Anyone who is fascinated by the fact that the much loved black beercalled
Guinness is Ireland in a glass, will find themselves at the StJames's Gate
Brewery in Dublin.
The home of Guinness beer whereArthur Guinness bought a disused brewery and
started producing the beerin the 1760s, is today known as the Guinness
Storehouse and is one ofDublin's most visited tourist attractions. Thanks to
multimediadisplays, the Guinness story takes the tourist across 250 years
andends with the refreshing glass of black with fantastic views acrossDublin
city at the glass domed Gravity Bar, the highest bar in Dublin.
Fromthe Guinness Storehouse it's an interesting walk to the Trinity Collegeand
as is the characteristic of Irish weather, rain accompanied me forsome of the
way and then out came the sun.
The fine print
TheTrinity College with its world famous artefact the Book of Kells
isfascinating, thanks to the very fact that the pages are from a bookthat dates
back to 850 AD making it one of the oldest books in theworld.
I, quite frankly found the stunning Long Room where thebook is housed more awe
inspiring than the book itself. Part of the OldLibrary in Trinity, the Long
Room houses about 25,000 of the library'soldest volumes. Just the fact of being
surrounded by the produce ofgreat literary minds from across the millennia gave
me goose bumps.
Pub-crawl
Shopaholics,though, will get their excitement exploring the area around
StStephen's Green, especially Grafton Street. Mainly cobbled stoned andwith a
lot of pedestrian traffic, Graton Street is where you can buyanything from
connoisseur cigars to the coolest clothes during the day.And should you be
pining for a taste of India, it is also home to Rajdoot Tandoori, an Indian
restaurant.
I,however, was more fascinated by one of the super-pubs there. Dublin'spublic
house licensing laws are quite outdated, so pub owners still runestablishments
on valid permits that their ancestors were given ahundred years or so ago.
Except that the permit, which was then issuedfor a hole-in-the-wall pub that
could hold 50 people, is today thelicense for a super pub that can comfortably
pack in 2,000 people. Butno one is complaining because these pubs radiate the
lively atmospherethat is Dublin by night and are pulsating with music coming
out ofspeakers half the size of closets.
In these establishments yousee a cross-cultural mix of people from students and
tourists topinstripe corporate types consuming exotic cocktails. Walk into one
ofthe more traditional Irish pubs, also in the area, like the AuldDubliner or
the Stags Head, and you'll probably see more of localsnursing their glasses of
Guinness and listening to Irish musicianscrooning away in tune to a guitar and
a tambourine.
More sights
Nextmorning the quiet serenity of the St Patrick's Cathedral seemed milesaway
from the garrulousness of Grafton Street or Temple Bar but it isin fact just a
10-minute walk away. St Paddy (as Ireland's patron saint– St Patrick is
affectionately called) is said to have converted andbaptised the first Irish
natives at this very spot.
I'd boughtthe Dublin Pass, a handy package deal, which is a money saver if
someheavy duty sightseeing is planned. And last evening I'd also bought aticket
for the hop-on-hop-off Dublin sightseeing bus which gave me 24hours of
unlimited travel on these open top red buses.
Oasis in the city
Finally, after all mysightseeing and exploring was done, I hopped off the bus
at StStephen's Green and took the short cut through the green. The park,bang in
centre of what is Dublin's most lively part, is far removedfrom the
hustle-bustle that goes on outside its gates. It is here thatpeople, sort of,
escape to a spot of country within the city. Grasslawns with flowerbeds beside
waterholes let you set up a picnic lunchand tuck into it as you watch ducks
glide by. In case it rains(something that is always a possibility in Ireland)
there are lovelygazebos in which you can take shelter and hear the
pitter-patter on thetrees.
Dublin has risen from the ordinary city it was a score orso years ago to become
one of the most thriving and lively capitals ofEurope. Indeed, when I was there
I saw swanky cafs sharing pavementswith medieval monuments. Modern hotels
offering world class servicewith views of gothic architecture that still
dominates Dublin.
Thecity with its many sights, interesting walks and chill-out areas wasthe
perfect culmination to an active week-long driving holiday aroundIreland.
Facts
• EtihadAirways is simply the best way to get to Dublin. The airline
fliesMumbai to Dublin via a 90-minute stopover in Abu Dhabi and pampers youall
the way with courteous service, award winning cuisine and a widerange of
entertainment options. Go to www.etihadairways.com
• Start planning a visit to Dublin at www.visitdublin.com
• You can see what attractions the Dublin Pass covers and can buy it online at
www.dublinpass.ie
• For an interesting guided walking tour of Dublin contact Germaine Dalton on
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