Dublin, Ireland - September 2019

Dublin doesn't give you the ‘real Irish’ (whatever that means) because Dublin is a city with many tourists, and Ireland's capital and largest city. Yes, visiting the smaller towns in Ireland would possibly give you a better view of the ‘real Irish’ but Dublin is not a bad starting point, especially if you have never been to Ireland. It still offers an endless number of Irish culture and lifestyle.

This post is not about Ireland as a country and not even about Dublin as a city, but just my three-day adventure in this amazing city. If you know me, you’d know most of the places I visited in the city were centered around partying and drinking.

Dublin can be cold even in the summer. Now, I understand why most of my Irish friends are always in the bar. It was not cold, but there was hardly any sun while I was there. I guess you can get your vitamin D from Guinness (joking).

A pint of Guinness was what I had for breakfast every morning and even before the bar was officially opened

On a side note, Guinness comes with some essential minerals and vitamins, and it is sold at pharmacies in some developing countries. Things you can expect to get from drinking Guinness are amino acids (lysine and glutamine acids), Iron, calcium, vegetable protein, and B-vitamins (B6). Furthermore, Xanthohumol is a natural product found in the female inflorescences of Humulus lupulus, also known as hops, which has been said could help against cancer, especially prostate cancer.  Hops have been known to have properties that can help fight Alzheimer (Please do not quote me as I wrote this while drinking Guinness).

Dublin might not be the most expensive city in Europe, but you have to be careful in Dublin because it is not cheap. I guess a city that attracts many tourists as Dublin does, have to be expensive. As long as tourists are willing to pay 7 to 8 euros for a pint of Guinness, the pubs will continue to ask for that. Many bars around the city have drinks and good food that are reasonably priced.

Shepherds Pie and a pint of Guinness... yumm Yumm!!

Explore the city and do not fall in love with one bar or pub. Check out other spots and places.

There is so much to do in the city; It can be overwhelming if you are in Ireland or Dublin for the first time. I did not know where to start, but no matter where you start, you can never go wrong, especially if you begin the journey with a glass of Irish whiskey or a pint of Guinness. Just remember, "the craic is always mighty in Ireland." (I was first introduced to this phrase by my "brown Irish" brother, aka “the white Sri Lankan”. I didn’t know what it was, but he will always use it around his Irish mates or brothers. In Ireland I used it, and this young Irish lad was impressed that I knew what the word "craic" is.

 

There is a science, and some arts in pouring a pint of Guinness

"Craic" or "crack" is a term for news, fun, entertainment, or enjoyment. Young Irish people use it quite often with their friends. A 'good craic' is a reasonably okay night. A 'mighty craic' is a fun night but not the best night. A 'savage craic' is a great night, one of those nights with your boys where everyone is having fun and laughing. A 'deadly craic' is one of those unforgettable nights that the booze was flowing, and you guys are just out having so much fun, so much that you don’t want it to end.

When you say the craic was 'ninety,' that means you had so much fun, everyone was great, the Guinness was poured right, and the whiskey had you dancing in your head. That's the night you want to write a blog about, but you’ll probably be too 'shit-faced' to remember the night.

Never get to the "minus craic" phase. A minus craic is one of those nights where nothing seems to go well for you. GET YOUR CRAIC ON LADS!!

St James's Gate Brewery

I still cannot believe this is the place where it all started. They have been brewing this famous drink (aka Guinness) since 1759.

The Guinness storehouse inside this brewery is a massive seven-story attraction. It is mainly used today for tourism and no longer used for fermentation like it was intended to be used when it was built.

I could go on about this place, but I will keep it short.

I initially thought about making this blog post about this place, but I will not. It is a place to visit. It is also one of the most popular attractions in Dublin.

This is true for tourists who don't drink Guinness and also for those who do drink Guinness.

The Temple Bar District

The Temple Bar District is a place you have to visit. You also probably want to find a hotel or hostel close to this district as some of the cool bars and clubs are around or in this district.

The Temple Bar district at night

I mentioned the craic earlier, …. this is definitely the place to get some good or possibly a ninety "craic". The Temple Bar District has many options for live music, bars, food, etc. This is one place you have to be careful with what you buy as this is by far the most expensive place in Dublin - but who cares, huh? You go to Ireland to make sure the "craic" is at least mighty.

 

Temple bar is the most popular bar in this district. 

All Ireland Senior Football Championship - 2019

I happened to be in Dublin during the 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (Gaelic football is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The primary objective is to score by driving the ball through or over the goals. It is possibly the most popular sports in Ireland. I was expecting the ball to look like a rugby ball because of how it’s played, but it looked more like a slightly smaller soccer ball).

The finals were on September 1, 2019, between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. The city was out and ready to party. Every bar was packed, and Dublin, the favorite to win, had their fans in every bar cheering and partying. It was a fun night.

One of the rooms at a club I went to had a silent disco rave party. Silent disco is the craziest thing I have ever experienced. Take off your headphones and it is even funnier. Rather than using a speaker system, music is broadcasted via a radio transmitter with the signal being picked up by wireless headphone receivers worn by the participants.

Warning: Don't drink too much in heels because I saw three women on my first night, fall for one reason or the other, and all three were wearing heels and drinking heavily.

If you were expecting this post to tell you about Ireland or Dublin, or all the touristy places to visit, then you did not read the first two paragraphs. This post is not about how to get to Dublin or how to walk or drive around the city but just my adventure around the city. What I can say is this, there is history in Dublin, and you don’t have to spend most of your time in bars because there are Irish bars all over the world.

Famine Memorial, Dublin

Explore the city, check out restaurants, museums, and Irish shows.

Christ Church Cathedral

You can even go to the zoo or check out some of the castles like the Malahide castle or architectural buildings all around Dublin like the Christ Church Cathedral or some of the older pubs scattered around the city.

The Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin

Another popular attraction in Dublin is the Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison in Kilmainham, Dublin where many of the Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders, were imprisoned and executed by the British. It is now a very famous museum in Dublin.