When entering Ireland, the majority of flights land in Dublin, the capital and largest city in Ireland. Many people had asked if that was where I was studying abroad when I told them I was studying in Ireland for the summer and they were pleasantly surprised when I told them I was staying in Belfast. However, even though we are not studying there, the majority of our group wanted to visit Dublin, and we decided to go on a day trip to see what all the fuss was about. Dublin did not disappoint; with loads of Irish pubs and other restaurants, interesting architecture, history, shops, tattoo parlors, and gelato spots, Dublin had piqued our interest.
After about a three hour train ride, due to some delays, we were all excited to stretch our legs and explore Dublin. The small group I was with decided to go to Dublin Castle first to see the beautiful stonework and learn about its place in Dublin’s history. When you arrive at the castle, you enter through the courtyard, which is meant to give you just enough of a view to make you want to see the rest of the castle. So, we went inside to buy tickets for the guided tour at 2:00. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and she took the lead with some pep in her step. First, we saw the remnants of the original castle that had been built there when the vikings had first settled. We were led into a basement type area where you could see what was left of one of the four original towers that were connected by the outer wall of the castle. Our guide explained that this tower, the powder tower, had held ammunition and that the vikings had chosen to protect it and the record tower when a fire had taken over the rest of the castle. We were able to see part of the original moat, which water was still flowing into, and a set of servant’s stairs that had been a part of the outer wall. While I enjoyed hearing the tour guide explain the history of the viking settlement, the part that had rang out to me was that their settlement had been named Divlin, which is where the name Dublin was originally derived.
Next on the tour we saw the inside of the chapel which had been completed in 1814. The chapel was breathtaking with deep red velvet pews, stunning stained glass windows, and an ornately decorated organ. The names of past viceroys, or Lord Lieutenants, had been painted on the upper pews. These viceroys had served as representatives of the English king while England had ruled Ireland, and there had been many over this long time period. The main stained glass window over the altar depicted multiple scenes but what I found most interesting were the words Ecceh Homo underneath the images of Jesus. I asked the tour guide what they meant and she said they were Latin for “behold the man”, which had been said when Jesus had been brought out on the crucifix. Despite these other details, the massive organ at the back of the chapel stole the show. Hand painted with tedious gold finery, the organ loomed massively over the rest of the church and I could only imagine the powerful music it once produced. The rest of the new castle was interesting to see but about what you would expect. There was lots of red velvet with gold trim and detailed architecture, and the paintings were amazing. The room that stood out to me was the ballroom, where the majority of the ceiling was covered in a massive, gorgeous painting.
Another fascinating find in Dublin was the archeology branch of the National Museum of Ireland. Three exhibits stood out: Kingship and Sacrifice, Viking Ireland, and Ancient Egypt. Kingship and Sacrifice was an exhibit that held artifacts that had been preserved in bogs for centuries and exhumed. Many of the artifacts were attached to preserved human bodies which allowed scientists further understanding of older time periods. The Viking Ireland exhibit consisted of remains that had been found during excavations of medieval viking settlements. Among the unique of these findings were human remains, a range of weapons, and different jewels and finery. The plaques stated that scientists were able to determine the social status of the person buried by their range of belongings. The Ancient Egypt exhibit held an array of bright colored artifacts and a series of very well preserved statuettes.
All day we had been on the lookout for traditional Irish places to visit while in Dublin. I had been especially keen to find anything with the name Murphy, given that it is my last name. We decided to try Murphy’s Ice Cream which had traditional Irish flavors such as sea salt, brown bread, honeycomb caramel, and Irish Whiskey. Their recipes had been perfected over the years and you could tell once you tasted the unique, but delicious flavors. For dinner we had to try a real Irish pub, and we found one called Bruxelles. Jesse decided to try her first Guinness, which she felt tasted like most other beers if only slightly more bitter. Makayla and I decided to try one of their fruit ciders which were delicious and tasted like they hardly contained alcohol. And Maddie decided to try a Smithwick’s Irish Ale, which she enjoyed. For our traditional Irish dinners, Makayla had the cottage pie, Jesse and Maddie tried the fish and chips, and I had the pub burger which had a special sauce and onion ring on it. Over all, a wonderful and tasty selection of Irish drinks, entrees and desserts.
Although this trip into the big city was exciting and we had done loads of fun things, we realized we were missing Belfast. The huge crowds and maze-like streets were exhausting and we longed for the quieter, more green walkways of Belfast. Dublin is a tourist hub and had many American brands and chains, whereas Belfast feels like its own little spec of wonder with plenty of local places to eat and kind people. It’s always interesting to experience new things, but they can make you appreciate where you’ve already been.
