2 // One Day in Dublin

I’m back with another installment of One Day in Dublin. This time, Michael joined me for a little zip around the city. We nabbed a tiny parking spot and Michael managed to squeeze our car into it. I held my breath and tried not to back-seat-drive. Dublin parking is almost worse than Dublin driving – terrifying!

Our first stop was the National Museum of Archaeology on Kildare Street. We were on a mission to see the bog men, human remains mummified in the peat bogs. Michael had seen them when he was a child, but this was my first time.

I think I might have been too impressed with the building’s architecture to focus on the exhibits. The floor is covered in detailed mosaics, and the ceiling is just stunning. The bog men were interesting, but a lot flatter than I would have thought!

After our quick tour through the museum, we shifted gears and headed for the Royal Hibernian Academy Gallery to see their annual exhibition. This exhibit is a huge collection from emerging as well as established artists around the country. We enjoyed it because it’s such a broad range of pieces in one enormous collection of contemporary Irish art.

We finished at the gallery just in time to catch the lunchtime concert at the National Concert Hall. For just ten euro, you get a lovely lunchtime concert in the beautiful National Concert Hall. You could add another five euro for a sandwich and a coffee, but we had another plan for lunch!

After the concert, we wandered through the Iveagh Gardens, a little known park just around the corner from Stephen’s Green. The Iveagh Gardens (pronounced Ivy) had their annual play in the park going on at the time, so all these people were relaxing on the lawn, listening to a performance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

{Stephen’s Green gets points for having this statue of Robert Emmet – my grandfather and father were named for him!}

Because the two are so close to each other, we decided to stroll through Stephen’s Green and compare the vibe in the two parks. The Iveagh Gardens are quieter and calmer. Stephen’s Green is always buzzing with tourists and the Iveagh Gardens seemed to be mostly locals. It’s a great spot if you’re looking for a little peace and quiet from the city!

After all that strolling, we were hungry! We stopped at the ever-colorful Little Ass Burrito Bar on Dawson Street. Their planters were so cheery! Burritos joints are absolutely everywhere in Dublin at the moment and it’s been fun to try them all out, one by one!

As we strolled back toward our car, we passed the Mansion House, where Dublin’s Lord Mayor resides. We’re hoping to try Fire restaurant, which is attached to the Mansion House – apparently the Lord Mayor gets to eat there whenever he likes.

Last but not least, Michael insisted we stop in the Celtic Whiskey Shop for a little browsing. We loved spotting Maine’s Cold River Vodka on the shelf! They have lots of little bottles of Irish whiskey – just small enough to fit in your carry-on. And I now have a few great birthday gift ideas for my lovely husband!