The story behind how I ended up in Ireland is simple: I wanted to maximize the paid days off from work and happened to find cheap flights to Dublin for the week of Thanksgiving. I was itching to somewhere (anywhere, really), and given that I love a good deal as much as anyone else, it was easy to pull the trigger and purchase those tickets. Then I patiently waited for months until I could board that plane and go across the Atlantic.
Dublin—and Ireland—was never really on my list of places I dreamed of traveling to. This was my first true case of “I went because I got a great deal on a flight,” which is what websites like Going and travel bloggers will often recommend. It’s a trade off for sure, because while there’s this opportunity to travel while spending less, it may not be nearly as exciting as somewhere that’s a dream destination. But I firmly believe there’s rarely a “bad” place to travel—I’ve even had fun at a barn theater (multiple times, I may add) in South Bend, Indiana.
I did a little research on Dublin and the rest of Ireland. I didn’t have anything specific in mind yet, so planning was necessary. My partner and I would have about five days for the trip, so we considered visiting Cork or Galway, but ultimately he decided he wasn’t too comfortable driving on the left side this time around (and unfortunately, I don’t have a driver’s license at all). So I made some Google searches, read a few blogs, and watched the Dublin episode of Somebody Feed Phil in which Phil Rosenthal does not nearly eat in Dublin as much as the title would suggest.
My first impression of Dublin upon landing was that the weather is indeed what people say it is. Most of the trip was gloomy, cold, and slightly humid from the occasional drizzle of rain. I ended up spending the majority of my time in the city in most touristy parts, and it was really nice to be able to walk about 30 minutes or less between nearly any major attraction. I was able to explore the grounds of Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, both of which date back to the 1200s and have beautiful gothic architecture.
Like any big city, Dublin has dozens of museums. I felt that The Little Museum of Dublin and EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum are incredibly worthwhile visits. Both museums illustrate Dublin and Ireland’s long and complex history, with the former focusing on the city’s stories and the latter focusing on emigration across centuries. Something fun I learned from both museums: Ireland seems to really love John F. Kennedy. Another visit I ended up really loving was the Old Library at Trinity College. I initially booked tickets because I wanted to see the Book of Kells, but the library is like something out of a fantasy book. The shelves were mostly bare as the library is going through a restoration project, so I look forward to visiting again when the books are returned.
Alright, so the landmarks and museums are lovely and all, but let’s be honest—the real reason people visit Dublin is to drink. (I’m kidding, but maybe it’s kind of true.) As you probably know, Dublin is home to two big-name alcohol brands: Guinness and Jameson. The Guinness Storehouse has a museum-style exhibition in their storehouse where you can learn how the beer is made. We ended up also doing the connoisseur experience, and I learned how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness, the history behind some of their brews, and exactly why Guinness in Ireland tastes so much better than Guinness in the US. (Spoiler: It’s because the tap is cleaner.) The storehouse overall is super fun, and the Guinness is indeed delicious on site.
The Jameson distillery has a range of experiences if you want to do more than just walk in and order whiskey at their bar, so if you’re not much of a whiskey drinker (which I am definitely not), there’s a cocktail class on site. We learned to make a whiskey sour, an old fashioned, and something called Jameson punch, which is served hot in the winter months. I’m not a whiskey convert by any means, but I can say that I’ll definitely be making whiskey sours and old fashioneds at home in the near future.
Between these experiences and museum visits, most of our time was spent eating and drinking. Of course the drinks are good; the Irish are experts when it comes to beer and fixing up a cocktail. The food however, was just good. It’s nothing to write home about (though it’s clearly worth writing this about), even though some spots really nailed some dishes. Some notable favorites were the Cock a Leekie pie from Spitalfields, fish and chips from Fish Shop, boxty from Gallagher’s Boxty House, and the most buttery sausage roll from Bread 41. I also tried beans on toast at The Fumbally, a funky cafe-market hybrid, and as a bean-hater, I was very pleasantly surprised by how good it was.
Of course, I can’t forget Bibi’s Cafe, a cute local joint which we liked so much we actually went twice while we were in Dublin. Maybe I only scratched the surface of Irish food, but much of the food that I had was very rich and heavy handed on dairy and potatoes. They do dairy well, so it made perfect sense that Murphy’s Ice Cream, the last stop on our five-day trip, had some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. The Irish brown bread flavor was caramelized and delicious, and the Irish coffee flavor is very close to the actual beverage. Also, who knew sea salt flavored ice cream could be so perfect?
So what do I think of choosing a destination based on the affordable flight options? I had a pretty good experience in Dublin and have no regrets buying that cheap ticket five months ago. If I hadn’t, I likely wouldn’t have stepped foot on Ireland for another ten years. I know being able to travel is a huge privilege, and I’m grateful I got a chance to do it again. This trip felt a little different from some of the long-awaited trips abroad like going to Korea this past spring and going to London last fall. I think it’s much easier to get excited about a trip if I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time. But at the same time, I feel that maybe part of it is that Dublin itself is not a five-day destination and more of a two or three-day spot, especially since many people visiting only do so for a bit before moving on to other areas of Ireland.
Would I pick a travel destination again due to cheap plane tickets? Maybe. As much as I enjoyed being in Dublin, I have so many places I know I want to see, and I’d like to visit those places first. My goal is to be intentional about traveling in the future, so unless there’s a deal I absolutely can’t pass up, I’ll be focusing on destinations that I’ve thought about for a while.
Shin Hye Away 