Ireland’s Coasts from North to South - Day #3 - Dublin, Ireland

I slept solidly. We had breakfast at The Ivy Dawson Street. Sharon had avocado toast, while I had scrambled eggs and salmon.

The plan for the morning was Historical Walking Tours of Dublin. It was established in 1986 by history postgraduates from Trinity College Dublin and the National University of Ireland. Designed as a comprehensive, two-hour crash course in Irish history, it combines academic insight with storytelling and humor. Led by a professional historian, the tour unpacks major themes in Irish history—including the Anglo-Norman conquest, the impact of the American and French Revolutions, the Great Famine, the 1916 Easter Rising, the War of Independence, Partition, and the roots of modern Ireland.

Starting at the Grattan statue, the tour talked about the Irish Parliament Building and Trinity College. From there, we headed to the Daniel O'Connell Monument, the General Post Office, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, City Hall, the site of the original Viking settlement and black pool (Dubh Linn) along the River Liffey and Christ Church Cathedral.

The tour lasted just over two and a half hours. Our guide--Jody--was very good.

Heading back to the hotel, we had a quick lunch at Salamanca Tapas Restaurant. We shared the Salamanca Charcuterie Selection and a Selection Of Bread & Dips.

After a quick stop at hotel, we headed to Trinity College. We did the Trinity Trails Campus Tour and Book of Kells Experience. The guide for the walking tour--Lily--was very good. After the walkihg tour, we visited the Book of Kells, the long room at the Old Library and the Book of Kells Digital Experience.

The Book of Kells is arguably Ireland's greatest cultural and artistic treasure. It is a lavishly decorated, masterwork illuminated manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament in Latin. Produced around 800 AD by Celtic monks belonging to the monastic community of St. Columba (St. Colmcille), it is believed to have been started on the remote island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland. We visited Iona on our trip to Scotland in 2003!


For dinner, we walked to SOLE Seafood & Grill. It is a upscale, award-winning restaurant located on Drury Street in central Dublin, just a short walk from Grafton Street. It is widely regarded as one of the premier seafood dining spots in the city.

Unfortuantely, the service was bad and the food was only so so. Sharon and I split a scallop starter and a burrata appetizer. For entrees, I had sea bass, while Sharon had a john dorry catch of the day special. We would give the service a "C-" at best and the food a "B-."

Walking back to the hotel, We crashed just after 10 pm.