only a native can. Your 24-hour ticket allows you to hop on and off as often as you wish. There are discounts off admission at certain attractions.

Arm yourself too with another great bargain – The Dublin Pass. The purchase price covers entrance to over 30 of Dublin’s top visitor attractions. With the Dublin Pass you not only skip the queues but there are great special offers in Dublin’s shops, restaurants, entertainment and leisure venues. You don’t want to be without it. It brings together the best in attractions and services for the city in one complete package.

With the Dublin Pass (it comes with 1-, 2-, 3-, or 6-day options) you can discover the splendour of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, visit George Bernard Shaw’s birthplace, enjoy the James Joyce Museum where the first chapter of “Ulysses” is set in the Martello Tower in Sandycove), visit the National Botanic Gardens, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Ireland, talk to the animals at Dublin Zoo, stop for a bite at the Bram Stoker Dracula Museum, get the royal treatment at Malahide Castle, enjoy a free Irish coffee in the heart of Temple Bar. Dublin Castle, in the heart of historic Dublin, is also on the list. The city, in fact, gets its name from the Black Pool - 'Dubh Linn' which was on the site of the present Castle garden.

You’ll want to start your exploration of Dublin with a visit to historic Trinity College. Located in the heart of the city it still retains some of its ancient seclusion of cobbled squares, gardens and parks. Over half a million visitors make the journey every year to view the famous 9th century gospel manuscript – the Book of Kells in the magnificent 18th century Old Library building. Trinity’s Long Room is filled with 200,000 of the library’s oldest books.

The Dublin Tourism Centre in Suffolk Street is only steps away from Trinity College and a great starting point for the first-time visitor. St. Andrew’s Church has been converted into the central tourism centre for Dublin City and County with efficient information desks, craft and souvenir shops, cafes and bookshop.

Although we could have walked it from Trinity (it’s a mere 15 minutes away), the Hop On - Hop Off bus dropped us off at Ireland’s number one visitor attraction – the Guinness Storehouse in the heart of the St. James’s Gate Brewery, home to the “black stuff” since 1759.

The massive seven-storey building, the former Guinness Fermentation plant, has been remodelled into the shape of a giant pint of Guinness. The Gravity Bar, a 360-degree panoramic bar with breathtaking views across Dublin City, forms the head of the pint on the seventh floor. Here, each visitor receives a complimentary pint of Guinness ..... but not before you’ve been given a fascinating insight into today’s brewing methods and, with the help of archive footage, told the story of brewing in days gone by.

Another Hop On - Hop Off stop is the Old Jameson Distillery for a romantic walk through the craft of Irish Whiskey-making. We started with an introductory video “Uisce Beatha”, the Irish word for whiskey which translated means “the water of life”, journeyed through the entire process and finished, you guessed it, with a visit to the Jameson Bar for a free whiskey tasting experience bar none. On the way we had the opportunity to pay homage to Smitty the cat who in the old days killed on average 20 mice a day in the old distillery. Now Smitty, by kind assistance of a taxidermist, is on permanent display here.

The Hop On – Hop Off will drop you off at 21 attractions, but even visiting every one does not do justice to this surprising city’s hundreds of attractions.

Dublin now ranks among the top tourist destinations in Europe, a vibrant city, friendly and accessible, steeped in history, fine museums and art galleries in medieval and Georgian buildings chronicling its long and colourful past, pubs and cafes joyful with traditional entertainment. Yet it hums with new chic, a vibrant nightlife of trendy bars, restaurants and clubs, particularly in the Temple Bar area south of the Liffey.

As we found to our chagrin, two to three days is not enough for Dublin. But with the help of the Hop On – Hop Off bus and the Dublin Pass you can try.


Photo: Molly Malone Statue, Dublin City, courtesy Tourism Ireland (photographer: Holger Leue 2003


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