Over the Sea to the Emerald Isle

During our Welsh week we ventured across the waves for a day trip to the bright lights of Dublin.

It's a journey we've done many times before with both Irish Ferries and Stena Line (depending on which company has the best offer at the time) hopping over on a fast ferry and travelling back leisurely on the slow boat to Holyhead.

We were up bright and early with a clear blue sky and sunshine for a steady crossing. Halfway across the Irish Sea however, we realised that neither of us actually had any Euros - we'd somehow convieniently forgotten that Ireland has a different currency to our own...

I think the horizon actually looks slightly curved in this picture - what do you think?

We docked in Dún Laoghaire where we found bustling charity shops, hot chips and a 101 year old Carnegie Library!

We found this restored cast iron foundation just outside the port buildings. It was erected in 1900 to commemorate Queen Victoria's visit to Ireland. Although it was cold, we couldn't really believe there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but I think (at least for a minute or so) this picture proves it :-)

Dún Laoghaire library, built in 1912, is one of Andrew Carnegie's 2800 free public libraries and is still in use today.

 

 

 

We then made the short journey on the DART Rail into the city centre for more food, more shops and more exploring...

 

Unfortunately we couldn't find the Leprechaun Museum - perhaps we were looking too high?

 

 

Apparently the padlocks are a symbol of everlasting love - there were lots of them over Ha'penny Bridge, some of them inscribed.

 

 

Of course, we couldn't leave Dublin without a picture of Ireland's most famous lady, 'Sweet (or not so sweet) Molly Malone'.

 

  

 

And to finish our day, for dinner, 'Supermac's' fitted the bill!