I decided I need to see more of the countries and cities neighbouring where I live (London) so I decided to take a trip to Dublin in Ireland. The Currency used in Ireland is the Euro, £1 (GBP) is equivalent to €1.30 (Euros).

Cost of my trip
My flight from London Stanstead to Dublin cost €13 (£10) and my accommodation at Abigail’s hostel costs €104.80 (£81.54) for 4 nights.

The weather
It was December so it was cold, I needed my large coat, scarf, hat and gloves. The Emerald isles surely get cold during winter.

Where I stayed
Abigail’s Hostel
The hostel was centrally located on Aston Quay with views of the River Liffy. It was decent, the hostel room had an en-suite and the breakfast (included) was typical of continental Europe. The hotel was value for money and I recommend it for ease of access to the main attractions.

What I did

Dublin Free Walking Tour
I went on a Sandemans free walking tour, I find this is the best way to learn about a new city, the tour guides are usually history students and they have great knowledge of the city and culture. The guide on this tour was no exception, he was great fun.

Dublin Castle
The Castle is rather unusual in that it doesn’t look much like a Castle in the main courtyard, however the old prison attached to the rear of the castle is a lot more interesting and typical of medieval architecture.

Trinity College
The university grounds  are beautiful and steeped in history and culture, I would have loved being a student here. Trinity college is also the home to the exhibition of The Book of Kells and The Long Room library .

The Book of Kells
The Book of Kells is beautifully decorated and written in Latin, it contains the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various introductory texts and tables. It truly is a masterpiece of Western calligraphy, the book is widely regarded as Ireland’s finest national treasure. There is an entrance fee of €10 to the exhibition, photographs are not allowed therefore I have no pictures of my own to share with you, I highly recommend a visit to the exhibition.

The Long room
The entrance to the Long room is at the end of the Book of Kells exhibition, it is a fantastic library where the books are arranged by height, it is said finding a book can take a good while. Being surrounded by all that knowledge made me feel smart, the knowledge seemed to seep out and permeate the air.

The City Hall
The City Hall is a fine example of 18th-century architecture, the exterior is beautiful but the inside is even more impressive, as you walk through the doors you are met with a beautifully painted gold dome. There wasn’t anything to do in building except appreciate the architecture and empty space.

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMoMA)
The IMoMA is located in a fantastic building on beautiful grounds. It was free to get into the main exhibition.

The Formal Gardens
The gardens are located next to the IMoMA, it is immaculately kept and you can tell a lot of love and care goes into looking after the gardens. It was a dry and sunny day so I sat under the winter sun for while just enjoying the gardens.

Dublin at Night
Seeing a city at night you get a totally different vibe than you would get during the day, Dublin’s vibe was much sexy and somewhat romantic especially around the River Liffy.

Other sights and things of Dublin

My Review of the City
Dublin is a crazy, sexy and cool city. I will describe it as a smaller compact London which is actually more expensive but with nicer people. I definitely would love to return to Dublin as part of a bigger trip through Southern Ireland. All in all Dublin is a great city.

If you’ve enjoyed my review, or if you want any advice for your trip leave a comment and I will be sure to do my best to help you and if you follow my blog you will be notified as I upload more posts.