Chasing Rainbows

If you’re forced, and how utterly terrible must it be if you’re forced to take only a 24 hour vacation, the only choice is to chase rainbows in Dublin, that lynchpin of the Emerald Isle with some of the cheapest flights from Chicago to Europe. As it’s been sung, you can go around the world, from Antarctica to Katmandu, and find an Irish pub—a place you’ll be welcomed with a kind smile and a cold pint. If you’re lucky, you might even get some fiddle, and if you’re really lucky they’ll be some black pudding (okay that one is personal taste).   

We don’t even have to think too hard about an itinerary because our good friends the High Kings already did that for us! If you want a great night in Dublin, follow their lead. It may seem like a great, galivanting adventure but, it’s only about, ohh, three blocks of walking...

If you want to follow my lead, do the following. 

Once you land and check-in to your hotel of choice, I recommend something near the city center on the Liffey, you must find yourself a full Irish breakfast. Don’t overthink it. You’re here for 24 hours so don’t go searching for somewhere you’d have to wait in line when there’s a thousand places to get a full Irish and they’ll all be excellent, plus it’ll be good energy for a lot of walking. 

Ohh there will be a lot of walking. Lots and lots of walking. Get over it.

Now it's time to explore. Follow the High Kings and jump the gate at Trinity (don’t actually jump the gate, you’re a guest, be respectful). The Long Room and the Book of Kells is a quick tour and it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world for bibliophiles, and when I’ve been there the books haven’t even been on the shelves!

Alright, now that we’ve done history, we need some Whiskey (with the E). Take a walk over through St. Stephen’s Green (again High Kings nailed it) to the Teeling Distillery and enjoy another smooth tour and a delicious amber burn. It’s about a 1.5 mile walk through a beautiful part of town. I’ve toured distilleries all over the world and Teeling is my favorite—no one else has nailed the blend of cultural history, whiskey history, and tasting quite like they do. I learned a ton, and the whiskey was wonderful.

Then stumble over to the Guinness Storehouse. It’s iconic, it’s fun, you get a great view of the city, and I found their exhibits on the Liberties and the Cooperage to be quite edifying. It’s crazy the lengths companies will go to to not piss off their employees when they all live next door…

And we’re walking again. At this point you’re probably swaying a bit, find a chip shop and dump some malt vinegar on them, because we’re finding a pint and a tune in Temple Bar. Like breakfast, don’t overthink it. You don’t need to actually go into The Temple Bar (although I had a great night at the Temple Bar whiskey room annex where I paired three gents singing shanties with an expensive glass of Red Breast).

Find a place with no line and get a Guinness or a Magners and listen to some of the best music you’ll ever hear, bonus if you dance to the fiddle. I've been to Dublin twice and have sat in Gogartys four times because it's a sure fire way to find some fiddle. Enjoy to the wee hours and congrats you’ve successfully chased some rainbows!

Who knows where else the night will take you, but you're going to enjoy it. Wake up, get on your flight and sleep off the hangover while you dream of rainbows.  

And finally, if you’ve made it this far and think, “hmm sounds good Matt but I want something more local and less touristy,” fuck off. You’re in a place for 24 hours. You’re a tourist. Embrace it. Spend your vacation money liberally, and most importantly, act like a fucking guest in the house you’re visiting and not like you’re entitled to the master bedroom.

A/N:

This story was inspired by my most recent trip there. Enjoy!

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