Well I have to say in all honesty, when we first arrived in Dublin, it wasn’t what I had been expecting. I had heard there were pubs, clubs and restaurants galore with people spilling out on to the street all full of Guinness and the ‘craic’. Here I was thinking we would just step off the boat and straight into a 24-hour party. Well, not quite.
When we arrived in Dublin Port I hadn’t quite appreciated the fact we were in the North East end of the city. The ‘party’ and the ‘crek/craic/crak’ or all of the above (if that’s what you’re looking for) is more in the South East end of Dublin – which actually isn’t that far. Luckily we had two stops in Dublin planned which gave us ample opportunity to get our bearings. Our first was just an overnight stop as soon as we arrived. The second visit would be for a couple of days on our way back to Holyhead.
Our very first experience of Irish hospitality was at the Clontarf Castle Hotel. Perfectly situated just ten minutes away from Dublin Port (and just 2 miles from the City centre). We couldn’t have wished for a warmer welcome.
Clontarf Castle Hotel is a majestic building steeped in history, yet modern and fresh. The grand entrance is flanked by some pretty impressive stone lions, and the hallway was beautifully decorated around some funky red chandeliers which I fell totally in love with (or were they purple?). It felt traditional, luxurious and glamorous all rolled into one.
If you’ve been lucky enough to hear the words “You have a room upgrade” on your travels, then you know that can mean anything from an extra few feet in your room, to an extra inch of sea view when you stand on your tip toes. In Clontarfe Castle Hotel, when they say you have a room upgrade, prepare to be ‘wowed’. When I walked in the bedroom I said ‘wow’ until I realised there was another room, then another … ‘oh wow’! I draped myself luxuriously across the four poster bed, and the leather sofas, and the chaise longue … oh heaven. This is how we are meant to live.
Alas, our stay here was for one night only, but we certainly made the most of it. After a sumptuous night’s sleep we were ready to set off and discover what Ireland had in store for us.
On our return to Dublin we were a bit weary and perhaps a bit teary that we had come to the last part of our trip. We had a truly memorable time visiting Kilkenny, Kinsale, Limerick, Galway and Rosscommon and I suppose we felt the best of our holiday was behind us. We couldn’t have been more wrong!
Our base for the next couple of days was the Sandymount Hotel located practically across the road from Dublin’s Aviva Stadium (for all you Rugby fans). The hotel is only a five minute walk from the DART rail link which takes you straight into the heart of things in the city.
If you have read many of my travel posts, you will know I am a big fan of the ‘Hop-on-Hop-off‘ Bus Tours particularly if you are new to a city or you are short on time. We purchased a ticket for the Red Tour (other tours are available) at the cost of £16.50. The complete tour takes 90 minutes, and of course, you can hop on and hop off in areas that spark your interest. The ticket is good value as it last for 2 days.
When Peter and I visit these areas we are keen to do things that aren’t necessarily on the tourist route. Neither of us are particularly keen on heaving, noisy crowds, so when we find a little gem that we think we are the first to discover, we are extremely pleased with ourselves.
Confession time in Dublin
One such gem we found in Dublin (after sampling a few pubs along the way) was The Confession Box. 
This is what I would call an authentic Dublin pub, cosy, lively, and full of local regulars who are full of character.
Imagine our joy when the traditional music started. Here we were with Guinness in hand, thigh slapping and foot tapping to tunes such as – yes you’ve guessed it – Rocky Road to Dublin (bet they never got sick of playing that …). We liked it so much we went back a second night, by which point we too felt like regulars and we sung along with the best of them. By the time came to last orders, we were feeling like we were the ones that had to leave the party early and go home. So while I would like to keep this little place to ourselves for any future trips back to Dublin, I feel I have to recommend this little spot.
Dublin was an absolute blast and lifted our spirits so heartily, ensuring we left a piece of our hearts there forever, a smile on our face and a longing to come back.
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