LIQUID ASSET
AT AROUND AN HOUR’S FLIGHT AWAY, DUBLIN IS IDEALLY PLACED FOR THE PERFECT WEEKEND BREAK, SAYS SANJEETA BAINS
THE Irish welcome is the stuff of legend – and it begins before you even get there.
Before you set foot on Irish soil, you slip in to holiday mode on your Aer Lingus flight.
It’s a little piece of Ireland in itself, and the welcome is warm and friendly. That’s something you’ll come across a lot.
For my first night of a two-day trip to Dublin, I was staying in the heart of the city. Buswells Hotel on Molesworth Street is housed in a building dating back to the 1880s and steeped in olde worlde charm.
As well as being close to bars and nightlife, it’s within walking distance of some of Dublin’s finest sights and attractions.
The Little Museum of Dublin is just around the corner on St Stephen’s Green, a beautiful Georgian building crammed with hundreds of photographs, paintings and artefacts which tell the city’s story through the 20th and 21st centuries.
As the birthplace of James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett, Dublin also boasts a museum of literature.
For bookworms, a visit to the Dublin Writers Museum at Parnell Square is an absolute must. But equally as impressive is this capital’s tribute to Guinness!
They say you haven’t tasted a proper pint of Guinness until you’ve tasted it in Dublin. Cue visit to St James Gate, home of the famous Guinness Brewery.
Founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness, the brewery and attached storehouse is the city’s most popular tourist attraction.
As soon as I saw the building loom into view behind huge iron gates, I knew why. It felt like I was entering Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
But here it’s all about the black stuff. Shaped into the world’s biggest pint glass over seven floors, the Guinness Storehouse is a theme park to beer.
The third floor is a museum of its most iconic advertising over the years, including an animatronic version of the 1996 ‘Fish on a Bicycle’ TV advert.
There’s also what many consider the greatest advert of all time – the surfing white horses from 1999. Tick follows tock...
But the advert that really caught my eye was the brand’s first national advertisement in 1929. “Guinness builds strong muscles,” it promises. “It enriches the blood; Doctors affirm that Guinness is a valuable restorative after influenza.”
By this time I was gasping for a pint. Yes, you read that right. I’m not much of a beer drinker and never had any desire to try Guinness before – but it was now or never.
At the Storehouse’s 1837 restaurant, I was eased into the tradition by a Black Velvet, a flute of prosecco topped with Guinness! Then it was time for a Guinness and food matching dinner. I’m a convert.
The eaterie is named in honour of the year Guinness was first paired with oysters, and a starter of Carlingford oysters and Guinness Extra Stout was a winner. For mains I enjoyed Hereford braised Irish stew, honey roast vegetables and potatoes with Guinness Foreign Extra stout.
And to finish – what else? – a Guinness-infused chocolate mousse with Guinness Draught.
After dinner, a class at the Guinness Academy. After perfecting my pint pouring under the watchful eye of a tutor, I was presented with a diploma to say I had “crafted the perfect pint of Guinness”.
My reward? Drinking that perfectly crafted pint at the top floor bar while enjoying incredible views of Dublin.
Next day, after a hearty Irish breakfast at Buswells, we took a stroll to the Lord Mayor’s official place of residence. The impressive Mansion House is where the First Dail assembled on January 21, 1919 to proclaim the Irish Declaration of Independence.
It’s an example of the Georgian architecture that can be seen on most streets, making it a wonderful city to wander around.
But my eye was caught by Dublin’s colourful collection of Georgian doors. In the 1700s, residents began painting their doors all the colours of the rainbow to make their homes look more individual. Or was it more so that drunken menfolk returning from the pubs wouldn’t knock on the wrong door?
Later in the evening, we enjoyed cocktails at House Dublin, a stylish bar and restaurant spread over two Georgian townhouses on Leeson Street, with a swanky outdoor bar.
Our last night found us on the coast. The Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links nestles next to the famous five-mile Velvet Strand, a sandy beach with views of Dublin Mountains and Howth Harbour.
Once the grand seaside home to the Jameson Distillery dynasty, the hotel is just 15 minutes from Dublin Airport and an ideal location in which to unwind.
After a wonderful dinner at the 1780 restaurant we hit the hotel’s Jameson Bar for a whiskey and live music, so ending my time in Dublin in true style – with an good old Irish singsong.