To be completely honest, Ireland was never really top on my list of countries that I wanted to visit. I ended up going there mainly because I knew I wanted to complete an internship abroad, but my options for countries to work in at the time were somewhat limited, and I needed to make sure that I was choosing a reputable program that would find me a decent internship opportunity.
While I was down to travel nearly anywhere, I figured it would be easier (especially if I was interning) to stay in a primarily English-speaking country. Then, there was also the issue of my parents being worried about my safety. After all, it had always been an inside joke amongst my family that I was the child who lacked common sense, which is a pretty important quality to have when traveling solo in a foreign country.
To this day, I am marveled by how easy it was to convince my parents to let me go anywhere overseas (especially alone) at all. But perhaps it was my knack for following the rules most of the time and being an acceptably obedient daughter over the years that allowed me to secure their trust. Who knows! 😛
After doing all my research on the different programs that were out there and the countries that were available for me to visit, I gave my parents two options to choose from: Ecuador or Ireland (yes, I know that Ecuador is primarily a Spanish-speaking country). Obviously, given this post, they unanimously chose Ireland, as they were not comfortable with me exploring South America by myself due to safety reasons and my lack of experience in solo travel.
Despite Ireland not being my top choice, the island did not disappoint at all. The trip changed my life in multiple ways, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity I had to dwell there for a couple months and essentially spread my wings a little bit before joining the corporate world, here in The States.
For this post, I’m listing some of my favorite things about Ireland – The charming and favorable locations, qualities and characteristics about it that made my stay at the island just that much more special and memorable for me. This is not necessarily a list of activities and places to visit in Ireland, as that list would be much more extensive. Many of these things in this post may be specific to my experiences in Dublin, as that was where I was stationed during my internship.
**Note: This list is not written in any particular order.**
1. River Liffey
Ain’t it just a beauty? I loved going for early morning runs by this river, whenever I did. It flows through the center of Dublin, and provides much of the city’s water.
2. The Accent
I think it’s safe to say that whenever someone speaks with a different accent than what we’re used to, it makes talking to that person just that much more of a captivating experience. It’s “cool” and refreshing, and maybe even attractive to us. The Irish accent is no different. I remember the first time an absolutely gorgeous man of Dublin walked up to me in a sports bar to engage in a colloquy. Between the rowdiness of people around us and the thickness of his accent, it was a bit difficult for me to understand everything he was saying, but boy was it fun!! 😛
Don’t know what the Irish accent sounds like? Watch this quick, one-minute movie clip from the awarding winning movie “Brooklyn”.
3. The Word “Loads”
The more you talk to people in Ireland, the quicker you’ll catch on to the word choices they make in conversation. I don’t know why, but for some reason, it always sort of perked up my ears when an Irish person would say the word “loads” instead of the word “lots” or the phrase “a lot”. For example, an Irishman would say: “He has loads of sheep in his backyard”… As opposed to “He has a lot sheep in his backyard”. I don’t know why, but that word caught my attention more than anything else, and I just kind of liked it! 😛
4. The Churches
I didn’t even go into too many of them, because at some point, they all kind of start to look the same on the inside, but they sure are pretty to look at.
One of my favorites had to be St. Patrick’s Cathedral (pictured above), the largest cathedral in Ireland, located just a mere few minutes walking distance from the apartment I was staying at in Dublin. I would stroll through the small surrounding park nearly every day on my way home from my internship. Sometimes, I would stop to sit on one of the benches and write in my journal, occasionally raising my head to observe children chasing dogs and playing around the fountain. It was peaceful here. There were days that I would stay for hours until it got a bit chilly, or too dark to write, before finally trudging up the hill back to my apartment.
5. The Cobblestone Streets
They aren’t everywhere in Ireland, but just like in the city of Boston, wherever there’s a cobblestone street, it only adds to the charm of the city. Who doesn’t like trekking over the old fashioned pavement?… Although, I guess those who wear high heels may not find it convenient. 😛
6. Grafton Street in Dublin
Don’t get me wrong, I loved walking anywhere and everywhere in Ireland, but Grafton street in Dublin was definitely one of, if not, my most favorite street to walk down. It was probably also the most expensive street for me to casually walk down, because I couldn’t help but give my money out to all the talented buskers as I strolled on by! No cars ever drove down this road, so on occasion, there would be street performers taking up one whole end of the street. Sometimes, there would be artists who would set up shop along the side of Grafton, too. A few times, there was this guy who would draw a lot of attention (and probably make some decent cash) getting people to compete and hold a pull up on a rotating bar for over a minute. If you could do it, the reward was 100 Euros. Not gonna lie, I totally paid 10 Euros just to see if I could do it… But I couldn’t, lol. Needless to say, Grafton Street was never boring, and I had the pleasure of perambulating it nearly every day!
A busker on Grafton Street.
Allie Sherlock is a busker who often performs on Grafton Street and has actually become quite popular; she’s even made an appearance on The Ellen Show! She’s 13 years old right now, and has an amazing voice… A mashup of Adele, America’s Got Talent winner – Grace VanderWaal, and Sia. Check her out in the video below!
7. The Trash Barrels… Or Should I Say “Litter” Barrels
There were a bunch of these scattered around the streets where I would walk every day in Dublin. Does anybody else find these to be cute?… No?… Just me? Okay.
The main entrance to Trinity College Dublin.
8. Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
This was the college I reported to whenever I had to tend to my internship duties. The campus is BEAUTIFUL!! So gorgeous. It’s located right in the heart of Dublin city center (near Grafton street, actually) on College Green. It was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and remains the “most ancient” of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland. It may be old, but TCD is considered to be the most prestigious university in Ireland, and one of the more elite colleges in Europe.
The cobblestone paths of TCD were typically flooded with tourists whenever I arrived there, as the college is home to “The Book of Kells”, a manuscript of the four Gospels of the New Testament in Latin. I unfortunately never went in the library on campus, which is rumored to have inspired J.K. Rowling’s vision of the Hogwarts Library in Harry Potter. 🙁 The lines were always pretty long out the door, so I would highly recommend, if you plan on going, to get your tickets far enough ahead of time!
Trinity College Dublin main campus
A courtyard on TCD campus
9. WIFI Everywhere
Before I lost my phone, Dublin was pretty convenient in the way that almost every building you could walk into had free wifi.
Tattoo Place right down the street from my apartment.
10. The Graffiti and Street Art
No explanation necessary. Just look at the pics!
Although, I guess I should bring up that I did a Black Cab Tour in Belfast, where the guide drove me and a couple others around to the more significant (and political) murals in Northern Ireland (which is actually part of the United Kingdom). So that could be a good place for you to visit if you’re interested in that stuff.
According to the driver, this is the most photographed mural. Bobby Sands, (March 9th, 1954 – May 5 1981), was an Irish volunteer for the Provisional Irish Republican Army and a member of the United Kingdom Parliament, who died on hunger strike while in “Her Majesty’s” Prison Maze.
11. Being Able to Pee and Flee at Almost Any Bar
Seriously though… For someone who drinks “loads” of water like me, being able to use “the toilet” without having to ask or actually sit down at the bar at all was such a relief, haha. It doesn’t hold true for the more formal restaurants of course, and occasionally there will be bars that have a sign on the door saying “only customers may use the bathroom”; but with there being so many bars in Ireland, you never have to worry about stressing your bladder.
12. Temple Bar
“Temple Bar” is not just the name of a pub in Dublin, but it’s also the name of an entire district of pubs and bars located on the south bank of River Liffey in the center of the city. I’ve heard of some people avoiding this area because of the touristy crowds that permeate the boozy neighborhood, both during the day and at night. But honestly, in order to get the full Dublin experience, you have to spend at least one of your nights here! You don’t have to drink if you don’t want to; hell, I frequented this spot almost every weekend and I only consumed a single Smirnoff Ice here and there. But I would highly recommend, if you enjoy live music, doing some musical bar hopping in this district. It was one of my favorite things to do for sure!!
There are all types of bars. Some are extremely crowded, so you can’t even move, some are multi-leveled. Some perform songs that you will be very familiar with if you live in The States – Songs like “Free Fallin” by Tom Petty, which in my experience, was played in almost every musical bar. But then there are the bars that strictly play only traditional Irish music, and then there are others that will give you a bit of a mix. I absolutely loved them ALL!
One of my crazier nights in Temple Bar occurred only 2-3 weeks into my trip. Apparently, Scotland was playing against Ireland in football (aka: soccer), and so an estimated 20,000 Scottish men raided the the Dublin grounds in their skirts, making for an especially rowdy and wild night. Let’s just say, that was the night I lost my phone. 😛
But it doesn’t have to be that “crazy” and “wild” if you don’t want it to be. There were nights that I wanted to be surrounded by the music, but didn’t want to be engaged with the crowd. So I would go to Fitzgerald’s, seek out a table by the window, isolating myself from everyone, and use the lumination provided by the streetlights outside to write in my journal.
Temple Bar is one of the things I miss most about Ireland.
OMG, I had so much fun looking back at these videos… Here’s a couple musicians performing Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” in Quay’s Bar. There’s a little surprise at the end! 😛 (If not using a phone, click the “full-screen” mode on the bottom right of the video so that it’s not so zoomed in).
And here’s some Irish tunes from the “Bad Ass Bar”:
Now does this look like fun, or does this look like fun? Just one more, I promise! And sorry, but I have no idea which bar this was, lol.
Temple Bar at Night – Ain’t it pretty?
13. The Speed Limit Signs
It’s one of those things that you forget about until you get there… Europe uses the metric system! At first, you’re not entirely sure how fast one should be going, but you eventually get used to converting speeds and temperatures and other measurements in your head. I never found these things annoying, it only added to the fun and excitement of being in a different world from home!
FYI: 50km/hr is right around 30mph.
14. The Doors
I love colorful doors. Even if they don’t match the color of the house. I don’t care. These pictures don’t even show the most unique of colors.
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15. The Bank of Ireland on College Green
Isn’t the architecture of this bank spectacular?! I felt like such an important person whenever I had to enter, just to take some money out of an ATM!
Fun Fact #1: Even though this building is known as the “Bank of Ireland”, it was initially built in 1739 to be the world’s first purpose-built two-chamber parliament house.
Fun Fact #2: There are no windows. You can probably see the little indents where it looks like there should be windows, but in the 1730s, and for several decades post-construction of the building, a Window Tax was in force throughout Britain and Ireland. So to cut costs, the “windows” were filled in with bricks.
The Bank of Ireland on College Green… And a fellow biker.
16. The Rolling Green Hills Dotted With Sheep (and Cows)
If there’s one thing that I wish I could have done while I was in Ireland, it is renting a car and driving aimlessly for hours on end. Granted, I got to see much of the country on the day trips I took with tourist guide companies, and the other trips I took on trains and what not, but I wish I had given myself the ultimate freedom of having a car. That would have been bomb! So that’s my advice to you. If you don’t mind a little navigation and a bit of driving, rent a car and drive to all the most popular tourist attractions yourself… But then, leave time to drive everywhere else too!
Or maybe, if you want the history lecture, do the guided tours, but then go back to the same destination, driving your own car (if you want, and have time to), cuz the amount of time those companies give you to explore is almost never enough! (At least, not for me).
17. Glendalough Lakes
Isn’t this place beautiful?! I used a tourist company bus to come here… I wish I had more time to explore!! I would have hiked all over!
18. Giant’s Causeway
Being one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland, this place, way up at the tippy top of Northeast Ireland (which as I mentioned before, is actually part of the UK), was pretty crowded. But it was still amazing all the same. For those who don’t know, once there, you’ll get to observe the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption, which gave us the great natural wonder of variously-heighted basalt columns everywhere.
When I was done climbing on and taking pictures of the the basalt columns, I trekked up the cliff behind them, where it wasn’t as crowded. Oh.My.Gosh was it windy. SO. FUCKING. WINDY!! At times, I legitimately wondered if I would be blown off the cliffs. But it was awesome. I sprinted as fast as I could with the wind, so that I would fly even faster, sometimes spreading my arms out like a facking bird. I probably looked like a lunatic, but I don’t even care; those were some of the most freeing moments of my life.
The trail up to the cliffs at Giant’s Causeway
Me on the cliffs at Giant’s Causeway. You can see that my stance is nothing crazy… I was trying to stand strong to prevent myself from being blown off the cliff! 😛
19. The Cliffs of Moher
I can’t bring up Giants Causeway without also bringing up the Cliffs of Moher. This gorgeous spot is also one of the most popular touristy attractions in Ireland, located on the west coast, almost straight across from Dublin, which is on the east coast.
One of the best things about living in Ireland for two months was that I had enough time to wait for when it was going to be a beautiful day to visit places like the Cliffs of Moher. I’ve heard that if you go on a shitty, cloudy day, it might be too foggy to even see them!! And with Ireland’s weather being so moody (and rainy) a good portion of the time, having that flexibility was definitely something I was grateful for.
It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day when I went. It was pretty windy here too, although, I don’t think anything could have beaten the wind of Giant’s Causeway cliffs. This was one of the places where I wish I had more time to visit. I wanted to run the entire stretch of land, but there wasn’t enough time given by the tourist guide company, because I was also stopping to take pictures and stuff. It was still an amazing trip though!
20. The Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
I never actually went on one, cuz screw that… I’m not paying a small fortune just to transport myself to somewhere that I could easily walk to… But it was still cool to see them!
Boston may have some cobblestone paths like Dublin, but does it have horses trotting the streets every day?! I don’t think so! Or at least I’ve never seen it. Someone, please correct me if I’m wrong.
Dublin Castle
21. The Castles
Medieval castles being scattered all over Ireland is one of the reasons why I wish I had rented a car. There’s apparently something like 30,000 of them. Many are breaking down and falling apart, but that doesn’t make me wish any less that I could have invaded them with my presence. They sure do make for some great landscape photos too!!
22. The Gorgeous Landscapes
Need I say more? This post would be significantly longer if I uploaded ALL my beautiful photos. If you want, follow my Instagram here for any pretty pics that won’t be posted here!
@ https://www.instagram.com/undaunted.endeavors/
Stephen’s Green in Dublin
23. The Public Parks and Gardens
I’ll never forget the day at Stephens Green when I looked up from eating the gelato I had purchased on Grafton Street and witnessed a man peeing on a tree, directly in front of me, about 30 feet away. Hahaha.
People watching is fun. It’s even better when you’re surrounded by grand fountains, quaint homes, and well-groomed vegetation.
24. Kilkenny
Kilkenny is one of the places I wish I could have spent more time in, and will definitely revisit if I ever get the chance. Without even really seeing much of the medieval town, I could tell that it had lots of charm and was one of those cute, boutiquey-type towns.
I travelled to Kilkenny via a tourist guide company, so my time there was limited, because I chose to also explore the Dunmore Caves earlier that day. After leaving the caves, I spent pretty much all my time on the Kilkenny Castle grounds, which I don’t regret at all, but still. I would love to see more of the town someday if I can.
25. Euros
In my opinion, the Euro is so much more appealing to the eye than the American dollar. I love the vibrant colors. Euros make paying for things so much more delightful!
26. Powerscourt Falls
At 398 feet, this waterfall is the highest in Ireland. It’s set at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, and is less than four miles away from the Powercourt House, which is a giant plot of land with lots of pretty gardens and other vegetation.
My Mongolian Mommy, Zaya, wanted to have a picnic here, so I joined in with her and her friend, Baysa, as well as her friend’s adorable little girl, Egshiglen. We picnicked right in front of the falls before it started down pouring. The profile photo that I use for all my Undaunted Endeavors social media pages is from this day at the falls!!
Recognize this pic from my social media profile photos?
27. Howth
One of my friends whom I met in Ireland, Sukrat, recommended that I visit Howth, a village located on the peninsula of Howth Head, only 9.3 miles northeast of Dublin city center. I am SO glad that I took him up on his suggestion! My entire day at Howth ended up being one of my very favorite days in Ireland… Such an amazing trip! I’m thinking about writing a whole separate blog post for Howth, so I don’t think I’ll include much about it here, but just know, that if you enjoy hiking at all, you MUST go!! Try to pick a nice day weather-wise, but regardless, the place is fackin’ beautiful!
28. Last, but most certainly not least: The People
I’ll be the first to admit that I was not very outgoing throughout my journeys in Ireland. I kept to myself most of the time when I would go on day trips, and I only befriended a few of the people who were also in Ireland via Connect-123; they were living at the University College Dublin, which is about a 15-minute bus ride from Dublin city center. But this was all on purpose. I liked having the freedom to do whatever I pleased, and I knew that the more people I became acquainted with, the less freedom I would have.
The few that I did befriend though, these people were, and still are, gold. I’m still connected to almost every one of them today via some form of social media. And one of them, I talk to almost every day now, since I recently downloaded WhatsApp on to my phone (before, we would only message each other every few weeks on Facebook).
Here’s a few photos I have with these wonderful humans! Not pictured: Katy and Subhash
From left to right: A friend of Zaya’s (don’t know her), Baysa, Egshiglen, and Zaya (my Mongolian Mommy)
From left to right: One of Sukrat’s friends (don’t know him), Sukrat (my second closest friend from Ireland), ME! and Jet
My soulfriend, who I now talk to on an almost daily basis since getting WhatsApp: Patrick… (And me on the left, obvs) 😛
It was so much fun looking through all my pictures from Ireland so that I could write up this post! But also bittersweet… Makes me so excited and very eager for more adventures!! If you guys have any specific questions, or if there’s anything you’d like me to elaborate on in a separate post, let me know in the comments, or feel free to reach out to me via email or DM!
As always, thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed taking a look at just a few of my many memories!
– Brianna-Marie
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