Parking in a city is never easy with a camper, but we were lucky to find a great spot at the quay. (53.345637, -6.233291 – free parking and enough space on the weekend)
We walked along the River Liffey, admiring the mixture of old and new along the old quays of Dublin, until we got closer to the old part of town.
We walked through Trinity College, which was established by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592 as a solely Protestant university. Our stroll further on Grafton Street and through Powerscourt Townhouse Centre included a little wool shopping.
We came past Molly Malone, the fictional fishwife who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin and died young, of a fever. The song about her has become the city’s unofficial anthem.
A pedestrian bridge, built in 1816 over the River Liffey, replaced the ferries. It is made of cast iron, and a ha’penny toll had to be paid from anyone crossing it.
At a lovely vintage shop in the Temple Bar district, Cordy found a piece to fill up her already full wardrobe in the camper. But if a piece calls to you, you can’t just walk past it, can you?
We arrived at Dublin castle and took a tour through the State Apartments. Dublin Castle has fulfilled a number of roles throughout its history. Originally built as a defensive fortification for the Norman city of Dublin, it later evolved into an official residence, used by the Viceroy of Ireland, the representative of the British monarch.
The Viceroy used this part of the castle for personal accommodation and public entertaining during the Castle Season at the beginning of the year. Today these richly decorated rooms are used by the Irish government for official engagements including policy launches, hosting of State Visit ceremonial, and the inauguration of the president every seven years.
Our neighbour at the quay, the S/Y Marie, fascinated us. You can charter this lovely sailing boat or just look it up on symarie.com. Just one detail – there is a Steinway Baby Grand Piano in the salon.
Tomorrow, we have booked a tour for the Guinness Brewery – more next!