Dublin

Our third stop in Dublin was to be our last and that is so disappointing as we love it here and it means we have to leave Ireland, after having so much fun! This time we stayed at Kinlay House backpackers, as that is where we were dropped after the tour and a few of the other people were going to be staying there. The night we arrived the hostel had some Irish dance lessons in the lounge room which we joined in. This was great fun but a decent work out or us unfit travelers. After our dance lesson we met up with a few people from the tour and a couple of other people from the hostel and headed to a pub in the Temple Bar district. More Guinness, dancing and good times!

Monday was our last full day in Ireland, so we made the most of it, just walking the city and doing a few of the things in Dublin we hadn’t seen yet. We started with a bit of shopping and going to the “Temple Bar”, a famous old pub. We wandered through the gardens at the Trinity College and saw the Molly Malone statue (also known as the ‘tart with the cart’). We ate lunch in a pancake restaurant which was nice and then headed to the Kilmainham Goal for the tour which was really good, lots of history and stories of prisoners.

After a short nap, we headed away from the touristy areas of Dublin in search of a little local pub. We didn’t really find it, but we did find a pub, had a hearty stew, Guinness and a bit of a chat to some other people, most of whom were from out of town. Strangely we met an English guy, in Ireland, whose parents live near the Wheelers Hill Pub in Melbourne, small world!
Tuesday morning we were supposed to be meeting up with Alana from our Halloween tour, but at the last minute she bailed. Her uni residence was on lock down because of a swine outbreak, how rude! She is studying in Dublin and was going to take us to one of the art galleries in town. Instead we went for a walk along the River Liffey. We did end up having a look at the gallery also but the exhibition wasn’t that great. Then it was back to the hostel to collect our bags and head out to the airport. In true Irish style, we were sitting on the public bus to the airport and met a couple of really nice locals. We chatted to them for most of the way to the airport, before they got off at their stop.
That has really made this place, the people, and the Guinness! Everyone we have met has been so friendly and willing to help out. We have loved it here in Ireland and are kind of wishing we could stop here to look for work, rather than head back to London.