So with my first day in Dublin starting quite stressfully and ending with sickness I was determined to make the most of my second and last day in Dublin. Here’s what I managed to pack in….
Despite an awful sleep I’m awake early and decide to make the most of it and make a planned waking route of the city in order to see as much as possible of Dublin. Thing is, plans rarely work but for the most part it went well.
I head from my hostel down towards the river Liffey passing the grand Customs House and then the famine memorial before crossing over one of the shoogliest bridges ever passed a very pretty view along the Dublin Docklands with the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and the Samuel Beckett Bridge.
I head back to Trinity College today, this time to see the Book of Kells but even though I had arrived at opening time there is a very large queue. I decide to leave it for now and try my luck a little later on as there had been no queue mid morning on the previous day.
This puts my plan off a little but I proceed to my next stop which is to find the Oscar Wilde Memorial which is located in Merrion Square. Only I can’t find it. Even after half an hour. I do find a really interesting memorial to the Irish Defense League here instead as well as lots of other statues but Oscar Wilde is not to be found.
So I give up and next stop is the National Museum of Ireland’s Natural History Building but there’s a quick detour to St Stephen’s Green until it opens. This is why planned routes are silly. Anyway, the Natural History Museum it actually really cool and there is definitely lots to see plus its free admission. Thought there is actually five levels there is only two of the open to the public but the building itself is worth a visit even if you’re not that into taxidermy animals.
From here I back tract a bit and stop in at the National Gallery of Ireland which is also another free attraction. I’m not massively into Art Galleries but they seem to have quite a nice collection if a little small though I suspect this is temporary as there appeared to be building works going on. Only a short stop before my second try at the Book of Kells.
This time the queue isn’t very big and is moving fast so I decide to wait and its probably less that 10mins before I’m in to see the Book of Kells. The Book itself is a “9th-century richly decorated copy of the four Gospels of the life of Jesus Christ” but actually I’m more interested in seeing the “add-on” to the ticket which is the Long Library. Though the illustrated gospels ae very nice and definitely important to theologists and literary scholars the library is impressive and I think everyone can appreciate it’s beauty. I end up spending ages in here but would happily have one of these in my house.
After the long time spent in the Long Library at Trinity its time for more walking. Next on the list is the Chester Beatty Library passing the famous Molly Malone statue on my way. The library houses lots of manuscripts and paintings and is a very interesting little museum and yet another free attraction in Dublin. From here I continue on to to St Patrick Cathedral which is very pretty and a nice spot for a rather late lunch before wandering a bit further to the next stop Christ Church Cathedral. Another very grand and ornate building but unfortunately very pricey to see inside so I’m happy to just admire it from the outside. Funnily enough I see a lot of people doing the same as me and wandering inside only to promptly turn back upon seeing the price.
Finally I call it a day, quite exhausted from all the walking and the little sore feet are definitely telling me that they’ve had enough sight seeing for the day. I think Dublin is definitely a see on foot city for the most part but maybe just spread it out over a few more days. So off back to the hostel for a very early (4.45am!) wake up to be at the airport for 6.30am – the joys of cheap flights.