There are many prehistoric sites in the Burren. Poulnabrone Dolmen is located between Cliffs of Moher and the Aillwee Cave in Co Clare in Ireland.

There are many tour buses make a day trip to Cliffs of Mohers from Western cities such as Galway and Limerick as well as multi-day tour buses from Cork, Dublin and Northern Ireland. If you drive yourself to Cliffs, the car parking is on the other side of the road from the entrance. You pay for the parking/entrance fee at the parking or at the entrance.

I’ve been to Cliffs of Moher for 3 times, and always been lucky with the weather. Often times in West of Ireland, it may rains in the morning, but clears up by noon, so don’t be discouraged by a light shower, and head out to Cliffs. For a better picture, the sun seems to hit the side of the cliffs better in the afternoon.

When visiting Cliffs of Moher, you can also go to Aillwee Cave, the Burren and the Poulnabrone Dolmen in Co Clare.

The Burren is an easy reach from Western cities such as Galway and Limerick by car. Many tour buses go through the Burren on the way to Cliffs of Moher, the Poulnabrone Dolmen and the Aillwee Cave. If you chose to drive yourself, be careful driving through very narrow (goes both ways) roads. The speed limit in many areas is 100km/hour, but you’ll be slowed down by a group of cattle and tractors operated by locals.

Things you see at Bunratty Folk Park:

Ardcroney Church - an original Church of Ireland building in Ardcroney, Co. Tipperary was moved stone by stone and rebuilt in the Folk Park.

Hazelbrook House - was the home of the Hughes Brothers who produced HB ice cream.

Vertical Mill – a rural undershot watermill and the Horizontal Mill – a working corn mill based on findings of an excavation in Mashangla Co. Cork. This type of mill is described in Irish Law texts from a 1000 years ago.

Bunratty Walled Garden - modelled on the original Regency period garden which supplied fruits, vegetables, and flowers to Bunratty House built in 1804 and now refurbished in typical Victorian style.

Folk Park Farmhouses

• Loop Head Farmhouse - a woman in the costume bakes bread and makes butter here.
• Cashen Fisherman’s House - a North Kerry Salmon Fisherman house built with woods salvaged from the sea.
• Mountain Farmhouse - a poor farmers house from the borders of Limerick and Kerry.
• Shannon Farmhouse - a farmhouse removed from the site of a runway at Shannon Airport and reconstructed, which was the beginning of the Bunratty Folk Park development.
• Bothan Scóir - a dwelling of a poor landless labourer.
• Golden Vale - a rich farmers home from the rich lands in the Golden Vale of Limerick and Tipperary counties with stables, byres and a corn barn. Women in costume bake brown bread, porter cake, apple tart, and griddle bread here, and you can purchase them.
• North Clare Farmhouse - a house from near the Cliffs of Moher in North Co. Clare. The local flagstone is used to build houses, out buildings, various field walls gate piers etc.
• Byre Dwelling - a dwelling for both humans and milking cows from Co. Mayo.

Bunratty Folk Park village is located next to Bunratty Castle in County Clare.

When visiting Bunratty Castle, don’t miss the 17th century German chandelier hanging in the North Solar, and the Tudor standard in the Great hall.

The visitors can attend the Medieval Banquette held at the Bunratty Castle’s Main Guard twice nightly hosted by the Ladies of the Castle since 1963. (Reservation required.) It’s a 4 course meal with wine and music entertainment. The Main Guard room was used by solders back in the Medieval time. Before attending the banquette, visit the Bunratty Folk Park next to the castle.

There are some bus tours take you there, but I took a city bus from Limerick bus center. The bus stops by the hotel near the castle entrance.

Bunratty Castle: +353 (0) 61 711200

Aillwee Cave was known as “Bear Haven”. When you visit the cave, a guide will take you to the hibernation pits used by wild bears with some of the remains (of bears and rabbits) still visible. The Cave is open for a guided tour only, and there’s an entrance fee. Be sure to wear comfortable flat shows as you’ll walk through some wet and rocky path. It’s very dark in some area, too.

While Aillwee Cave is not the biggest or the most stunning caves in the world, it’s worth a visit if you are in the area. Most of the bus tours to Burren and Cliffs of Moher stop here. If you are not interested in the cave, check out the farm shop and/or the Bird of Brey Center there.

Aillwee Cave: http://www.aillweecave.ie/

Tel: +353 - 65-7077036

When I made a plan for a trip to Northern Ireland a year later, I allocated 3 nights in Belfast and 2 nights in Derry. The plan was to spend 2 full days in Belfast, and also to make a day trip to places in the Antrim coast such as Giants Causeway, Bushmills Distillery and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. I flew from JFK to Dublin, and took an express bus from Dublin airport straight to Belfast.

When I went to Belfast for the 3rd time, we flew from London to Belfast and rented a car at the airport. We got a GPS with a car, which saved us many times during the trip. We went from Belfast to Larne then drove Antrim coast all the way to Portrush and back in one day. We had plenty of time to stop to take photos at different towns and visit tourist attractions along the way. We also made another day trip to South East of Belfast, down along the Strangford Lough and went back up on the coast line.

Whenever I mention my trips to Belfast and Northern Ireland, many people express the concern of safety issue. I’m happy to say that Northern Ireland including Belfast have become a safe place to visit for the past several years, and I’ve never experienced any problems there. Though I do recommend that you rent a car in Northern Ireland instead of rent it in South and bring it up to North. I’ve heard that some tourists had their rental car from South vandalized in North.

We didn’t eat, but they have a good selection of meals at reasonable prices. You can check out their menu on their website. (See URL below.) According to their website, they have a weekly pub quiz. I’d like to be a part of that next time I’m in town.

Address: 2-4 Winecellar Entry, Belfast, BT1 1QN
Phone: 028 9024 3080

Whites Tavern of Belfast: http://www.whitestavern.co.uk

There are more than 20 Peace Lines in Belfast, and many of them extend for miles. The wall was built to minimize the violence between the neighborhoods, and it also has gates, where military security guards used be posted. Now, the gates are left opened, but the Peace Lines are still there. I asked our taxi driver why they didn’t take the wall down, too. He responded that it would immediately cause troubles and people would start to kill each other again…

The Peace Lines are filled with graffiti by the locals and tourists. Some hoping for the peace in future, some crying about the tragic past. While Belfast and Northern Ireland is have become much safer place to visit in recent years, these walls are undeniably still important parts of their daily lives.

Phone: +44 28 9024 7447
Address: 38-40 Great Victoria Street, Belfast

Robinsons Bar is located near Crown Bar and Europa Hotel.

When I was looking for a hotel in Belfast, I found a great deal on their website, and decided to stay here. Jurys Inn has hotels in many big cities in Ireland, Northern Ireland, UK, and now in US, too, so if you plan to visit these locations often, it would be a good idea to sign up their newsletter.

Belfast Jurys Inn was a nice and comfortable accommodation especially for the price we paid. It’s simple, but has all the necessities. Internet access was available, but was very pricey. You may want to go to one of the Internet cafes in town. Usually, the breakfast is included in price, but maybe not especially when you book at the special rates. Always check what’s included and what’s not.

Belfast Jurys Inn Hotel:  http://belfasthotels.jurysinns.com/

This photo shows the houses behind the Peace Wall, where I visited during the Black Taxi Tour. According to our guide, these houses install the roof extensions so that when people on the other side of the wall throw bombs over the fence, it would roll away from the house to minimize the damage. The wall kept people on each side, but it wasn’t high enough to stop people from throwing things over. And, as you can see in photo, these houses stand right next to the wall. These houses are on the “Catholic” side of the wall, and during the tour, we also visited a few memorials for the victims of the conflict including small children. Some houses near the wall had murals in memories of these victims, too.

The Black Taxi Tour I took was a part of a day tour to Belfast from Dublin, but you can arrange the tour by yourself through tourism office in Belfast or websites. When my friends did this tour, they paid GBP20 each. The tour usually lasts 1:30 or so, but you can arrange for a longer tour for additional fee.

Europa Hotel is known as the most bombed hotel in Europe. The building was damaged 33 times by Provisional IRA bombs from early ’70s to ‘94. In ‘95 and ‘98, then US President Bill Clinton stayed in Europa Hotel.

Europa Hotel: Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7AP

Phone: +44 (0) 28 9027 1066

Crown Bar is located on Great Victoria Street very close to the Grand Opera House and Europe Hotel. As you walk into the bar, you’ll see a large counter on left and paneled and closed rooms on right. The bar further extend back to more sitting area. Inside the bar is decorated in Victorian style with wood panels, old painted glasses, and lamps.

The Crown Liquor Saloon has a bar menu and a dining menu, which are between GBP1.00 to 7.50 or so. While they serve really good Guinness on tap and Irish Whiskey, you can also order other beers and whiskeys, wines, sodas, tea and coffee.

The Crown Liquor Saloon / Crown Bar: http://www.crownbar.com

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) was an English soldier and statesman who worked to make England a republic. When he dominated “Commonwealth of England”, Cromwell conquered Ireland and Scotland, and ruled as lord protector from 1653 till he died. Cromwell became army commander and lord lieutenant of Ireland. He’s viewed as a hero of liberty to some and as a regicidal dictator to others in Ireland, where he crushed resistance with the massacres of the garrisons at Drogheda and Wexford (1649). When the Royalists took the power in 1660, his body was dug up and beheaded after hang in chains.

This mural of Olivery Cromwell sends message with following writing:

- Catholicism is more than a religion. It is a Political Power therefore I’m led to believe there will be no peace in Ireland until the Catholic Church is Crushed.

- Our Clergy persecuted and our protestant churches desecrated also our protestant people slaughtered in their thousands.

Bobby Sands lead a hunger strike in 1981 after the years of solitary confinement and torture, to assert the political status denied them by the British government and its repressive prison regime. After 66 days on hunger strike, Bobby Sands died at age of 27 on May 5, 1981.

During the hunger strike, Bobby Sands was elected as MP for the constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. In prison, he wrote short stories, poetry and kept diary, some of which were published by the Bobby Sands Trust in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

While his story and the hunger strike definitely tell a tough and tragic history of Northern Ireland, I thought that a smiling face of Bobby in colorful mural told his strong belief and hope for the future.

When we stayed, the parking lot (free) was a few min. walk from the hotel, which wasn’t a too much of trouble. You just need to unload the luggages at the hotel before you park a car.

Benedict’s Hotel Belfast: http://www.benedictshotel.co.uk/

Address: 7-21 Bradbury Place, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast

Benedicts of Belfast Restaurant: http://www.benedictshotel.co.uk/beattheclock.htm

Address: 7-21 Bradbury Place, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast

From Belfast, we went to Carrickfergus, and went up North to Larne, Cushandall, then to Ballycastle. Though these towns are not major tourist destinations, you are treated by beautiful scenery of the coast line. As you approach to the Ballycastle, you start to see Scotland on the other side of the North Channel.

From Ballycastle, you can head out to famous Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and Old Bushmills Distillery.

We made lots of stops on the way to these locations, and enjoyed the view as much as we enjoyed the famous tourist locations. I hope you get lucky with the weather as we did.

Causeway Coast Tourism: www.causewaycoastandglens.com

Antrim Coast: www.northantrim.com

Northern Ireland Tourism: www.discovernorthernireland.com

From the visitor center, you can either walk on foot through Little Causeway, Middle Causeway where you can sit on a wishing chair then proceed to the Grand Causeway, or take a short bus ride straight to the Grand Causeway area. It is estimated that 37,000 basalt columns are in the Giant’s Causeway area.

This is one of my favorite places in Northern Ireland. The view of the columns and the coast is very beautiful. While it’s very impressive how the nature played the magic to those columns, it’s also interesting to hear the legends and tales of the area such as Finn MacCool and a woman in Staffa island in Scotland.

Giant’s Causeway: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-giantscauseway.htm

Dunluce Castle was once a beautiful residence of Earls and Countesses with fine dining area and library. The story is that one day, when the strong storm hit the area, which broke the cliff and the kitchen fell into the ocean along with some of the kitchen staff! You can imagine how quickly the family moved out of the castle after that.

Though the castle now has no roof over the building, you can still picture how it was centuries ago from the twin towers and some of the original cobbling still intact.

Dunluce Castle is open to public year around (fee). The opening hours varies from season to season. A guided tour is also available. When we visited, the castle was closed for the day, but we could park a car near the castle and walk around the area. If the timing is right, you can enjoy beautiful sunset there.

Dunluce Castle: 028-207-31938

When you are at Carrick-a-rede rope bridge center, you get off a car and go through a park gate, where you pay the entrance fee. From there, you walk along the coast line for a while to the rope bridge. The path is not paved and pretty steep in some areas. Near the bridge, you’ll get in a line and wait for your turn to go down the wooden radder and then go across the bridge.

The bridge hangs about 80 feet (25 m) above the sear, and moves (shakes and wobbles) very much as people walk across. It can be very scary when the wind blows. I was fine until I happened to see the sea below my feet. (You can see the sea between the wood panels you step on.)

When you go across this Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, you’ll be on a small island, which is about 65 feet wide. When I was there the first time, the wind was blowing so strong that I worried that we may be blown off the cliff. When I was there the second time, the weather was so calm, and I got to enjoy the view, flowers, birds, etc. You can see Scotland from there, too!

When you are ready to go back, you have to go across the rope bridge again, and walk back to the car park. When you go through the park gate again, stop by the station and ask for the certificate. They’ll issue you a certificate of crossing the bridge, which makes a good souvenir to yourself.

Carrick-a-rede rope bridge: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-carrickarede/

The tour is open only for the guided tour, which lasted about 1 hour including the whiskey tasting. The tour costs about GBP5. Our tour started with a video, then a guide took us to the distillery giving us the information of different stages of the whiskey making. During the tour, a guide asks for some volunteers for the tasting at the end of the tour. I highly recommend that you go for it. I did!

The factory itself was a bit smaller than I expected… compared to Guinness storehouse and Old Jameson’s Distillery in Dublin. But it was a fun experience. At the end of the tour, everyone gets a glass of Bushmills whiskey. If you are one of the volunteers, you’d be seated at the table with several cups of whiskeys. They gave us different bushmills whiskeys, Jamesons, Scotch, and even a cup of bourbon! While I was tasting these whiskeys, I realized that I prefered Jameson over Bushmills, and I really liked Kentucky bourbon.

The tasting room is next to, what else, a gift shop, where you can purchase different Bushmills whiskeys. Some of them can only be purchased here, so don’t miss it!

Bushmills Distillery and its tour have different business hours for summer time and winter time. It also closes for different holidays. Check their website when you plan the visit.

Bushmills Distillery: http://www.bushmills.com

Dublinia & The Viking World is a heritage center, exhibiting the artifacts and information, which you can experience and learn the life in the medieval city and the world of the Vikings. The building it occupies is the former Synod Hall of the Church of Ireland, which was acquired by The Medieval Trust.

Inside the building, there were some interactive activities in addition to the exhibitions, which was very entertaining for the boys.

There are Dublinia and the Viking World ticket, and a combination ticket with Christ Church Cathedral, which is standing next to Dublinia.

Dublinia & The Viking World: http://www.dublinia.ie

Dublin Writers Museum : http://www.writersmuseum.com
18 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Tel: +353 1 872 2077

General Admission Tickets:
Adults: €7.00 (Group rates €6.00)
Concessions: €5.95 (Group rates €4.95)
Child: €4.40 (Group rates €3.40)
Family: €20.00

Combined tickets with either the James Joyce Museum or The Shaw Birthplace.
Adults: €12.00 (Group rate €11.00)
Concession: €10.00 ((Group rate €9.00)
Child: €7.40 (Group rate €6.40)
Family: €34

Some of the paintings you can admire at National Gallery of Ireland are by Irish painters such as J.B. Yeats, Hamilton, Roberts and O’Conor, also by European painters such as Caravaggio, Rubens, Chardin, Monet, Picasso, Vermeer, Goya and Turner. A good size collection of Yeats room and a portrait collection including U2’s Bono’s portrait by Brocquy are some of the must see things at the gallery.

The place is not as big as Louvre in France or Metropolitan in New York, but is a good size, and takes several hours to look thoroughly. You can take a break at Gallery cafe with a cup of tea. Also, don’t miss the gallery shop before you leave.

National Gallery of Ireland: http://www.nationalgallery.ie

National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology and History has all of the archaeological items found in Ireland between 7000BC and late Medieval period. The exhibition displays the objects from over 2 million items in its collection, and is a great way to learn the rich history of Ireland.

In addition to the exhibition, when you visit the museum, you’ll notice tall columns at the great entrance of the museum building. The columns are 18 meters (54 feet) high and made of Irish marble.

Guided tour is available, which lasts about 45 minutes. (2 euro)

The museum is easy to get to as it’s located in Dublin’s city center near National Gallery, Grafton Street, and Trinity College.

National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology and History: http://www.museum.ie/archaeology/

They usually offer competitive room rates, and some package deals, but can get very expensive during the events in the town. So, check online for the deals.

The twin room I stayed was a bit old and could use some updating, but was good enough for 1 night. The breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant wasn’t impressive at all. If you are looking for a good Irish Breakfast, opt-out B&B package, and just book a room. There are some restaurants in the area such as The Bank, that offer good breakfast. Since it’s in the center of Temple Bar area, the noise can get very loud especially on the weekend nights. Of course, if you are out and about till late at night enjoying Guinness at pubs and bars in the area, you won’t be worrying about the noise.

Blooms Hotel Dublin: http://www.blooms.ie/

Harding hotel has a restaurant on the 1st floor and connected to a pub/bar next door. If you book a package, it usually includes a breakfast at the restaurant.

I stayed in a single room for 1 night at Harding hotel. It was a room with a shower, a tv, a hair dryer, and a coffee maker. Small but comfortable for one person.

The room rates are usually competitive, starting from around 65euro/night for a single room or 85euro/night for a double room.

Harding Hotel Dublin: http://www.hardinghotel.ie

Usually, the room rate includes continental breakfasts, which you can upgrade for hot breakfasts for additional fee. All staff were very friendly, and welcoming. They have a small bar on the 1st floor. The front door is always locked for security.

All rooms are en-suite some of them with just a shower. Unlike most hotels in Dublin, Aston hotel has quad-rooms and family rooms from 100euro/night during the off season. It’s a perfect hotel for budget travelers, backpackers and student travelers. And, it’s definitely an upgrade from hostels in Dublin.

They now offer free Internet connection! Can’t beat that!!

Aston Hotel Dublin: http://www.aston-hotel.com

I’ve stayed once at Jurys Inn Custom House, which is by the River Liffey, and very close to the bus station and O’Connell street. I’ve also stayed twice at Jurys Inn Parnell Street, which is near the north end of O’Connell street. Both are typical business hotel like set up with comfortable bed, clean linens, and amenities such as a coffee maker and a hair dryer. Their rooms are usually competitively priced, somewhere in low to mid 100euro/night per room.

Jurys Inn also has a hotel right in front of the Christchurch, and another one near the Croke Park in Dublin.

I usually book from their website. They always run some specials on web site including web only prices. If you plan to visit Dublin, check their web site frequently for specials or sign up for the newsletters.

Jurys Doyle Hotels in Dublin: http://www.jurys-dublin-hotels.com/

Stephen’s Green Hotel was built by restoring two Georgina houses, but the inside the hotel including the guest rooms have a modern atmosphere.

Check the website for special deals, etc.

O’Callaghan Stephen’s Green Hotel: http://www.ocallaghanhotels.com/dublinmain/stephens_green.aspx

Buswell hotel is a few blocks from Grafton Street, and very close to some of Dublin’s popular tourist attractions including National Gallery, St. Stephens Green and Trinity College.

The breakfast buffet inside the hotel was very good.

They often offer special deals through their website.

Buswells Hotel: http://www.quinnhotels.com/buswells.html

It’s close to many tourist attractions including National Gallery, Trinity College and St. Stephens Green. A short walk to one of Dublin’s popular shopping areas, Grafton Street.

It’s a 4 star hotels, but the price can be very reasonable especially if you book ahead. They also run special promotions all the time, so check their website. When I stayed there in summer 2006, I paid less than 200 euro/night for a twin room.

O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel: http://www.ocallaghanhotels.com/dublinmain/Alexander.aspx

Though the building is old, the rooms are nicely updated with flat screen TV, etc. I had a breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant on the ground floor. The made-to-order Irish breakfast was pretty good.

The rooms are reasonably priced, has a free parking for customers, close to bus and train station, etc. I would definitely stay here again in future.

Wynn’s Hotel Dublin: http://www.wynnshotel.ie/

Inside the VAT house, many woods (oak, mahogany and pine) from the original vat house in Guinness brewery are used to create the atmosphere.

They have good Guinness, and also have variety of different beers, whiskeys and other drinks. Also, there’s a nightly traditional Irish music session at the bar.

Vat House bar: http://www.vathouse.ie/homepage.html

The visitors can enter the Old Library and the Book of Kells housed in Treasury. The Old Library, which was built in 1732, is a 210 ft long room with more than 200,000 books. A barble busts of scholars and the oldest surviving harp in Ireland are also displayed in here.

The Book of Kells is the most richly decorated Ireland’s medieval illuminated manuscripts probably by the monks from Iona, who fled to Kells in AD 806. The book was brought to Trinity College in the 17th century. It contains the four gospels in Latin. It’s a beautifully written and colorfully drawn book, and one of the must see attractions in Dublin.

Also, Samuel Beckett Theater and Douglas Hyde Gallery are open for visitors.

Trinity College: http://www.tcd.ie/info/visitors/

This Georgian style building opened as a guest house in 1978. It’s in a convenient location as it’s very close to the bus center LUAS stations, and Connolly train station.

The Townhouse: http://www.townhouseofdublin.com/

In order to bring locals back, the Temple Bar area has been re-claim it as the “Art-zone”, and bringing theaters, art galleries, cultural centers, etc. to the area.

Many pubs and restaurants open on Sundays and holidays and till later hours compared to other areas in Dublin.

I’ve been to Dublin many times, and walked around the area (near the Trinity college) many many times, but never stopped to pay attention to this stone till my visit in August 2007.

The plate by the stone says the following:

Near this point stood for about eight hundred years the famous STEINE, or Long Stone, a standing stone, 12-14 feet high, probably erected by the Viking inhabitants of Dublin in the 10th or 11th centuries. The River Liffey was originally much broader than it is now, and Townsend Street marks the original shoreline at this point. The strand along where Townsend Street now runs seems to have functioned as a landing place for boats throughout the Middle Ages and the Long Stone was probably set up to mark this landing place. It became one of the main landmarks around medieval Dublin, and the whole area between College Green and Ringsend became known as “The Steine”, after this stone. The area between Townsend Street and the present quays was reclaimed from the river between 1700 and 1720, and teh Long Stone was removed before 1750. The present stone was carved by Cliodna Cussen and erected in 1986. The faces commemorate Ivor, a Viking who ruled Dublin in the 9th century and the local convent of Mary de Hogges.

The Stags Head was rebuilt in 1895 by the architect, A.J. McLoughlin. He designed the bar with stag-themed stained glass windows, mirrors, wood panels and a large stag’s head over the bar. This Victorian bar was a big success with Dubliners in the 1890s, and a young James Joyce was a frequent client.

Unlike other Irish pubs with a bar and only a few stools, there are many tables and comfortable chairs on the ground floor of the Stag’s Head. They serve pretty good Guinness.

St. Stephen’s Green, which was one of 3 ancient commons in the old city, was enclosed in 1664, and 22 acres green was put out in 1880. In addition to the landscaped area with flowers and trees, there are a lake, a fountain, and some memorials such as; Load Ardilaun who gave a grant to build the park, James Joyce, Edward Delaney, Wolfe Tone, and WB Yeats, placed throughout the park.

There are some notable buildings on St. Stephen’s Green as well. The Royal College of Surgeons built in 1806 is located on the west side, which still has the marks of bullets in its columns from 1916 Rising. Shelbourne Hotel is on the north of Green. The hotels dates back to 1867.

Newman House is on the south side. It’s the home of the Catholic University of Ireland opened in 1854. Also on the south side, there are small University Church and Iveagh House, which was once owned by the Guinness family.

The existing stone building of St. Patricks Cathedral was mostly built between 1254 and 1270. The original building was a wooden chapel and lasted till 1192, which was re-built by Archbishop John Comyn with stone. The building is 300 ft long and the tower is 141 ft high.

While the older Christ Church Cathedral was more associated with the British establishment, the St. Patricks Cathedral was seen as the people’s church. The building suffered from weather damages, neglect and fire, and in 18th century, Sir Benjamin Guinness provided the fund for the building to go under extensive restoration project.

Some of the well-known people’s memorial inside the St. Patricks Cathedral are:

• Jonathan Swift - Dublin native, a Dean of St. Patricks in 1973, and an author of “Gulliver’s Travels”
• The Boyle family - Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, his wife and family
• Douglas Hyde - The first President of Ireland

There’s an old door with a hole at the end of nave. The hole was cut by Lord Kildare so that he and the Lord Ormonde could shake hands in friendship in 1492.

St. Patricks Cathedral: http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/

St. Michan’s Church may not be on the top 10 must-see list, but it certainly has its uniqueness. From outside, the church looks like a boring gray building that has nothing to catch your eyes. But inside, there are several arts and crafts items related to the church displayed including the beautiful wooden curving of music instruments placed above the organ, which Handel is said to have played. (See photo.)

However, the main attraction of St. Michan’s Church has to be the underground cemetery, where mummified bodies can be viewed. There are several door ways to enter the vaults, and you can only visit there with a guided tour (fee).

According to the guide, there was no intention of mummifying the bodies. As bodies inside the caskets were put in the vaults, the natural temperature and the humidity of the area took the course, and preserved the bodies unexpectedly. There are 10 or so rooms in each vault. Many of them are closed and cannot be seen according to their family’s wish.

One of the rooms I saw had several bodies inside the open caskets. Some of them were believed to be the bodies of crusaders. (Their legs are crossed.) One guy seems to have lost his foot. The guide told me that the foot was cut off probably because he was to tall to fit inside the casket. (!) One of the other crusaders had only 1 finger left in hand. In old days, the vaults were open to the public for free entry, and people were touching his fingers for good luck. (!!)

One of the room has the coffins of the Sheare brothers, who were executed by the British after the 1798 Rising. When their old coffins were replaced with new ones at the bicentennial commemoration in 1998, they discovered that the standard British punishment for traitors had been enacted, and the bodies had been hanged, drawn and cut up.

In the church graveyard, there are other well-known people resting, including Oliver Bond, who were involved in the 1798 Rising, and a mathematician William Rowan Hamilton. It is also believed that the body of Robert Emmet, who were executed during the 1803 Rising, are also here at St. Michan’s.

The Dublin Spire is 120 meters tall, which makes it the tallest structure in Dublin. The top section is lit up with small LEDs at night. O’Connell street has been nicely paved, and especially on the sunny day, you’d want to capture the Dublin Spire in a photo with blue sky in the background, but as it stands on the busy street, capturing the entire structure is a quite a challenge. I took this photo from my hotel room window.

The Nelson’s Pillar, which was about 45 meters tall, was built in 1808. The head of Nelson is exhibited at the Dublin Civic Museum.

The room rates are very reasonable especially for the area. The building was older, and the mattress wasn’t new, but the room was very clean when I stayed. The hotel staff is on duty 24 hours, and the security measure was taken with cameras, etc.

The best part (other than the location) of the stay was the breakfast at the cafeteria on the ground floor. The room looked like it could’ve been a ball room one time with high ceiling and very decorative window and wall treatments. The made-to-order Irish breakfast was good, too. As you can see in the photo, the sign outside says “Bewleys Oriental Cafe“, which is Dublin’s famous restaurant/cafe chain. That explains why the food was good.

19/20 Fleet Street, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 670 8122

The Papal Cross (photo) stands wehre the pope celebrated Mass in front of one million people in 1979.

The Zoological Gardens opened in 1830, and is the 3rd oldest zoo in the world. The lion appears at the beginning of MGM movies was from this zoo.

The Ashtown Castle is a restored 17th century tower house. It’s the only building open to the public inside Phoenix Park. The Phoenix Park visitor center is inside this castle building.

It’s a nice park, but going there after dark is not recommended.

I’m a fan of Thin Lizzy, and when I saw Phil’s statue, I was very happy to see that people in Dublin hadn’t forgot about him. The statue is placed so that he’s looking at the people walking by on busy Grafton street. I heard that his body rests in the cemetery in Howth, a short train or bus ride from Dublin.

The Palace Bar is one of my favorite pubs in Dublin. You don’t see those old signs and jags displayed here. Instead, you’ll see beautiful stained glasses on the windows and a back room with high ceiling. Being still popular among locals is a good sign, too. The night before big matches on the weekends, the place is filled with fans from all over Ireland, and you’ll have a great time drinking and talking with them. The Musical Pub Crawl also visits the Palace Bar a few days a week.

Statue of Daniel O’Connell stands at the South end of the street right by the O’Connell bridge. The statue of Parnell stands on the North end of the street. The Dublin Spire stands tall in front of GPO.

Off the O’Connell Street, you can continue walking through Henry street where department stores and shopping mall are. Moore street is one of the busiest streets off O’Connell Street. It’s the street market filled with fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, etc.

During the guided tour, visitors will learn about the Beatty family, who first moved into the place in 1794 as well as the local history and the late Georgian Dublin.

There’s a fee to enter the museum, and it’s open for a guided tour only. So book in advance.

Number Twenty Nine: http://www.esb.ie/main/about_esb/numbertwentynine/default.htm

I suggest that you purchase a ticket at Dublin’s tourism office. The group usually meats at the Oliver St. John Gogarty in the evening. If you haven’t purchased a ticket, you may be able to pay to the organizer at the pub, if there’s a space.

Our guides took us to Ha’penny Bridge Inn and Brannigan’s, spent about 1 hour at each pub. The whole time, we were entertained by fun talk and great music.

(See Blue Butt Sheep on Molly’s cart?)

“Molly Malone”

In Dublin’s fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh!”

“Alive-a-live-oh,
Alive-a-live-oh”,
Crying “Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh”.

She was a fishmonger,
And sure ’twas no wonder,
For so were her mother and father before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive oh!”

(chorus)

She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive oh!”

(chorus)

See website for the detail on tickets, fares, stops, etc.

LUAS: http://www.luas.ie

The photo is showing the end of river Liffey connecting into the Irish Sea in Dublin Bay. The Liffey starts in Wicklow mountains, and runs for about 75miles. I like to walk along the river Liffey crossing either O’Connell bridge or Ha’penny bridge. In the evening, you’ll see a beautiful sunset and its reflection on river. Famine memorial is located on Custom house quay, which is on the North bank of Liffey.

When I stayed at Jurys Inn across the street, I had a breakfast here one day. The place was clean and casual with some 12+ tables inside and several more out side. The morning sunshine was coming through the large windows facing the street. Their breakfast menu includes (but not limited to) full Irish breakfast, a half Irish breakfast and continental breakfast. I had a full Irish breakfast, which came with a glass of juice and a cup of coffee (or tea). It was a good way to start a day, and I would go back there for a breakfast again.

Kingfisher Restaurant: http://www.kingfisherdublin.com/restaurant.htm

You can take a cab/taxi, city bus, or tour bus to visit the facility. It’s only open for a guided tour. (fee) I took Dublin bus, which stops right in front of the building. To go back to the city center, you get on a bus at the stop located in the back of the building.

During the tour, you’ll see historical videos, photos, letters of prisoners and their families, dank cells, punishment cells and hanging room. All of them were very informative, and you can’t help but being emotional. The cells of some famous up-rising prisoners are marked with names. They were all about 5′x7′ size, and very dark and depressing.

The guide also takes you to the chapel, where Joseph Plunkett married to Grace Gifford hours before he was killed by the firing squad for his part in the 1916 Rising. You’ll also visit the prison yard, where Plunkett’s badly wounded colleague James Connolly was tied to a chair and shot to death.

Kilmainham Gaol: http://www.kilmainham-gaol.com/

During the tour, you learn how the whiskey is produced with some interesting stories about the place. At the beginning of the tour, they ask for some volunteers for the tasting at the end of the tour. If you enjoy Irish Whiskey, I suggest that you raise your hand right away! I volunteered, and received a certificate of tasting after the tour.

There’s a good size gift shop inside the building. Some Jameson’s whiskey can only be purchased here. Check with the store clerk, if you are interested in purchasing it.

Also, there’s a Chimney tower where you can go up to have a great view of Dublin’s city center area.

Old Jameson’s Distillery: http://www.oldjamesondistillery.com/index.php

Ha’penny Bridge was built in 1816. Since its opening till 1919, they charged a half penny for people to walk across, and the name “Ha’penny” came from that. The bridge is beautifully designed, and always clouded with people (mostly tourists). I like to take a photo of Ha’penny Bridge from other bridges such as O’Connell bridge, where you can get the entire bridge in the frame.

I’ve been there twice. The first time to see the stand-up comic, and the second time as a part of Musical pub crawl. Both time, I had a pint at the ground floor, and later went upstairs for the event. They serve tasty Guinness, and it’s less expensive compared to other pubs in the Temple Bar or in Dublin city center where many tourists go to. Ha’penny Bridge Inn seems to keep some local customers even though it’s in the Temple Bar area.

Even if you are not a beer lover, do visit Guinness Storehouse, as it is much more than a brewery tour. Through the multi-level exhibits, you’ll learn not only how Guinness is brewed, but also the culture and the history of Dublin and Ireland.

When you purchase a tour ticket, you receive a small paper-weight like glass with a drop of Guinness. At the end of the tour, you go up to the Gravity bar on the top floor, where you can enjoy 360 degree view of Dublin. Present your glass with a drop of Guinness at the bar for a free pint of Guinness. It’s the best Guinness you’d ever taste in your life! I’ve had Guinness every where in Ireland, UK, USA, etc., and can tell you that it’s the best. I’ve been to Guinness Storehouse for 4 times so far, and every time I have a pint at the Gravity bar, I re-confirm that it is the best.

Besides the pint, I really like a video of a cooper making Guinness barrels. His skill and the craftsmanship is just amazing.

Guinness Storehouse: http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/

The famous Bewley’s Cafe is on Grafton Street, too, and Dublin Tourism Office is on the Suffolk street off the Grafton street. The Molly Malone statue is located at the corner of Grafton street and Nassau street. Also, there’s a statue of Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) off the Grafton street.

I’ve been to Dublin for many times, and was running out of the things to do (sure, you can always hit the pub, and there’s no end to that… lol) and decided to give it a try when I was there in August 2007. If you want to make sure to get on the tour, you should buy a ticket (25euro) at the ticket office on upper O’Connell street. I didn’t. (I wanted to, but the ticket office was already closed when I went there.) So, I had to wait for everyone with a ticket to get on to make sure there’s any seats left. Luckily there were a few, so I got on!

Everyone sits upstairs, where a guide gives us some interesting stories as we move from one location to another. As I walk up stairs, someone (a guide) grabbed my ankle to scare me. Right… this is a “ghost” tour. Uoooooo, I’m scared. They took us to the Kevin’s Park to see some old graves, an old gate on the medieval wall, etc. You get to see parts of Dublin that you would probably never even imagine to visit on your own, so that was good.

Dublin Ghost Bus Tour: http://www.dublinbus.ie/sightseeing/ghostbus.aspx

There are many stories of why the doors are painted in different colors, but my favorite one goes like this:

“One night, a husband came home drunk and woke up next to a neighbor’s wife in the morning. All the wives on the street had a meeting, and decided to paint the door in different colors so that their husband would remember to come back to the right house.”

On sunny day, take a walk around the squares, and enjoy the view of colorful doors and unique characters of Georgian houses. I have lots of photos of the doors.

I love GAA sports, especially the Hurling, and GAA museum was one of the places in Dublin that I really wanted to visit. The museum is in the Croke Park building, which is outside the city center area. I took a taxi from the city center. It was about 10 min. ride. (It’d take much longer on the day with games.)

Inside the museum (fee), different artifacts of the Gaelic sports are displayed with the information. As everything else in Ireland, the history of Gaelic sports cannot be told without mentioning the history of Ireland, and I found myself reading every panels and watching videos, etc. There are some interactive displays, and an area where you can try hitting hurling ball to score some goals. It’s an interesting place for children, as well as for adults.

Since “Bloody Sunday” on Novembe 21, 1920 during the match between Tipperary and Dublin, all non-Irish sports had been banned to play at the Croke Park. But in 2007, 6 Nations Rugby game was allowed to play at the park, and Ireland vs England match was played without any incidents.

GAA Museum: http://museum.gaa.ie/

The Great Famine in mid 19th century took many Irish people’s lives, and caused many more to move out of the country.

I saw many statues and sculptures on the streets and in the gardens of Dublin. Apart from many other statues that send political messages of strong Ireland and cultural message of modern Dublin, the Famine Memorial sends a massage in completely different note, coming from ordinary people who paid a huge price for the country’s political situation. It’s very very powerful.

Still, I like this street mainly due to the gorgeous stone buildings on both sides. There are many shops and restaurants on this street, too.

I was lucky enough to spend two nights at the Clarence. The building and the rooms were decorated in simple, yet elegant taste. It’s an old building, but remodeled and maintained well. The location is perfect as it’s in a hart of Dublin’s city center. Even if you don’t stay there, go to the Tea room inside the Clarence hotel to have nice meal, or go to the Octagon Bar for a drink.

It’s pricey especially on weekends and holidays, but they run specials and packages on the website time to time, so check it out before you book.

The Clarence Hotel: http://www.theclarence.ie/

A list below shows a few things that you shouldn’t miss, if you visit this Cathedral: (fee)

• Strongbow monument - I guess his body is not inside it, but his remains are buried in the cathedral, and a smaller monument placed next it may be a part of his original tomb.
• Chapel of St. Laud - The heart of St. Laurence O’Toole is displayed in a casket.
• Crypt - The Mummified cat and rat displayed in a case on a wall. They were found inside an organ pipe in 1860’s.

Christ Church Cathedral: http://www.cccdub.ie/

You can walk around the buildings and the gardens by yourself. Inside the building is only open for guided tours. (fee) The inside is nicely decorated with many arts and crafts, but it’s not that impressive if you’ve seen some of the famous castles in France or Germany. Still, the underground part of the tour, where you can see a part of Medieval fortress, was interesting, and worth a visit.

At the end of the tour, you’ll go through a cafe (sit down and have an apple turnover and a cup of tea!) and - what else?- a gift shop. Yep. All tours ends at a gift shop.

From lower yard, go around the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, and pass the Record Tower. You’ll see the Octagonal Tower and a side of the building which is painted with “oddly” and unexpected colors. I wish I’d known this before the tour. I’d asked why it’s painted in those colors.

On the left hand side, you’ll see a small gardens with some flowers and grass trimmed to make it looks like two snakes are crawling on the ground.

Dublin Castle: http://www.dublincastle.ie

As many of the big cities were developed near river and/or ocean, Dublin’s canals provided great transportation for the city and helped its development till after the WWII. Though it’s closed for commercial traffic since 1960, canals are well maintained as you can see in photo. Enjoy the lovely walk along the canals when you are in Dublin.

The first time I ate there back in 2002, their Irish breakfast was so delicious, but this time (2007), it wasn’t so great. It was still good, but nothing special. The kitchen staff must be changed.

If you stay at Lynams Hotel, the breakfast at Cafe Carlo is usually included in the price. Otherwise, the full Irish breakfast is around 10euro, and a half size is around 6euro.

I’ve took several one day bus trip from Dublin (Belfast, Wicklow, Hill of Tara, etc.), and they all worked out great. The privately owned bus tours usually provide a guide with great knowledge of the places you visit.

Dublin bus: http://www.dublinbus.ie/sightseeing/

Gray line and Irish city tours: http://www.irishcitytours.com/

I always go upstairs, but you can also have a cup of coffee downstairs by the street, or go to the restaurant area (downstairs) to have small meal such as pizza and salads, or have full meal.

Also, they sell their brand coffee and tea, which you can purchase at the counter by the front door. It makes good souvenir.

Bewley’s Cafe: http://www.bewleyscafe.com/

This Victorian building was built by the Belfast Bank in 1895. You can still see “BB” in some of the beautifully designed stained glass windows. The building was designed by William Henry Lynn, who was one of the British Empire’s leading architectural lights. According to them, everything is exactly as it was when the Belfast Bank opened its doors to the Dublin public in April 1895. They have been preserving it beautifully with pride.

When I was having late lunch, there were a large group of Limerick’s Hurling fans having drinks and pub meals as they wait for the game to start. Unlike some of other pubs, where you see lots of crazy, drunk and “fun” sports fans, the Bank seemed to attract well-mannered people.

Monday through Thursday: 9am - 11.30pm
Friday through Saturday: 9am - 12.30am
Sunday: 10 am - 11.30pm

The Bank of College Green: http://www.bankoncollegegreen.com/

Taxi costs somewhere between 22 to 35 euro depending on the traffic.
In the city, Aircoach makes several stops. You can also go to one of these stops to go back to Dublin airport.

Sometimes, when you wait at Aircoach stop, a taxi may come and offer to take some people to the airport for 7 euro (or so) per person. If you don’t see Aircoach approaching, and don’t have a round trip ticket, I suggest that you take the offer.

Aircoach also runs from Dublin airport to Belfast and Cork. If you are traveling to one of these cities right away, take it instead of going to Dublin city to take a train. It will save time and money.

Aircoach: http://www.aircoach.ie/

Other choices of transportation: http://www.dublinairport.com/to-and-from/by-bus/

Dublin airport: http://www.dublinairport.com/index.asp

The original Powerscourt house was built in 1731 on the site of a Norman castle. It was burnt down in 1974. The Slazenger family, who own the estate now, have restored the ground floor and the ballroom upstairs, where you can visit for a fee. There’s a cafe inside the Powerscort house, where you can enjoy the beautiful garden view. The golf course next to Powerscourt is one of the famous courses in Ireland.

OPENING TIMES

House & Garden:
• Daily: 9.30am – 5.30pm
• Last admission: 5.00pm
• Gardens close at dusk in Winter
• Closed December 25th & 26th

Waterfall:
• 9.30am – 7.00pm May/June/July/Aug
• 10.30am - 5.30pm Mar/April/Sept/Oct
• 10.30am - 4.00pm Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb
• Last admission: 1/2 an hour before closing
• Closed 2 weeks prior to Christmas

ENTRANCE FEES

House & Garden:
• Adults €9.00, Student/OAP €7.50
• Child (U16) €5.00, Child (U5) Free

Waterfall:
• Adults €5.00, Student/OAP €4.50
• Child (U16) €3.50, Children (U5) €3.50

Powerscourt: http://www.powerscourt.ie/

There are many cafes and restaurants serve Irish breakfast (from 7 euro and up). Some come with additional items such as baked beans. I have a few favorite places in Dublin, where I go for great Irish breakfast.

Inside the General Post Office building, the paintings telling the story of the Irish Rising are displayed. You can take a guided tour of GPO to learn more about what happened there. Also, a sculpture of the mythical Irish warrior, Cuchulainn, which was dedicated to who died for their part in the Easter Rising is displayed by the window.

While you can still see the memories of its tragic history in statues and bullet holes in the poles of GPO building, the city also shows the modern side of Ireland backed by the growing economy in recent years.

It’s about 6.5 hours flight from Boston or New York to Dublin. Usually I fly out in the evening via Aer Lingus, and arrive to Dublin in early morning. Always, my heart starts to beat a little faster, when I see Dublin outside the window.

These are my recommendation of “10 Things you must see when you are in Dublin for the first time”:

1. National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology and History
2. Dublin Castle
3. Temple Bar Area
4. Kilmainham Gaol
5. Guinness Storehouse
6. Trinity College (Book of Kells)
7. Grafton Street (shops, Dublin Tourism Office, etc.) & St. Stephen’s Green
8. O’Connell Street (GPO, Theaters, shops, etc.)
9. Ha’penny Bridge
10. National Gallery of Ireland (my favorite!)

If you have more time, I suggest that you check these out:

1. Christ Church Cathedral
2. St Patrick’s Cathedral
3. GAA Museum
4. Merrion Square
5. Old Jameson’s Distillery
6. St. Michan’s Church
7. Phoenix Park
8. Dublinia
9. Musical Pub Crawl
10. Dublin Writers Museum