Hello World. Hope you all having a beautiful and joyous holiday festivities.

I visited Dublin few months ago and thanks to the holidays, I can finally catch up on my 2017 travel posts.

Dublin is indeed a great city to visit. It is steeped in history and has many attractions to offer. The Irish people are the friendliest, most helpful locals I’ve met thus far. 

HISTORY

The Island of Ireland is divided into two parts: The Republic of Eire and Northern Ireland. As the name suggests Eire is an independent republic. Northern Ireland, however, is an British province governed from Britain..The population of Eire is approx. 3 mill., 95% of which are Catholics. The population of Northern Ireland is 1.5 mill. 60% of which are Protestants and 40% Catholics. In 400-100 BC Ireland is invaded by tribes of Celts ( coming from the area which is now France). They divide the country into provinces between them, each ruled by an elected king. There is no central power. 

In 432 AD Ireland is christianized by St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. In the wake of Christianity there is a flourishing of culture/learning connected with the churches and the monastaries which spreads to other parts of Europe.( Examples of this culture are the Book of Kells, which can be seen at Trinity College). This early Christian culture helps account for the power of Catholicism in Ireland to this very day. Between 800-1100 Vikings from the Nordic countries invade the island and threaten the Celtic culture and society. It is in this period cities like Dublin and Cork were founded. Eventually the Vikings settle down on the island, many become farmers and gradually assimilate with the original population. When Henry VIII becomes king of England, England breaks with the Catholic church (1536). He forces Ireland to break with the Catholic church, too, and confiscates the land that the church possesses. The Irish, however, resist. The English king punishes the Irish supporters of James.At the end of the 18th century Irish nationalism manifests itself for the first time in the rising of The United Irishmen. These are both Catholics and Protestants, a number of them are actually descendants of the Scots that came over in the 17th century. What unites them are the liberal ideas of freedom, equality, and brotherhood, which are catching on at the time and which are also behind the American and the French revolutions. These Irishmen want freedom for Ireland. They see clearly that their country cannot develop economically and socially unless the colonial exploitation is brought to an end. In 1798 they rise in arms against the British. The rising is crushed by the British army and the leaders are hanged in public. The most famous of the leaders is Wolf Tone (a Protestant), who is considered a national hero in Ireland to this very day. The rising of the United Irishmen is commemorated in the ballad The Rising of the Moon. The British again punish the Irish for their rebelliousness.The 19th century is characterized by the struggle for independence on many fronts. In 1921 negotiations between the Irish nationalists and the British government result in an agreement. Ireland is divided into Northern Ireland (Ulster), which remains part of Britain, and the Irish Free State within the Commonwealth. The Irish parliament (Dail) is torn on the matter. The treaty is ratified by a small majority. The republican minority, however, are dissatisfied with the division. They feel they have betrayed their Catholic brothers in the North. From 1921-1922 Ireland is ravaged by civil war. Irishmen who fought together against the british in the War of Independence now take up arms against each other. In 1922 the Republicans give up fighting and the division of Ireland is brought into effect.

BEFORE TRAVELING TO DUBLIN

Visa:Nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA can stay for up to 90 days without a visa (USA citizens must have at least six month validity on their passports).

Ireland is split into two countries: On the island of Ireland, there are two countries. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. When people say “Ireland”, they are typically referring to the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is apart of the United Kingdom, whereas the Republic of Ireland is an independent country. i.e. You should never ever make the mistake of assuming that Ireland is apart of the UK or Britain (or England, for that matter). It might open you up to abuse and a lengthy drawn-out lecture on Irish history, all of which will probably include colorful phrases such as “those f*cking Brits took our country!” and “Up the RA!”

Do the Irish drink a lot? There is a large drinking culture in Ireland, which means that there are plenty of pubs, bars, off licenses and nightclubs to choose from. Although most Irish people do not drink alcohol every single day of the week, they will binge drink as soon as the occasion demands it.

The Weather: Often cold, wet and windy, with the odd bit of sunshine. Mostly though, the country is subject to overcast skies.

I flew in from Washington D.C (IAD) to Dublin  Airport (DUB)

I stayed at a beautiful, cozy Airbnb

It is a very walkable city and so I decided to walk everywhere; restaurants and attractions. The residents are always friendly, helpful and approachable. I found it to be safe to walk during the day and evening hours.

Since I don’t drink alcohol, I was advised to try non alcoholic beer. After trying this non alcoholic drink, I have to admit that I have newfound respect for beer/alcohol drinkers taste bug. It was absolutely disgusting. NEVER AGAIN!

I hope this post helps inspires you all to visit Dublin

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