In my second book, The Whinging Pome: To The Point, I noted that Ireland's most notable exports have been people, Guinness, and the Irish pub concept. On a recent trip to Dublin, while the above remains true, the things to do, see, and enjoy are numerous. You would need a year to visit all 770 pubs in the city.

We arrived at Cassidy’s Hotel, a three-minute walk from the historic Post Office, which now serves as a museum. It is from this location that Dublin ultimately could claim the title “the city that took on the Empire and won.” Ireland gained true independence in 1921. Well, southern Ireland did.

I have always believed the best way to get an overview of a city is to take the ‘hop-on, hop-off’ bus. Dublin offers three such services – red, blue, and green. A wee bit confusing, but this is Ireland. To be sure, the commentary on the bus is witty and informative.

Dublin's Christian history goes back to Roman times. The arrival of St. Patrick in the first century means there are lots of churches to see. Most of the major churches have been restored and maintained by families with brewing or distilling empires – and there are plenty of them. Some old churches and now the location for making and selling local alcohol. 

The potato famine between 1845 and 1849 resulted in a million deaths. The suppression by the British and Catholic Church also led 4-5 million people to leave for the USA between 1820 and 1930. By 1890, 40% of Irish-born people were no longer in Europe. A statue representing justice above the castle faces inward, denoting that justice was not meant for the masses. Irish resistance to British rule lasted a hundred years, culminating in independence. The story of this struggle and victory is well documented, and it will be a higher priority on my next visit – although I did visit the graves of many who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure Ireland’s freedom.

To satisfy my taphophilian tendencies, we visit Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum. The cemetery opened in 1832, is the final resting place of key figures in Irish history of struggle over the last 100 years, including those who fought in the revolution against the British. James Murray, a Victoria Cross recipient (the highest military award in the British armed forces), was interred here in 1942. I was intrigued as to why a Catholic Irishman would serve in the British Army during World War II.

Channelling my Sherlock Holmes persona, I discovered that he was awarded his VC for his bravery in the Boer War. I could have happily spent the whole day at Glasnevin Cemetery. The wife informed me that she’d had enough of ‘dark tourism,’ and it was time to indulge in Irish culture – meaning it was time to check out the bars of Dublin. The nearest, The Grave Diggers, was just a short walk away, and it looked as though little had changed there in the last hundred years.

Walking through Dublin at night is a must. The city is alive with pubs, cafés, music, and a cultural melting pot of people. A pint of Guinness whets the appetite, and Irish stew provides the energy for a long night out. The next day, we visited the Guinness brewery. We took the tour – we were told it was a must – but came away feeling a bit underwhelmed. In the Braxen Head pub, said to be the oldest operating in the city. I eavesdrop on an American family. They have tracked their ancestors back to Ireland and are in search of new Irish relatives. The teenage boys in the family are excited by the undertaking. Each one in the family is going on an assignment to gather information. 

I’m keen to track down anything related to Oscar Wilde, my favourite Irishman. Dublin is disappointing in this regard, with few connections to the eccentric, gay, prolific writer. I suspect that he is overshadowed by too many other famous Irish writers in the same era. I found out more about him and felt closer to the man in Paris, where he spent the last eighteen months of his life and was buried in Paris. I’ve written specifically about his grave and the Pere Lachaise cemetery. Our daily coffee stop in Dublin was Bewley’s on Grafton Street, which boasts over a hundred years of service. I think the Shangri-La Hotel’s café in Colombo might be modelled on Bewley’s.

I sense that most tourists who visit the city are interested in the social scene. The pubs, the music and walking the city and riverfront. Sadly not the culture and Ireland’s rocky history.