The pub wasn’t famous. That’s probably why I liked it. No tour groups outside. No signs claiming the best Guinness in Ireland. No framed photographs of celebrities desperately trying to …
I never mentioned this place on the tours. Not because it was secret. It’s right there in the middle of Dublin. Thousands of people walk past it every day. But …
There was a walk I used to do after certain tours. Not every tour. Only the ones where the group asked good questions, or laughed at the right bits, or …
I walked through Dublin the other day the way you do when you’re not really walking through Dublin. Not for errands.Not for exercise.Not even for the usual mild resentment. It …
There is a particular kind of optimism involved in sitting on a bench in Dublin. You see it. You think, that’ll do. You imagine five quiet minutes. Maybe a sandwich. …
I used to think the Luas was foolproof. A tram. On rails. Comes, goes, everyone gets on, everyone gets off. Like a polite, organised snake. Then I started bringing tourists …
I used to tell people Dublin was a city you had to look sideways at. Straight on, it gives you the obvious things. Big doors. Big pubs. Big history. You …
If you ever want to understand Dublin, stand at a bus stop for twenty minutes.Any one will do. O’Connell Street, College Green, Donnybrook, doesn’t matter. Time stops working there. The …
Phoenix Park is gorgeous and sneaky. It looks like a quick wander and then the horizon keeps moving and your toes start writing letters to management. Here’s the version that …
If you grew up in Dublin, chances are you were marched through the Dead Zoo at least once in primary school. Half the class buzzing with the idea of seeing …