My 2020 Ireland Trip

In lieu of recent events, I think it would be nice to travel in time to a few months ago. Back in January, my mother and I traveled to Ireland and Northern Ireland. This would be my second time there and her first. Selfishly, I initially brought up the idea to go to Ireland because I wanted to see one of my favorite artists, David Keenan, in concert at the Olympia Theatre (And I did!). Plus, any excuse to go to Ireland is a worthy one. However, the trip ended up being more than just seeing one of my favorite artists in concert or to feel the vibrant energy of Dublin and its people once again. The trip shifted into something more fulfilling. I saw sides of my mother I hadn’t previously, especially since we were constantly in each other’s company for three days straight. The opportunity to learn more about my mom without any outside noise and having the chance to share Ireland with her is something that I’ll forever cherish. 

Day 1: Dublin, Ireland, Jan. 13th

~ 3 p.m., Dublin Airport 

My mom and I finally landed in Dublin! As soon as we exited those airport doors, I instantly felt at home. We then catched the bus and made our way into the heart of Dublin. 

PSA: For any travelers, taking the bus to and from the airport is way cheaper than taking a taxi. And if you are located close to Dublin’s city center, everything is practically in walking distance . However, taxis are easy to come by if you need to get to a destination sooner or if you’re just entirely worn out (or drunk off your a**). It happens to the best of us. 

~ 4 / 5 p.m., The Brazen Head 

For dinner, we stopped by the pub, “The Brazen Head,” whose current building was constructed as a coaching inn in 1754. The atmosphere of the pub was intimate and warm with the welcome addition of a random collection of books and police badges from across the world. During our time there, we drank some Guinness Hop House 13, which might currently take the cake as my favorite beer. Personally, I’m more of a red and rosé wine gal, but the Hop House 13 is a special exception. However, as many may already know, beer tastes wayyyy better on tap. And I’d soon find that out the next day when I tried the same beer at the Guinness Warehouse.  

My mom is a wing enthusiast, so naturally we tried their hot buffalo wings. And boy, were they good. Overall, I would definitely recommend stopping by if you’ve got the time. However, I wouldn’t consider it a grave loss if you don’t. There’s always the option of picking up some food elsewhere and walking the streets of Dublin!   

~ 7 / 8:30 p.m. – 11 p.m., David Keenan Concert at Olympia Theatre

After we left The Brazen Head, we quickly scurried off to the Olympia Theatre so that we could be first in line for the concert. The main reason being was so that I could stand in the front row of the ground floor. And luckily, we arrived early enough to make it happen. We entered the theatre around 7 p.m. but the show didn’t actually start til around 8 p.m. The opening act, who was a poet, entered the stage and shared some of his work with the audience. His poetry was filled with silly, dark humor and he often expressed his struggles with mental health, which caused my allergies to flare up from time to time. He spoke with such heart and conviction even through the nerves that seemed to pervade him the entire time. There was a moment during one of his recitations that he seemed to have lost his train of thought. However, he was quick on his feet and made it appear intentional. I really wish I could remember his name because he was a true gem. 

At 8:30 or so, the concert finally began. David Keenan walked onto the stage with his back turned to the crowd and a hand up in the air behind a white sheet. For a moment, it seemed as if Elvis was about to come out and rock the stage. The sheet lifted and I finally got to see and listen to Keenan in the flesh. I was stoked. And there was even a moment during the concert where he looked down into my phone’s camera. To be honest, my face probably turned the color of a cherry tomato soon afterward. But most importantly, the concert was more than I could have ever imagined. I was expecting it to be good, but DAMN….Keenan and his troupe really know how to put on a show. You could tell there was a painstaking amount of thought put into every detail and choice that was made into creating this particular experience. 

One of the final numbers of the concert was aptly named “Subliminal Dublinia.” The song was a crowd pleaser and got the whole theatre roaring together in a moment of unity. Keenan had the theatre exclaiming, “Occupy the city with original ideas,” and I was taken over with a newfound sense of drive and purpose after the song ended. And I hope others did too. Near the end of the song, Keenan threw a sign into the audience (which I could have caught btw if I had paid good enough attention) and the wooden portion of the sign hit the corner of my mom’s eye. But, I guess that’s rock n’roll for ya. Or at least that’s what I told my mom to appease her. 

Eventually, the show ended and before I left, I couldn’t leave without getting a memento from the theatre’s gift shop. I decided to go for the vinyl of Keenan’s debut album, “A Beginner’s Guide to Bravery.” And I don’t even own a record player. But, I guess it’s another excuse to finally buy one.   

Day 2: Dublin, Ireland, Jan. 14th 

~ 8:30 a.m., Cardio Workout

We woke up the next morning feeling good, but it did start off with a minor bump in the road. My mom forgot to pack her brush and she wasn’t about to go out into the world without brushing her hair. So, for about 30 minutes, I went on a scavenger hunt and entered countless (more like three) stores in Dublin to find my mom a suitable brush for her haircare needs. The best I could find was a rounded brush but it did the job. And alas, we finally started the day. 

PSA: I honestly didn’t think my mom was serious at first. But I kind of took the hint when she kept staring at me and said something along the lines of, “No really, I NEED to brush my hair” and “I’ll wait here until you get back. Better hurry.” You learn something new every day. I at least got some added cardio in for the day. 

~ 9:15 a.m., Breakfast 

We had some quick breakfast at a place around the corner. The place was a cute Mom and Pop that was homely. The food was your classic Irish breakfast and of course, it was super delish. 

PSA: If anybody, for whatever inexplicable reason, can identify this Mom and Pop….please let me know. Thank you.   

~ 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., The Guinness Warehouse 

I had already been to the Guinness Store Warehouse, but I wanted my mom to have that experience so I purchased two tickets for a self-led tour. There are various levels of the warehouse and it took us some time before we reached the infamous sky bar. We took in the glorious views of Dublin and sipped on our free pints of Guinness. And there was a surprisingly low number of tourists in the sky bar that day. Last time I went it was packed to the brim full of people. So, it was a nice change of pace and we used that time to figure out what we were going to do next! 

PSA: The Guinness Store Warehouse is a cool tourist destination, especially if you’re a fan of the Guinness brand. However, there are a lot of other places you can go to as well. In Dublin, there is the Irish Whiskey Museum, the Jameson Distillery, the Roe & Co Distillery, and more.   

~ 2 – 3 p.m. Roe & Co. Distillery 

We took a quick pit stop to the Roe & Co. Distillery in order to purchase some whiskey for my dad. While I was there, I treated myself to a super cute coffee mug. I use it so much now that it’s already chipping away. 

~ 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Dublinia and The Christ Church Cathedral 

We decided that our next destination would be the “Dublinia,” which is a museum that highlights the viking and medieval history of the city. While at the museum, I met my current boyfriend Gerald. It was love at first sight and as they say, the rest was history. After the Dublinia museum, we went across the way to the Christ Church Cathedral.   

~ 8 p.m., Cleaver East by Oliver Dunne 

For dinner, my mom and I decided to be fancy af and made a reservation at the restaurant, “Cleaver East,” which we happened to stumble upon during our walk through Dublin. Once we arrived, I ordered some red wine and we obviously started off with wings as our appetizer. Then, I ordered sirloin steak with some truffle fries for my main course. 

PSA: Truffle fries are the bomb. They are an acquired taste but personally I find them delectable.

Day 3: Northern Ireland, GOT Tour, Jan. 15th 

~ 6:30 a.m. – 10 a.m., Morning Ride 

On our final day, we embarked on our Northern Ireland Game of Thrones tour. We had to wake up early to get ready and arrive on time to the tour bus stop location. This was one of the few times we decided to take a taxi because we were in no mood to walk 15 to 20 minutes in the freezing cold. Once we arrived and hopped onto the bus, I made sure to take two dramamine for the road. I have to take dramamine because I experience terrible motion sickness. Even watching or playing video games for too long can trigger my motion sickness. Hence why I’ll probably never fulfill my dreams of being a gamer girl. *Cries*. But anyway, soon after I took the dramamine, I was knocked out for most of the ride. 

However, something funny did happen during the ride to Northern Ireland. During one of the stops, my mom went into a gas station and woke me up with some mocha coffee, which was really sweet of her. But, I was still hungover from that dramamine. So when she gave me the coffee, I dropped it not once, but twice on myself. And for the remainder of the trip, I had a massive mocha coffee stain located in my crotch area. I’m telling y’all right now, dramamine will have you f**ked up. I probably should have taken one tablet instead of two.

For real though, if you experience mild to severe motion sickness, dramamine will absolve you from all your troubles. Plus, try to stay hydrated and only snack on healthy foods. 

PSA: Northern Ireland’s currency is in pounds. So, keep that in mind when shopping. Additionally, it’ll be useful to have a currency converter app on your phone. 

~ 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Giant’s Causeway 

After a few hours on the road, we finally arrived at the Giant’s Causeway. I had been there the previous year on another tour but I was excited to explore the area further. After exploring for a bit, I realized that there was a path that followed along a cliff. Foolishly, I decided to go up the cliff even though the wind was roaring and screaming fiercely. I made it to the top of the cliff and was scared sh**less when I had a hard time keeping my balance. Luckily, I made it back down without falling off the cliff. Ah, good times. 

PSA: Don’t be like me and forget your hat. My ears were freezing and constantly bombarded by harsh winds. I later found out that I did bring my hat but it had slipped out of my hands on our way out the door. 

~ 1: 00 p.m. – 3 p.m., Ballintoy Harbour, Northern Ireland 

At Ballintoy Harbour, we checked out a few locations that were featured in Game of Thrones.

~ 3:15 – 4:00 p.m., The Dark Hedges

We then made our way to the Dark Hedges. The Dark Hedges are beech trees located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland that intertwine and create an atmospheric tunnel. It was a great spot to roam around and take pictures. 

~ 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Belfast  

Our day ended with a quick trip to Belfast. We decided to have dinner at a local pizzeria and before we left, I decided to get some coffee from Tim Hortons. I didn’t really need coffee but I had wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. Turns out, Tim Hortons ain’t all that bad. 

 So, that concludes our trip to Ireland! I hope you all enjoyed reading about our Irish adventures and potentially learned something new. Stay safe out there! 

• ireland
• travel