Galway to Dublin
We packed up and made a brief stop at the Cathedral so Bill could see the interior before heading out. We headed to Athlone to stop in at Sean’s Bar. It is the oldest pub in Ireland. It was first established as a pub on this site around 900 AD.
The pub is fairly common looking but there was a neat display of the “wattle and wicker” wall from the 1900’s that was uncovered during the renovations in 1970.
The main area of the pub was filled with people from a bus tour so we took a brief tour of the Church of Saints Peter & Paul. Our mini diversion did not work, so we decided to return and order our drinks anyway. There was a small room off the main bar that was quieter and we enjoyed our drinks.
We had lunch just up the street. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Bastion Kitchen. I had a chai latte with kale and quinoa flour burger on a salad with pickled onion, beets, arugula, feta, and vinegrette dressing on beet hummus. Sheila had the same salad with abeet and lentil burger. Doug had the vegetable stew, and Bill had a chicken sandwich.
I bought a quinoa and chocolate ball, lentil chips, and a coconut nakd bar for snacking on later!
What happens when you visit the oldest pub in Ireland before 11am? Naps in the car on the way to Dublin.
We arrived in Dublin at the Davenport Hotel before 2pm. We dropped Sheila and Doug off and checked in. Bill and I were able to make arrangements to drop the rental car off downtown instead of the airport. It took some time to find a place to fuel the car but saved time driving all the way out to the airport and taking a taxi back. We had a short and scenic walk along River Liffey back to our hotel.
We have been upgraded to Executive Suites so we are able to enjoy the Lounge where we met to have snacks and drinks while waiting for Bill to finish a call. Sheila won her third game of Rummy.
We walked over to the Library Street Restaurant for an early dinner. The dried floral chandelier arrangement in the middle of the restaurant was really neat.
The menu is tapas style so we ordered several starters, small dishes, and mains. The most enjoyable dishes were the chargrilled pork chop, roast saddle of lamb, Jerusalem artichokes, and deconstructed crispy chicken wing was really good.
After dinner we went to Temple Bar known for having the largest whisky collection in Ireland. It was very crowded with lots of other tourists. We sat in an area of the bar that did not have a ceiling and enjoyed listening to the band in the other room and our drinks.
From there we went to Lincoln’s Inn. Bill really enjoyed the decor in this spot (really high ceilings, traditional wallpaper, and black and white photos) and after a time we spotted the band that was playing near the bar seated around a couple of tables.
Sheila and I were getting tired even though it wasn’t 10pm yet so we headed to bed. Bill and Doug opted to go to the hotel lobby for a few more drinks before calling it a night.
As we were arriving at the hotel, we saw a fox cross the road, turn down the street beside our hotel, and disappear. Hopefully that is a good omen for our time in Dublin!