One week, one rental car, and a Dublin hotel as home base. Shawn and I spent the first week of March in Ireland, March 2 to 8. I was there for work, so part of the week I was in the office, and the rest of the time was ours. Here is the whole trip, day by day, in case you want to steal it.
Getting there and getting around
We flew United into Dublin and home through Newark. Dublin Airport has US Customs preclearance, so you clear customs before you board and land in the States like it was a domestic flight.
We based ourselves at The Davenport, near Merrion Square, and rented a car for the days outside the city. Shawn did the driving, on the left side of the road, from the right side of the car. A few things worth knowing:
- Your US license works for renting a car.
- Book an automatic early if you want one. Plenty of rentals are manual.
- Pick the smallest car your luggage allows. Country roads are narrow, and stone walls do not move.
- Let the passenger navigate. The driver has enough to think about.
Monday, March 2: Landing in Dublin
First stop was The Sin Bin, the bar at The Mont Hotel around the corner from ours, for a Guinness and a round of Baileys. Then fish and chips and another pint.
Tuesday, March 3: The Wicklow Mountains
We drove south out of Dublin into County Wicklow, with the gorse in full yellow bloom along the road.
Our first stop was Glendalough, the valley with the old monastic settlement. Bare trees, cold sun, and Shawn already off taking pictures.
Next door is the village of Laragh. We found a river with an old stone bridge, and I found the jewelry case at Glendalough Woollen Mills. Go in. You will not leave empty handed.
Late afternoon we stopped for a drink at Jacob's Well in Rathdrum, then finished the day at Glenmalure Lodge, a country pub deep in the valley, with pints of Guinness and a sirloin.
Wednesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 5: Work days, Dublin nights
Days were in the office. Nights were in the pubs. Wednesday we went to Temple Bar for an espresso martini and sticky toffee pudding.
Then we walked back toward St Stephen's Green and landed in a pub with a live traditional music session and dollar bills tacked to every inch of the walls behind the Bushmills.
Thursday after work it was a pint at Dockers on Sir John Rogerson's Quay, then dinner back in the city.
Friday, March 6: Howth
Howth is a fishing village on a peninsula just north of Dublin. We walked the harbour, had a seafood lunch with friends at King Sitric, the red building right on the water, and then walked the East Pier out to the lighthouse just as the sun started to drop.
That night we ended up at The Hairy Lemon off Stephen Street. Live music and a packed house.
Saturday, March 7: Kilkenny Castle
We drove southwest to Kilkenny to walk the courtyard at Kilkenny Castle, then made it back to Dublin in time for one more proper pint.
Sunday, March 8: The Guinness Storehouse, then home
We booked the 9:30am self guided tour at the Guinness Storehouse at St James's Gate, which ends with a pint in the Gravity Bar, and still made our 1:35pm flight home. An early slot fits neatly before an afternoon flight.
Pack for it
Layers, a rain jacket, and shoes you can walk in all day. My go to pieces are on my Travel Gear and Travel Outfits shelves, and my whole packing system is in How We Pack for Nearly 200 Flights a Year.
Sláinte,
Hannah
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