Kristine and I went to a music concert last night (at the sold out National Concert Hall) with my Uncle Willie and cousin Oonagh Young. We saw a concert of Shaun Davey’s music featuring Rita Connolly, Liam O’Flynn and Noel Ecceles. All these names are obviously very important to the Irish, as the applause and cheering was unending. It was quite magical.

Of course we stopped for a pint afterward.

At the Forty Foot swimming spot. The sea was pretty wild. There are jellyfish and very curious seals too.

Jet lag sucks! We awoke embarrassingly late (I’ll not even say) and our plans to see Sandycove and the Joyce museum were ruined. But we managed to have a good day anyway, just on the wing. We took the DART into town and headed for Merrion Square. Met a couple friends there, Mike and Oscar (see pics), and the kids had a play in the playground. Took a walk around the gorgeous Georgian streets (lots of artsy photos) and then had a pint at McDaids (circa 1779). Then we found the veggie mecca, Cornucopia, where we had dinner. Then we pushed the great pub loophole … Kids aren’t allowed in pubs after 7pm, but it was clear to us, from the street outside Kehoe’s, that no one minds if you take your pint outside. And surely kids are allowed on the street. As the kids enjoyed their ice cream, we therefore enjoyed a cream of a different colour on St Anne Street. The kids were unimpressed by the cigarette smoke, but, call us bad parents, we enjoyed ourselves despite that. The train ride home in the dark was great fun for them; they have begun to pre-empt the train announcer and recite the coming stations in a passingly good Irish accent.

Yesterday was the perfect tourist day.

We took the DART into Dublin and sat across from the quintessential Irish couple in their fifties speaking Gaelic to each other. I felt it would have been rude to take their photo, so I just memorized their faces.

We got off near Trinity College and walked up Grafton Street. Wow, it is busy there! Our destination was St. Stephen’s Green; we had packed a picnic lunch, and we arrived in time for the band. The kids were enamored with the baby swans, I liked the statues, and David enjoyed the people watching. It was almost as busy in the park as on the street.

We then peeked into a number of famous pubs (only stopping for a pint in two, I swear!). We saw Kehoe’s, The Duke, Palace Bar, O’Neill’s, John Mulligan’s and, of course, Davy Byrnes and Temple Bar. And, of course, we also saw the much-bosomed Molly Malone, whom Athena quite liked.

We then took the DART to Sandymount to see David’s aunt and uncle, Judy and Desmond. We had a drink in their very charming garden and then Judy took us and two of her children, Siobhan and Nicholas, out for a lovely dinner in Sandymount.

All and all, it was a great day with something for everyone.

Found free wifi. Having a great day exploring Dublin.