With my sister living in Dublin this year while she studies for her masters, popping over for a quick birthday celebration was an obvious choice. My parents were over from Canada and the five of us spent a quick 3 days together wandering around Dublin and enjoying all the treats on offer. After a sleepy early morning flight and a short bus ride into the centre, we dropped our bags and all went to Bewleys for a proper Irish breakfast. The table was full to the brim with sausages and tea as we caught up between bites of toast and buns. We were lucky with gorgeous weather, and the days were cold but bright. We wandered up to St. Stephen’s green where my Mum and sister love feeding the birds and I reluctantly joined it, all the while remaining the epitome of grace. Despite going to Ireland every year growing up, I find there’s something really special going back as an adult. Mum pointed out the building where they got their emigration papers for Canada and it’s something that now seems so much more real what with Chris and I having done a similar journey over to Scotland. The stories have passed from anecdotal lore and into something so much more grounded and real for me. My Mum always talks about chasing ghosts and walking in the footsteps of the people who’ve come before and I think I’m finally starting to understand that. As Niamh is a postgraduate student she very kindly wielded her power and took us all to see the book of Kells and the Long room in Trinity, something Chris had yet to do. We walked all around Trinity campus, with Niamh pointing out her haunts and favourite places. We also discovered a wonderful campaign of the talking statues. All around Dublin, select statues have QR codes that you can scan with your phone. The statue will then “call you” and tell you all about themselves. My Mum and I loved it and did as many as we could find. We went for dinner at Niamh’s favourite Japanese restaurant, before going back to the hotel for drinks and lengthy chats in the lobby. The next morning was the official birthday so we went to Dollard and Co for breakfast because birthday breakfasts are important. We wandered through Temple Bar, which is underrated in the day time, and walked Niamh back up to campus. We found the statue of Mr. Wilde so I could pay my respects, and his talking statue could remind us of his unparalleled wit. We went into the National Art Gallery and had a look around, something that always takes longer than expected when my Mum and Chris are together with their respective art degrees in pocket. We went for lunch at Avoca and lingered over tea and cake before splitting up so Mum, Dad and Chris could have a siesta and Niamh and I could power shop without anyone to slow us down. We met back up for Italian food and lots of wine and a good solid round of happy birthday. The next day we went to Dublin Castle, and Mum and Dad gave us their own historical tour of the place before going to the Queen of Tarts for mid-morning scones. We stopped in a bookshop, where I picked up a collection of Seamus Heaney, before meeting up again with Niamh at her favourite pub near campus. There we sat in the snug and had cider and toasties. I believe it was around this point where Chris and I vowed not to eat again till morning. We walked back towards the hotel, stopping in for a quick cup of tea and a poke in a few shops along the way. By the time we knew it, the afternoon was coming to a close and it was time to say see you soon to my family, and to Ireland. It may have been a short visit, but it was inevitably wonderful; full of food, full of laughs and I’m sure left Chris wondering what on earth he married in to.
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April 2019
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