It is time to Visit Dublin

The children have gone back to school and most people have used

up their vacation time during the summer so now is a good time to travel.  Places are less crowded and some prices start to fall. And, in Europe the winter weather hasn’t set it.  We have been to Ireland several times and it has always been jacket weather.  They always say, “You should have been here last week!” However, people don’t go to Ireland for the beach or to sunbathe. 

Dublin is steeped in history. One of Dublin’s most important historical sites is the 13th century Dublin Castle with public access to the State Apartments and Royal Chapel. Historic Trinity College is home to the Book of Kells one of the most incredible manuscripts to survive from the early middle ages. The illuminated book was most likely painted around 800. The college began in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. Just walking around the campus is a step into the past. Tours are available. Another architectural wonder is St. Patrick’s Cathedral built on the site where it is said that St. Patrick baptized new converts to Christianity. 

Ireland’s history is filled with turbulent times. The notorious Kilmainham Gaol is the place to learn about the rebellions and civil wars.  The main thoroughfare, McConnell Street, is home to Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, the Abbey Theater, the Remembrance Garden, and the General Post Office. There are free walking tours which cover

some of the most important sites such as the General Post Office where the 1916 Easter Uprising took place. Nearby is the Dublin Writer’s Museum. Irish literary history is world renowned and included four Nobel Prize winners. Located in an 18th century mansion, the collection features Jonathan Swift, author of “Gulliver’s Travels;” George Bernard Shaw author of “Pygmalion” (think “My Fair Lady”); along with Oscar Wilde, Yeats, and Thomas Becket. 

It was said that one couldn’t say “good food” and “Ireland” in the

same sentence.  That is no longer true. During the “Celtic Tiger” many foreigners made Dublin their home and brought their culinary talents with them.

The Guinness factory tour is a must for most visitors. It is not free but includes a pint of Guinness at the end.  Whiskey imbibers will find a whiskey museum and two distilleries. One of the best evening activities is a hooley (typical

Irish party) featuring Irish dance and food.  Since1798 Johnny Fox’s has been one of the most popular places for a hooley. It is outside of Dublin but there are shuttle buses available. 

You will only find Leprechauns at the National Leprechaun Museum (darn!) but Dublin is a friendly place to visit and like London be prepared for changeable weather.

The best way to learn about Dublin is on the hop-on hop-off bus tour.  Take it once around and then decide what you want to see, actually it is best to buy a two-day ticket as there is not enough time to see everything.  Even though there is plenty to do in Dublin, the city is usually part of a trip to the rest of Ireland. Like most cities driving in Dublin is not fun.  If you are planning to visit the rest of Ireland consider leaving the car at the airport while visiting the city. And, if you want to venture off the island there is a ferry to Holyhead in Wales takes less than four hours. 

Ireland's St. Patrick's Day meal

I had always considered corned beef and cabbage the signature Irish dish and I usually make it for St. Patrick’s Day. I boiled the corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrot together. When John and I were in Roscommon, Ireland during June 2011 I contacted Sarah Browne to set up a cooking experience featuring Irish food. She offers a variety of classes but there were none scheduled on the days we were in the area; however, she kindly offered to prepare a traditional Irish meal for the cost of the ingredients.

I was surprised to learn that in Ireland the traditional dish is bacon and cabbage served with a side of Savoy cabbage boiled in the bacon water, accompanied by champ which is mashed potatoes seasoned with scallions, milk, and butter along with salt and pepper. The potatoes are not cooked in the bacon water. Browne made a parsley sauce of flour, butter, whole milk, and fresh parsley, seasoned with salt and pepper which she added on top of the slices of bacon when served.

The bacon and cabbage meal is considered nourishing and satisfying. Most farm families raised pigs and had their own vegetable garden. Browne has her own herb and vegetable garden adjacent to her cooking school. Like Browne, most people in Ireland know the source of their food where grass-fed meats and local dairy products are the norm. Even though we had intended to pay for the ingredients, which would have been about $50, she waived the fee and invited her parents and twin siblings to join us for dinner. We not only enjoyed a traditional Irish meal but were also the recipients of traditional Irish hospitality. The Irish love good, wholesome food and enjoy the pastimes of eating, drinking, and socializing, especially with family and friends.

Glazed Loin of Bacon
3.5 lb bacon loin, with a good layer of fat
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp pressed apple juice
15 whole cloves for studding

Cover the bacon in water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and discard the water. Cover with cold water again and bring to a boil. If any white foam or scum comes to the surface repeat the process of refreshing the water and boiling. Then, boil the bacon, with the lid on the saucepan for 15 minutes per pound weight plus an extra 15 minutes. Allow the bacon to rest in the bacon water for 30 minutes or so before removing it. Reserve the bacon water for cooking the cabbage. Use a sharp knife to score the fat into diamonds. Stud each ‘diamond’ with a clove. Mix the brown sugar with the apple juice and rub it gently into the scored fat. Bake in the oven (350F) for 20 minutes until the top is golden and caramelized. Baste with the falling juices a few times while in the oven. Carve and top with parsley sauce. Serve with sides of cabbage and champ.

Dinner ended with an Irish pudding - Carrageen Moss Blanc Mange. Sarah Browne strives to use all natural foods locally produced or found in Ireland. Her carrageen pudding makes use of a species of red algae that is found along the rocky coast of the Atlantic in Europe and North America but it is also sold commercially. Carrageen is rich in many vitamins and minerals so the pudding is not only delicious it is healthy.

Exploring Roscommon County, Ireland and nearby area

John and I were driving along Route N6 across Ireland when we noticed a place named Kilbeggan. We knew that it was the name of an Irish whiskey so we made a short detour. It was more than we expected because they not only make Kilbeggan Whiskey but it is also home to Locke’s Distillery Museum. Kilbeggan is one of the spirits in the Cooley Distillery family of whiskies and the only 100% Irish owned distillery and it is family owned. Licensed in 1757, Kilbeggan is the oldest continuously licensed whiskey distillery in the world and the Locke's Distillery is the last remaining example of a small pot still whiskey distillery in Ireland.

The Museum shows the traditional process of whiskey making from the grinding of the grain to the casking of the final product. Most of the original machinery has been restored and is working daily including a 19th century water wheel. They even have their own cooper on site. We saw a cask especially labeled for President Obama in honor of his recent visit. After a lunch at their Pantry Restaurant we continued to Roscommon where we stayed at the Abbey Hotel.

We love the view from the Abbey Hotel. Behind the hotel are the 13th century ruins of the Roscommon Abbey, which is free of charge to everyone. It was sacked and destroyed several times until it was finally abandoned around 1500 – about the time Columbus was exploring the Americas. I guess people who live with castles and ruins in their midst don’t find it unique but we do. Near the hotel we explored the ruins of Roscommon Castle, again people are free to wander about, explore and try to imagine what it was like in its heyday. Built in 1269, it exchanged hands many times over the years during which it was remodeled. After a fire in 1690 it fell into disrepair.

Just north of Roscommon, on our way back to Dublin, we stopped at the Famine Museum in Strokesville and learned that about 80 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry including 44 million American. Where would they be without the potato famine? The Great Irish famine of the 1840′s is regarded as the single greatest social disaster of 19th century Europe. Between 1845 and 1850, when blight devastated the potato crop, in excess of two million people – almost one-quarter of the entire population of Ireland – either died or emigrated. Without the famine the population of Ireland would be significantly higher; plus, Ireland’s famine caused a shift in land ownership and sparked the call for Irish independence.

The potato was introduced into Ireland from the Americas in the 1500s and by the 1800s it was the main source of food with the average man eating 45 potatoes a day. The potato was suited to Ireland’s wet, cool climate and with a little milk added it provided carbohydrates, protein, and minerals. The Famine Museum in Strokestown follows the history of the famine in Ireland, responses to the famine and ends with places that are suffering famine in the world today. Amazing the number of places today that are plagued by famine. According to the United Nations over 11 million people in the Horn of Africa are in a crisis situation.

Ireland is one of the friendliest countries we have visited. For more information check www.discoverireland.com.

Loving the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin

Ireland always surprises us. We picked up our rental car in Dublin and headed for Powerscourt in the beautiful Wicklow Mountains. The beltways around Dublin are great but the tolls must be paid on line. The best thing is to mention it to the hotel and they will help guests take care of the toll. Once we got off the parkway we were soon lost… an easy thing to happen in Ireland. The roads are scenic but that means narrow with no shoulders. We finally found a little place to pull off and were trying to reorient ourselves when there was a little knock on the window. “A bit off your way, are ye?” said the tiny elderly man, with a wide smile and a twinkle in his eye… a leprechaun, for sure. He proceeded to give us direction and then a 15-minute summary of Irish history from Anglo-Norman times to Mel Gibson. It was charming!

We found our way to Powerscourt Estate, which has been in the Slazenger Family, of the tennis-racket fame, for 50 years. The estate has an amazing series of terraces that lead from the house to the lake with views of Sugar Loaf Mountain. The fantastic gardens are a popular day tour from Dublin. It defies the image of Ireland as one of small, picturesque cottages surrounded by a field of grazing sheep. Powerscourt is how the wealthy lived.

I think every trip should include a couple days of complete relaxation and luxury. In Ireland we found it at the Ritz Carleton Powerscourt. Located adjacent to the Powerscourt estate it is built in the Palladian-style with all the ambiance one would expect from a Ritz Carleton property. Even though every guest is treated as if they were special we noticed that our red Ford Focus rental car was quickly dispatched to the parking lot while the exquisite Bentley spent the day under the porte-cochere where everyone could see it.

Our accommodation was outstanding with a large patio where we could gaze out over the expansive lawn to Sugar Loaf Mountain. The first night we dined in McGills Pub where I enjoyed Fish & Chips and John had Corned Beef & Cabbage. The next day we planned a “Special Day.” We reserved one of the hotel’s golf carts and took it down to Powerscourt Estate and to the River Walk. The River Walk is a “secret place” within the wall of Powerscourt Estate. The cedars along the bubbling stream are some the largest we have ever seen. It was a magical trip. Later John retired to our patio to read and I went to ESPA for some pampering.

After a wonderful massage I went to the Jacuzzi-style hot pool with a view of Sugar Loaf Mountain then to their main pool that is lit with Swarovski crystal. It made the water shimmered as if there were diamonds on the bottom. There is a spa café and I noticed some of the people were spending the entire day in the spa. What a life!

In the evening John and I had an incredible dinner at the Gordon Ramsey Restaurant. Besides the beautiful view of the mountains I liked the fact that the menu included mainly locally raised products. It was a wonderful ending to our “Special Day.” There was only one problem. In the morning we had to leave!

Exploring Dublin, Ireland's Capital City

John and I always enjoy visiting Dublin because it is a comfortable city, the people are very friendly, and there are always new things to do. This time we stayed at the Croke Hotel. The Dublin Tour Bus stops outside the hotel’s front door. We like to take the hop-on-hop-off city tours once around and then decide what we want to see. We visited the General Post Office, which served as the headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising who were trying to free Ireland from 750 years of British rule. The museum is small but has an interesting video depicting the event. Our next stop was Kilmainham Gaol where they offer on-the-hour tours. It is a microcosm of Irish history. When the prison opened in 1796 it was a model prison with the intention that there would be only one inmate to a cell. However, it became overcrowded and a place where Ireland’s most noted political prisoners were held and some were executed including leaders of the Easter Uprising. The leaders of the Easter Uprising did not initially have the support of the people but when they were incarcerated then executed in Kilmainham public opinion changed, they became heroes and support for the cause of independence grew. The guide tells chilling stories about life in the gaol. During the potato famine people would try to get imprisoned because it was better than life on the outside. The last prisoner was Eamon de Velera who later became the president of Ireland.

The Irish have always had a way with words including nicknaming some of their iconic statues. The statue of Molly Malone is a favorite photo spot. The locals refer to her as the “Tart with the Cart” and “The Dish with the Fish.” On O’Connell Street the new 390-foot tall stainless steel Millennium Spire is referred to as the “Stiletto in the Ghetto.” Narrators on the bus tours sprinkle their talk with similar witticisms. Certainly no visit to Dublin is complete without visiting Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Guinness Storehouse with a wonderful panoramic view of the city from their Gravity Bay where visitors can enjoy a free glass of Guinness.

Our favorite evening was at Johnnie Fox’s pub in the hills outside of Dublin. It is one of the oldest and most famous traditional Irish pubs. Founded in 1798 they offer traditional Irish music nightly but the best is their Hooley Nights. We took their Express Bus, which picked us up at the Gresham Hotel. The 30-minute drive through the countryside was beautiful. A “hooley” is Irish for a party with traditional music and dancing. The small stage has a home-style fireplace hung with the laundry and the mantel adorned with twin ceramic dogs called “Wally Dogs” - the ultimate wedding gift in times gone by. The Hooley Night included a three-course dinner with many Irish favorites but it is the music and dancing that is the main draw. On the night we attended the Chinese embassy was hosting about 50 of their closest friends so it was a full house. At the end of the second intermission the embassy group left and the singers continued with songs that “we saved to the end because we didn’t think our foreign guests would understand” including a hilarious version of “Galway Bay.” A night of great music and dancing.