Wholly Trinity
A sumptuous stay at the Trinity City Hotel and a sight-seeing Dublin bus tour is my cup of tea
WITH the fear of sounding trite, sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have on our doorstop. As a resident of beautiful Greystones in Wicklow, I’m guilty of this - not taking walks on the beach, jumping into the ice-cold sea during winter (it’s a thing, you know), or partaking in the weekly pilgrimage that seems to be ongoing among visitors to the town — doing the Cliff Walk and then queuing outside the Happy Pear for some healthy veggie fare. No better way to shift a hangover of a Sunday apparently.
However, because I’m a Wicklow blow-in, I can get away with it. You see, I’m a Dublin girl, born and bred, and although I grew up in the southside suburbs of Rathfarnham, one of my favourite places to be when I was younger was right in the middle of things in Dubliln city centre.
I’M NOT sure what I liked most - shopping on Grafton Street, browsing Temple Bar, strolling in Merrion Square, or having a drink or three in Bruxelles or Grogans. But long before I was old enough to misspend my youth, going into town with my mum was a much-loved weekly ritual - where we would walk, shop, have lunch and soak up the atmosphere.
These days, with two small children, a trip to the big smoke is less of a choice and more of a physical and emotional challenge. So it was with relish that I left them at home with their daddy recently while myself and the mammy relived the good old days with an overnight stay at the Trinity City Hotel.
I’ve often passed this hotel - a stone’s throw from Trinity Col- lege - and wondered at its enviable location. From the off, the focus was on relaxation - the hotel has valet parking so I left my car outside and didn’t even have to worry about reversing into a car space. It’s the little things that matter these days.
The hotel’s decor is a striking mix of traditional and modern, with a contemporary grey and purple colour scheme throughout offset against exposed brick walls, Georgian features and seriously impressive statement furniture. It’s a known fact that cocktails taste much better when sitting in a high backed plush velvet chairs under an extravangant crystal chandelier, don’t you know?
The hotel itself is quite literally steeped in history, encompassing four original Georgian houses. Between 1906 and 1909 the Dublin Fire Brigade established its headquarters where Pearse Street intersects with Tara Street, and the hotel has preserved the original exterior of the station including the Watchtower, which has now been incorporated into the hotel where their executive bedrooms are now housed. A well-known Dublin business, Robert Tedcastle’s Coal Merchants, also traded at 19-20 Great Brunswick Street in the 1850’s (where the hotel lobby is now), and none other than Padraig Pearse was born a couple of doors down at 27 Great Brunswick Street in 1879.
The hotel has been extensively refurbished and there really does seem to be a room to suit all moods: there’s Georgian suites in the listed part of the hotel, Executives suites in the old Fire Station, and myself and my mum stayed in one of the brand-spanking newly refurbished rooms. After freshening up with a little glass of bubbly, we were ready for the highlight of our stay — a trip on a double decker bus.
Now ‘Pauline’ is not any old bus. Yes, she is of a certain vintage (1960s), but that’s the whole point. Part of our overnight package was to tour Dublin city centre aboard the dinky vehicle. We climbed aboard and were treated to a delightful Afternoon Tea.
There was lots to savour - smoked salmon and brown bread, Coronation chicken, egg and cress and ham and cheese sandwiches, cakes that were almost too pretty to eat and the best scones with jam and clotted cream that I’ve ever tasted. And of course, piping hot tea, served in a retro non-spill mug that we got to take home.
As vintage jazz played in the background, everyone chatted away while we passed some of the city’s top sights - Phoneix Park, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church, Wood Quay, O’Connell Street, Trinity College, Georgian Dublin and St Stephen’s Green.
The whole tour takes about one and a half hours, and while it’s a bit bumpy in places, it’s an experience to remember and a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Let’s face it, it’s not everyday you get to be a tourist in your home town.
Afterwards, myself and mum took a little wander down Grafton Street and paid Brown Thomas a visit. Perhaps it was the nostalgia given the festive timing, but as we browsed I was reminded of going to Switzers as a child with Mum and marvelling at all the beautiful clothes and trinkets back then. Perhaps not much has changed.
Then it was a five-minute jaunt back to our hotel again, where it was time to get ready for dinner. After a little aperitif, we went to Number 24, the private dining suite at the hotel where we enjoyed a decadent meal - the pan seared Cork scallops and confit of Irish pork belly deserve a special mention.
After a night cap in Brunswick’s bar, it was off to bed for some shut-eye. The next morning we helped ourselves to a yummy buffet breakfast before heading off to work. Dublin, let’s not leave it so long next time.