What started out as a trip to Switzerland this summer with just my DW and DD went through a number of permutations and ended up as a trip to Dublin, with an extended family group of 10. For half of us this was a first trip to Ireland, for the others the second.
We arrived in Dublin from three different points in the States, most of us on a Monday morning. One big advantage of the cabs here and also in Britain that we have found is that, if asked, many of the cab drivers will give you a bit of a tour as you travel to the hotel. We have had luck with a number of them who take pride in telling you about their city.
Once we arrived at the hotel and had a brief rest different groups of us fanned out over the city. My DW and DD took a walk by Trinity College and up Grafton Street. It was a surprisingly sunny day so St Stephan’s Green at the end of Grafton Street was a busy place during our walk.
When it came time for dinner we found an interesting Italian restaurant Dunne and Creszenzi. Excellent selection of wines and good food.
Tuesday morning we were picked up at the hotel by Paddywagon tours for a trip to Newgrange, Monasterboice, Mellifont Abbey followed by the site of the Battle of the Boyne and the Hill of Tara. The day was typical Irish weather, off and on rain interspersed with a little sun. The highlight of the day was the guided tour of Mellifont Abbey. Our guide was a delightful lady who gave a nice explanation of the history of the Abbey. Our driver, Frank did a nice job getting us to as many of the places we wanted to see as possible in the time allotted. A nice lunch was at The Corkscrew Brasserie in Tullyallen. This was our second visit to Ireland and I am not particularly fond of traditional pub food. However, many of the pubs and restaurants that we visited on both trips had surprisingly diverse menus that kept everyone happy.

Wednesday was spent in Dublin. The morning started with a tour of Kilmainham Gaol that was very moving. Some of us later went to the Museum of Modern Art which was across from the Goal. The museum got mixed reviews from the group. The rest of the day was spent roaming around the city.
Thursday was a trip to the north of Ireland. We were picked up at 7:30. Our first stop was the Dark Hedges, site of scenes from the Game of Thrones. After that we took a break at the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge but since it was pouring rain none of the group wanted to walk the bridge. From the bridge we went to the Giant’s Causeway. The rain had stopped by this time so we were able to clamber around the Causeway. Since we did not spend much time at the Bridge we had time to visit the nearby Bushmills distillery for a tasting. The tasting was a good way to taste and compare different types of Bushmills. After the tasting we drove to Belfast for a Black Cab tour of Belfast. If you have the time I recommend it highly. It really showed that the current “peace” is tenuous at best. After the Black Cab tour we just had enough time to walk around the area of the Titanic museum. The museum was only open for another hour. Maybe next trip we will have time to go in and look at the exhibits. On the way back to Dublin we took a detour to go through the town of Newry.
Recently, my DW learned that her great-grandfather on her paternal grandmother’s side was born in the Newry area. Since it was not too far out of our way, our driver, Frank drove through the town on our way back to Dublin. We arrived back at the hotel at 7:30 so it was a long day but worth it.

Friday was another Dublin day and started off at the Book of Kells followed by a visit to the library at Trinity College. Fortunately, we got our tickets in advance so there was no wait. If you go, give yourself time to read all of the prefatory material presented before you get to see the actual book. It puts the Book of Kells in perspective. For lunch we went to The Brazen Head. The pub claims to be the oldest pub in Dublin. After lunch some of us took a couple of cabs back to the hotel. However, we asked the drivers to take us back by way of Phoenix Park. Phoenix Park is a large park in Dublin and is home to Ireland’s President as well as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. There are herds of deer roaming the park. Fortunately, each of the cabs had drivers who were happy to tell us about the park and the areas we drove through getting back to the hotel.
Saturday morning was another trip outside of Dublin. After leaving the city we headed south to Wicklow. Our first stop was a brief ride through Bono’s neighborhood south of Dublin that included a picturesque view of the water. From there we went to Powerscourt Gardens. The day was a nice sunny day and the gardens were in full bloom. If you have the time it is certainly worth a stop. After the gardens we stopped off at Glendalough and walked around the site. From Glendalough the bus took us to Kilkenny where we toured the castle and the Craft Center.
On our last day Sunday we did the Hop on Hop Off tour around the city. It put the city in perspective. Later that day we went to see a performance of Riverdance at the Gaiety Theater. On Monday it was back to the States.

I love that you used Dublin as your base, smart move. Who did you use for the Wicklow tour? I hve done this one and it was good but he is really chatty.https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ty_Dublin.html

I would like to go to Powerscourt instead of Asher gardens. Great you got to see something at Gaiety theater. We are going in Sept and have been checking.
Loved the Black cab tour. I wish more people would take the trip to Belfast for the day.

Enjoyed your report. Thanks for sharing!

bm

Thanks for taking the time to share.