Ireland - Day 2

Highlight of the Day: Vintage Tea Trip

First full day in Dublin, Ireland. We had a bit of a slow start in the morning as we were recovering from our jet lag (I can’t remember the last time I slept until 8:15AM) and struggled to figure out how to get hot water for a shower in our flat. In the end, we had to contact our host to have them come out and fix it. We headed out for an early lunch at T.P. Smith’s which is our neighborhood pub and shared a chicken caesar wrap and some chips. We knew we had an afternoon tea at 3:30pm and didn’t want to overeat. After lunch, we did a walk about on the other side of the Liffy and stopped in at what we thought was the famous Temple Bar, but ended up being Fitzsimons Temple Bar, not the “The” Temple Bar. However, they did have a very nice Rooftop Garden, so we did enjoy sitting up there and enjoying a pint along with the nice weather. Afterward, we went to the real Temple Bar and while standing at the bar, I ran into someone I used to work with at 3M. What a small world!! She recognized me and we were both shocked to see each other. It was great to catch up and hear news about the company.

A little history about the The Temple Bar…the district itself takes its name from Sir William Temple, who built his family’s home and gardens there in the early 1600s. The site of the pub has housed licensed premises since the early 19th century, serving as a traditional public house through much of Dublin’s social history. The Temple Bar area was in decline and slated for redevelopment, but preservation efforts in the 1980s transformed it into the vibrant quarter it is today. The Temple Bar Pub has become known as the “most photographed pub in Dublin” thanks to its striking red façade, and flower-filled displays. It has become an icon for both locals and tourists and its image is now a staple on postcards, social media, and travel guides.

After our visit to The Temple Bar, we began our walk to our afternoon event which was to take The Vintage Tea Trip bus for a tour of Dublin. We had done a bus like this in London called Brigit’s Bakery Afternoon Tea and we enjoyed it so much we thought we would try this one in Dublin. It was a very similar experience, not quite as high quality, but still a very fun and delicious way to spend 90 minutes learning about the city.

We were so full, we skipped doing any type of dinner and just stopped at another neighborhood pub called Slattery’s Bar on Capel Street. A unique fact about this pub is in 1892, Slattery’s secured its now-famous 7 am opening license to cater to the immense trade generated by the nearby Dublin Corporation Markets on Mary’s Lane. This distinction made it one of Dublin’s celebrated “early houses” - pubs that traditionally opened in the early morning hours to serve traders, workers, and shift laborers.

Tomorrow it is off to Howth for the day and a very busy itinerary.