If Paris is the city of love, Dublin is the city of pubs. I almost certain a pub-crawl in this place would result in the participant either dancing on the tables or lying catatonic in a corner before even reaching the next block. But oh what a block it would be!
Summer in Dublin is far colder than the tropical climate I’m used to, with children swimming in the river in wetsuits while we rugged ourselves in jackets and scarves. Maybe that explains the preoccupation this city’s residents have with alcohol; it keeps them warm.
The pubs themselves are beautiful, many of them are painted a bright red that would be sun-bleached with a week in Australia, and all are in classic old buildings. Inside is laughter and music, with a variety of craft beers, ciders, and of course, Guinness. The first pub we came to upon arrival was called the Ferryman. There were flowers overflowing from pots outside, and the inside was warm and welcoming, decorated with various Irish and drinking memorabilia. We’d just come off of a flight from Australia, and we were both starving and exhausted. The kitchen had closed, but the charming bartender offered to “whip us up a little something,” which just so happened to be a Guinness Pie, complete with chips, mashed potatoes, and honey roasted vegetables. This was topped off nicely with a half pint of their craft pale ale.
The afternoon saw us trying to find Dublin Castle no matter how many locals tried to convince us that “it isn’t much of a castle.” Prepared to be disappointed, it was incredibly heartening to find that it was only “not much of a castle” for people who lived in a country full of them. To people from Australia, where the closest thing to a castle are the ones you build out of sand on the beach, this thing was fantastic, with the most beautiful courtyard running alongside it.
The Guinness tour was even better. The Guinness in pubs pales in comparison to fresh un-carbonated Guinness that has just been distilled. It is my firm belief that it could make a beer drinker out of even the most resolute winos. From the top floor we could see the whole of Dublin, and the trip back on the bus took us along the river, solidifying in my mind just how beautiful Dublin city really is. Cold, yes; even in the middle of summer I was wearing a scarf and jumper; but gloriously vibrant and packed the the brim with history.
Dublin is a city I could see myself visiting again and again, if only to try out every last pub.
Morgaine Auton 