This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Dublin, Ireland with one of my closest friends from my study abroad program in Granada! The trip was spur of the moment. We booked our flights three days before departing, and booked our hostel the day before we left. We'd be flying out on a Saturday together and I'd be flying back to Spain by myself at 7:20 on a Monday morning. Was I nervous? Yes, but was it totally worth it and absolutely one of the best trips of my lifetime? Absolutely.
In my short 36 hours in Dublin, I of course, was not able to visit the entirety of the city, but I was able to compile a list of a few of the must-see sites and must-do events that made our "Dublin On a Budget" trip so memorable. Here are a few of my favorite locations and activities:
1. Visit Synge Street
First off, if you haven't seen the movie "Sing Street," I suggest you get right on it because it is genuinely one of the best movies I have ever seen. It takes place in 1980's Dublin although the movie itself was filmed in 2016 and follows the lives of a group of teenagers as they create a band in hopes of making it big in the music industry. Synge Street and Synge Street Catholic Brother's School are both real places that you can actually visit in Dublin and I was able to take photos outside of the church they filmed at in the movie!
2. Go On a Pub Crawl
Even if you're not a huge drinker like myself, pub crawls are relatively inexpensive and have a fun atmosphere! The one that my friend and I went on cost about 12 euros and included 3 free shots and drinks for half their normal price. Not only this, but the environment felt relatively safe as two crawl coordinators stayed with our group the entire time to make sure everyone got to where they needed to be. (And again, if you're like me and you enjoy getting home before 1:00am, this particular crawl started at 8:30 at night, and we headed out before 11:30pm).
3. Avalon House Hostel
If you're looking for a reasonably priced and safe place to stay whilst in Dublin, I highly recommend looking into Avalon House. As two unaccompanied 20-something females, safety was a top priority for my friend and I during our travels, and we felt nothing but secure and happy during our stay in Avalon House. The bathrooms were clean, the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly, and even though I had a flight to be at the airport by 6am, they had a shuttle come pick me up and take me directly to the airport for only 7 euros!
4. Touring Trinity College
Although I didn't make it into their library (tickets cost 13 euros), Trinity College's campus is absolutely stunning and is decorated with beautiful monuments and statues around every corner. After spending most of my time in the incredibly urban, Granada, it was nice to see so much greenery!
5. Dinner at Bernard Shaw
Easily one of the coolest places I've ever been to. My friend and I were lucky enough to attend an open album release party for a local band here! They served alcoholic cider, (both warm and cold, which was perfect for a cold night in Dublin,) and Italian-quality pizza. We even got to eat in an old bus that had been converted into part of the pub!
6. The Streets
What truly made the experience so magical though was simply strolling through the festive streets that were completely decorated with Christmas decorations and having the time to simply enjoy my friend's company. We stopped to take photos at local parks and must've said, "I love Dublin" over a hundred times. Is that a little cheesy? Maybe. Are we already planning our trip back? You bet.
