As the daughter of first-generation Italian Americans, I was confounded by my husband John’s relationship with food. He was a traditional meat and potatoes guy when we met and the biggest difference I could see was that my family lived to eat and his family ate to live. There were many things I did not understand and I assumed that everything could be explained by his 100% Irish heritage. Some people didn’t like onions and there was an introduction to canned food that I had never experienced previously. Over time though, I grew to understand his culture and to embrace it and have shared it with my two sons who are 50% Irish. John is a person who embraces everything and he grew to love all of the things that I enjoy. And likewise, I have come to enjoy some of his passions (although I have never come around to hunting, fishing or camping to his disappointment!)
I traveled to Ireland the first time with John and we traveled all over the country in our rental car. My most distinct memory was falling in love with the town of Kilrush in County Clare. We ended up there because John was familiar with a song that mentioned the town and wanted to see it. The locals really enjoyed that story and we were invited to stay very late at a pub singing music long after it had closed with the townspeople.
Our most recent trip included our two children and was to Dublin. John’s mom’s family is from this region of Ireland and we traveled to Drogheda north of the city to visit her ancestral home and to show our children a part of their heritage. This was an area steeped in history where Vikings wandered and the preserved and severed head of Saint Oliver Plunkett, who was executed in London, was put on display in St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
Other than visiting the Guinness Factory, what is there to do in Dublin? Plenty as it turns out! If you are interested in Vikings, I highly recommend checking out Dublinia, a museum that shares the history of Viking and Medieval Dublin. There, we learned that Dublin is actually gaelic for “black pool” and that the Poddle stream met the River Liffey to form a deep pool at Dublin Castle.
Of course, everyone who visits Dublin needs to go to some of the famous pubs and have a Guinness. And if you have a chance, you must walk on Grafton Street and poke around in the famous shops. We loved having coffee at Bewley’s, a famous 180-year-old institution. Nighttime brings the crowds out to the Temple Bar neighborhood for pub crawling and restaurants.
I prefer meandering in St. Stephen’s Green, a city centre park or wandering on O’Connell Street, a main thoroughfare, where you can still see the bullet holes that dot the Old Post Office from the time when the Easter Rising began on April 24, 1916.
We also were fortunate to be able to visit Glendalough, a glacial valley in County Wicklow renowned for an Early Medieval Monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin. I fell in love with Glendalough Gin on this trip and enjoyed more than a few G&T’s, which I thoroughly enjoyed!
No trip is ever complete without sharing the best spots to eat. Here are a few of my suggestions if you find yourself in Dublin:
Restaurants
L Mulligan Grocer: This gastro pub in the Stonybatter neighborhood uses only the best of Irish ingredients. There are simple presentations of beautiful elements including a mushroom roast or shortbread with dessert. We opted for the traditional scotch egg as a shared appetizer and had a traditional Sunday roast for an early dinner. There are numerous cocktails and beers on draft if the mood should strike you.
Bar Italia Ristorante: This may seem like an odd choice for Dublin, but it was an excellent choice and we had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner. I had a pasta dish with bottarga that was salty and had a delicious fresh seafood flavor. The kids had spaghetti with a meat sauce and we enjoyed an antipasta mista with selected meats and cheeses that was lovely. John ordered gelato for dessert and a good time was had by all!
M&L Chinese Restaurant: Again, I have kids and they like what they like, so we went to a Chinese restaurant in Dublin, which turned out to be an excellent choice! Luke ordered the Singapore noodles and we tried the beef with broccoli and the king prawns with pho. If you are looking for an inexpensive, atmospheric and delicious meal, I can highly recommend this spot.
Philip Healy Public House (Wicklow): This was one of our favorite experiences on our trip to Ireland. The town of Wickow is charming and has a number of shops to browse in and enjoy. The Public House was spacious and inviting with an excellent menu. We all ordered the fish and chips and were happy with our selections. The fish was extra crispy on the outside and moist and delicious on the inside, just as you might expect.
Recommendations
1. If you are comfortable driving on the left-hand side of the road, rent a car and get out of the city and see the countryside. Ireland is beautiful and it’s absolutely stunning to see the seaside towns and breath in the fresh air.
2. We visited Newgrange, which I must admit was fascinating. It is located in the Boyne Valley and is a 5,000 year old passage tomb famous for the Winter Solstice illumination which lights up the passage so that the whole room becomes dramatically lit by the sun.
3. We took the time to go to Howth, which is known for fish & chips and sailing. A great way to get here if you don’t have a car is to take a cruise from Dun Laoghaire, a town south of Dublin. Here you will find the finest seafood restaurants in the region and a relaxed and easy atmosphere that is very enjoyable.
4. Greystones may not seem like a worthy destination, but we decided to stop on the way back to Dublin and we were rewarded with a number of intriguing shops and small eateries to check out, including the famous natural food market, the Happy Pear, where we grabbed a few snacks to go!
5. Try to check out Fallon & Byrne in Dublin. It’s a gourmet food hall and restaurant and it has a delightful basement level wine room that is peaceful and relaxing, particularly for weary parents who need a break!
6. Glendalough was really a highlight of our trip. If you haven’t been, I encourage you to check it out. It is a really solemn and mysterious valley with so many places to explore. On the ride down, we also were on the Excalibur highway from where the famous movie was filmed in the early 80s by John Boorman. There were more than a few times I wondered if we were near where the Lady of the Lake emerged. It was a meaningful experience that I can’t recommend enough.
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