A Dublin Pub Crawl

In lieu of exams and final assignments finally being turned in, my break has officially begun and I can have a life once again!

I’ve decided to highlight some of the pubs and clubs I’ve been to in Dublin since arriving in September. Mom, Dad, I swear I didn’t go to all these places in one night. I was tempted to join in the 12 pubs of Christmas Irish tradition but I saved my money for England instead. I’ve only selected places that are within walking distance of each other, so anyone who wants to take this list and create their own pub crawl feel free!

THE PUBS

Against the Grain

 This had to be my number one recommendation as it has become my second home- or so all my friends tell me.  The staff are friendly, and there are all kinda of craft beers on tap- there are also some craft ciders that are great here as well! Some of my favorites here are McIvor’s Medium Cider, Of Foam and Fury double IPA, and Buried at Sea stout. Upstairs there is a pool table and a kitchen that has some of the best chunky chips I’ve had.

Don’t come here for a Guinness though, you’ll just be disappointed.

The Bleeding Horse

 

I’ve been here a few times and I absolutely love the atmosphere, there are even big projection screens that come out when there is a football match on. The upstairs can get a little toasty, but there is plenty of space if you want to get together with a few friends. You can also get some tasty pub grub here- the sweet potato fries are excellent!

Camden Exchange

This can be a little pricey depending on what you order, but this pub offers a wide variety of craft beer and cider. It is also one of the only places I know that has a vehicle mounted on the inside wall. There are all kinds of knick knacks incorporated into the décor giving it a quirky character. 

If you or your friends smoke, there is a pretty big indoor smoking lounge that you can enjoy. The Pilgrim’s Red Ale is delicious, and overall this is a good place to have some chats with friends.

P.Mac’s

This little pub is deceptively large and is always seemingly full of a mixture of people. If you get there early enough you might be able to snag one of the booths. Now this isn’t a typical ‘booth’- at least not what I am used too- these are like separate cubicles that you can be almost completely isolated from the rest of the pub. It can get noisy towards the end of the night but by then you'll be having a grand old time.

Cassidy’s

Although this one is a little further away than the other’s listed above- this is right off D’Olier Street- Cassidy's is a great place to start a pub crawl. There is room to sit both upstairs and downstairs and there is even a couple board games and jenga games you can play. The mixture of chairs, tables, and sofas give the place a living room like feeling- and I don’t mind it at all. Be wary though, some of the chairs have a way of eating you alive.

Some bars that I didn’t mention but are worth a visit are: The Gin Palace, The Hairy Lemon, The Mercantile, and Anseo.

A great thing about Dublin is that you can literally turn any corner and there will be a new pub to explore. I’ve been to quite a few in Dublin City Centre- go to The Autobahn if you’re near Glasnevin in the North!- however there are still so many to visit, and there seems to be new ones that pop up every month. 

Can’t wait to explore more this session.

So sláinte and drink on!

Xx kim

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• If you’re wondering about prices, there is quite a range. I would say that the standard pint is around 5 euros, but you can get beer for as low as 4 and cider as high as 7. 
• One thing to consider is that a pint here is 500ml, in America it’s around 470 but the glasses are often under-poured and there is no law where it has to be this amount. Back in the states, bars can serve you in whatever glasses they have, but here the pints are often over-flowing.
• Remember that the beer in Ireland is often stronger than back home- especially if you’re drinking craft as it can get over 8%. A few of these and you'll be well on your way to merry.
• If you are not a beer expert, don’t be afraid to ask the bartenders for a recommendation although make sure the place isn’t too busy. Have an idea of what kind of brew you might like and they'll point you in a direction to find your right beer.
• Pubs in Dublin- or seemingly the entirety of Ireland- are more like community living rooms so don’t be afraid to talk to strangers and make some new friends.

Happy Thanksgiving... And Christmas

Remember how I said all of my coursework was looming in the shadows? Well it came onto me like a ton of bricks.

No entry last week- obviously- due to the sheer amount of pressure this one assignment was causing me. However, that’s over and I can take a breather until the next one.

Christmas.

Christmas lights at the GPO.
http://bewleyshotels.blogspot.ie/2014/09/the-magic-of-christmas-in-dublin.html

It’s starting to be an acceptable time for me to start singing Christmas carols and start my Christmas shopping. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and though I haven’t celebrated with a real turkey for over 8 years, it’s that fact that I won’t be able to spend time with my friends and family that I am missing.

Also, pie. I love pumpkin pie.

Festivities are just around the corner and all the beautiful lights are up in Dublin and the Christmas markets are about to open and I’m actually getting a little bit excited for the holidays.

The reason why there aren’t going to be many of my photos in this- or next week’s blog- is that I lost my phone and it will take a while to replace it. Yes, I have a camera and I will try and bring that around more but it’s just not the same.

Amazing picture featured in the Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2000023.1415906311!/image/image.jpg

And to anyone that is wondering, I lost it in a taxi.

And, yes, it was an excellent night.

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In other news here’s a shout out to my favorite non-Uncles Paul and Al who got married after 3 decades together! I wish I could be there to give you a big hug!

Craft Beer Festival

Today has been an eventful day to say the least.

It was the first time- since I’ve started to attended uni- that I was late to a lecture. This might not seem like a big deal, but I promised myself I would put 100% into my school work and the worst part is I just spaced out. I genuinely believed that my lecture was at 4 instead of 3. I guess it has to happen to everyone once- or at least that is what I am telling myself.

After class I had choir and then sound check because- surprise!- we were doing back up for a gig at uni. For learning the song today and then performing it, the 7 who actually sang did a half decent job. The worst part was that it was a black tie event and I didn't know, nor did I have time to go home and change. While everyone was wearing beautiful black dresses, I wore jeans... at least I had a black shirt on.

Dún Laoghaire in all its glory.

Now time to backtrack to the weekend.

On Sunday I went to a craft beer festival in Dún Laoghaire with two of my friends. The train ride there was beautiful and it was nice to get out of the city. The festival turned out to be a giant pub crawl and at the end of the 6 pubs we received a giant glass stein and a t-shirt. I was able to listen to trad music for the first time since coming to Ireland, and I loved it. The music was a little loud, but everyone in the pub enjoyed it and would sometimes even sing along. It was a quiet night and I’m glad I was able to bond and try some Irish craft beer.

Our very first stop: a porter, IPA, and a beer from acorns. @Forty Foot Pub.

A lovely description of a red are we tried @Whiskey Fair

@Gilbert and Wright's with my winnings and my local friend who joined us

Me and my birthday twin parading our t-shirts from the festival

Uni work is finally starting to creep up on me so I’m going to cut off this post here.

Things are back to normal now, so you don’t have to worry about any posts like the previous. I’m saying ‘yes’ to more and more things and I’m definitely starting to feel busy all the time. It’s not a bad thing though, I’d rather be busy than just sitting around!

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Also, this cat greeted me on my very first day here and we’ve bonded over time.

One Month In!?

The very idea that I’ve lived in Dublin for a month terrifies me. It literally seems like last week I arrived. If one month passes this quickly I really have to take in as many experiences as possible because a year could pass in the blink of an eye.

This last week has been full of new adventures, new experiences, and new people. On Saturday night I even met my twin! Well my Birthday twin, but still I’ve never met anyone born on the same day and year as me.

Against the Grain
Photo credit: mynameisola.com

My Birthday twin and I met up at the Autobahn Pub in Glasnevin, but soon decided we wanted to journey into City Centre. We ended up at Against the Grain on Wexford Street - I highly recommended it!- and remained there for the majority of the night. I have a feeling that this place is going to be a regular spot of mine. Against the Grain is mainly known for its craft beer, plus it has one of the largest selections on tap in the city.  I even convinced some of my friends that I met Wednesday night to come and join us. We all sat around and bonded through talk and jokes, but I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better Saturday night. I love pubs in Dublin because they really are like community living rooms. No one seems afraid to strike up a conversation even if they do not know you. This is strikingly different from the US where strangers do not approach one another- and sometimes if they do, you really wish they had just stayed put.

I had originally wanted to catch the late bus back to my flat at 11, but that did not happen. The more I go out, the more I realize I probably won’t ever just “catch the last bus.” Time flies when you’re having fun, what can I say? At least the taxi's here are reasonably priced- take note Boston!

I had planned to go to one of the free museums Dublin offers earlier Saturday, but I thought I should probably go during a weekday when it is less crowded. So, instead, I dragged my flat mate out Sunday to wander around town. No GPS! We just picked a direction and started walking. Dublin is not the largest city, but there are still so many streets I have yet to explore. I tend to avoid Temple Bar and O’Connel Street like the plague. There are so many people there it can be almost suffocating, but, to get the ‘full tourist experience,’ I know my feet will eventually lead me there.

I’m also learning how difficult it is to take photos here since the sky is almost always white- meaning atrocious lighting for skyline photography.

I feel like I wrote about a lot, yet have said very little…. Does that make sense? I’m still getting used to such shorthand writing and hope to improve in the future!

Here are some pictures I took during my time around the city. I soon hope to find the right setting to take better photos.

Slán!

A lovely little craft fair hidden in an ally.

 

Graffiti filled building just north of Temple Bar.

I love all the old architecture styles, so refreshing from a skyline dotted with towering buildings.

And we're walking...

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To Note: There are a bunch of statues hidden around the city and I’m thinking about doing a walking tour to visit all of them. My inner art geek comes out sometimes what can I say? I particularly like one entitled “meeting place” but is affectionately known as “hags with bags.”

Meeting Place