Irish Explorer – Intriguing Ireland – Dublin Part 2

Welcome to my story style travel blog, featuring my adventure through Ireland in the spring of 2026.

You can read the blog in order, or about whichever destination intrigues you! Within my stories, I’ll offer some recommendations and some tips and tricks for a smooth journey. When I travel, I mostly do group tours and the reasons are:

* As a solo woman traveler, it is much safer especially if traveling long distances or to countries that can be dangerous in some places.

*The itineraries are amazing and usually include all of the things you’d want to see and do…and if not, there is free time to do as you wish

*You don’t have to worry about booking transport, finding hotels, etc. Sometimes that can contribute to the adventure, but it’s also nice to sit back and relax and let your Tour CEO be in charge

* And finally…the new people you meet on your tour become your family, and I’ve made lifelong friends in these journeys. For myself, this has equal importance with exploring new countries.

I used Expat Explore again – the tour is called Irish Explorer. This is my third time traveling with Expat, and their European itineraries are really awesome and not super expensive. Also, transport is by coach bus which is nice because the buses offer a comfy ride with air con, WIFI, charging ports, etc.

Ok, now let’s begin!

This morning I head down to the lobby to meet up with the people I will be touring with for the next week! What I’m finding with Expat is that it attracts a lot of older couples, and not a lot of solo travelers which isn’t ideal for me. This might be the last time I use Expat for awhile, or at least as a solo. There are a few solos though and they are cool – Pat, Steph, Arin and Mike. So I’ll mostly be hanging out with them, or by myself and that’s fine for the next week. If it was a longer tour, I would be a little more concerned, but here we go!

Our tour leader is Inge, she is a Norwegian who has made Ireland her home for many years so she is an expert. Our driver, Sean, is an older Irish gentleman; let me tell you he is an expert driver, and he also has the best sense of humor! We are in good hands! We board the coach bus and head into the city for some exploration.

Dublin is a city where history feels woven into everyday life. Founded by the Vikings in the 9th century along the River Liffey, it grew into an important medieval trading centre before becoming deeply shaped by English and British rule. The city has been at the heart of some of Ireland’s most important moments, from the 1798 rebellion and the Easter Rising of 1916 to the fight for independence that eventually created the Irish Free State. You can still see those layers everywhere—from medieval streets and Georgian architecture to historic pubs, churches and landmarks that have witnessed centuries of change. And somehow, despite all that history, Dublin doesn’t feel stuck in the past; it feels like a city that has carried its story forward while still knowing how to have a good time.

We first drive through Phoenix Park, and it would be a great place to explore if we had more time. It is a large grassland area with many avenues and trails and is the home to the Dublin Zoo, and a herd of wild fallow deer

Check out the big obelisk in the park- known as the Wellington Monument; it is the tallest obelisk in Europe.

Then we drive over to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to take some photos from the outside. I’ll be exploring this area after the tour, so more to follow in the next blogs! Also, it’s Easter weekend so the churches have limited hours.

Now we start a walking part of the tour, as Inge shows us around and tells us more about Dublin and Irish history. It starts to rain and then hail, so that’s interesting. Luckily it doesn’t last for too long!

This is Molly Malone, a fictional fishwife who sold her cockles and mussels on the streets.

But she sold something else at night, if you know what I mean. There is a famous song about her, which is the unofficial anthem of Dublin. It’s considered good luck to rub her breasts; this has of course been met with controversy over the objectification of women.

We continue walking through Temple Bar, which is known as Dublin’s cultural quarter, the center of its nightlife and a tourist destination.

There is also a famous pub here called Temple Bar; it’s always so busy and very expensive.

We make our way over and across the Ha’Penny Bridge over the River Liffey. Built in the early 1800’s, this cast iron pedestrian bridge gets its name because the toll to cross the bridge was a halfpenny.

Lunch is included today, and we’re eating at the Arlington. I choose the Guinness stew. I think I’m getting beef, but it may have been lamb. Either way it was kind of gross – not a bad flavor but the texture was not great. The dessert plate kind of makes up for it.

I sit with Arin, and he treats me to a Smithwick’s Red Ale, which makes the stew taste better. Haha. Thanks, my friend.

Next stop is Epic The Irish Emigration Museum. Alright, now is this an interesting and interactive museum? Yes. Do I think it’s amazing? No. But it is cool to see the history of how and why the Irish left Ireland.

Fun Fact : Ireland is also known as Eire, or Erin. I’m not Irish, but it’s fun to tell people my name and feel right at home.

We have some time to kill before the bus picks us up so we have a wander along the river. But whoooo it is chilly and windy again today.

We can see the ship Jeanie Johnston, which is a replica of the vessel that was used for trade from Ireland to Canada, located in the docklands area of Dublin.

The ship brought the emigrants to Canada, and then brought timber back to Europe. Despite the large amount of people they transported during the famine, there were no fatalities on the ship. That is pretty impressive! There are tours available if you want to have a look on the boat. And nearby is the super cool Samuel Beckett bridge, which is meant to look like a harp, the symbol of Ireland.

Along the river, there is a very haunting collection of human statues in memorial of the Irish famine. It is so creepy but also beautiful and devastating. It represents starved, skeletal people making their way towards the docks to mark the tragic era of the Great Famine.

It was one of the darkest periods in Irish history, lasting from 1845 to 1852. A devastating potato blight destroyed much of Ireland’s main food crop, leaving millions facing starvation and poverty. More than one million people died from hunger and disease, while another two million or more were forced to leave Ireland, creating a massive wave of emigration. The famine had a lasting impact on Ireland’s population, culture, and relationship with Britain, and its effects can still be felt in Ireland and around the world today.

And now we head over to one of the highlights of Dublin… The biggest playground for beer drinkers…the Guinness Storehouse!

Once you enter, you head up into the museum part which takes you through all of the history of Guinness and how they make it.

Then we enter a bright white tasting room, for our first sip of the original Guinness. So amazing!

I have never been a huge fan of Guinness, but for some reason it just hits different over here. After playing the Guinness harp….

We go up to the Gravity Bar for a full glass of beer(included in the price of the ticket).

There are some great views of the city from up here.

And as we leave, we stop at the famous gate for photos

We arrive back for a late dinner at the hotel, and this meal is included with the tour, which is great. Chicken with gravy and potatoes and veggies and apple crumble for dessert.