Dublin, Ireland: A Literary Lover’s Paradise with a Dash of Fun

Flying into Ireland for the first time was a thrill before I ever touched the ground; it really is as green as they say�"and this was in winter.  After settling into my luxury home exchange property and a great night’s sleep, the verdant greeting awakened me and filled me with anticipation.  Would Dublin offer everything I had imagined since childhood?  I was about to find out.

The first thing I noticed driving into Dublin was the famous Georgian style doors.  Varied and colorful, the doors are as welcoming as the Irish people, whom I grew to adore.  I have never met a warmer, funnier, and more patient group of people.  The companion with whom I was at the time was a feisty, brilliant, and sometimes difficult New Yorker.  The Irish handled him better than Americans did�"gently chastising him for his behavior, and cheering my companion in addition to diffusing prospectively difficult encounters:

My Feisty Companion:  “I don’t like the way you made my Irish Coffee.”

Irish Bartender (said in a firm but kind voice):  “I made it perfectly, sir; now sit down.”

My Feisty Companion on New Year’s Eve:  “This place is really messed up.”

Kind-Hearted Irish Cab Driver:  “You just quiet down now, sir; Dublin’s a fine city.  You’re from New York, aren’t you?  Not like your nice lady companion.  She’s from the Midwest probably; she’s gracious and respectful.  Now you just sit back and enjoy tonight.”

No one knows how to rebuke more kindly than the Irish.

In addition to interaction with the locals, no visit to Dublin is complete without delving into its rich, literary history.  A great place to start is The Library of Trinity College Dublin where The Book of Kells is.  The Book of Kells is thought by some to be the most beautiful book in the world.  An illuminated manuscript believed to have been created in approximately 800 AD, it is ornate with pictures of plants, animals, humans, initials (letters at the beginning of a word), and the most intricate of knots.  Though its place of origin is debated by scholars, some believe that it was wholly created in Iona, Scotland, while others believe it was created in Kells, Ireland; it is possible that it was created in both places.  It contains the New Testament gospels as well as other religious summaries and commentary.

Not only is the Book of Kells beautiful, but also the library in which it is housed.  The Long Room, the main chamber of the library, is one of the most exquisite rooms I have ever seen.  Any bibliophile worth her salt will get tears in her eyes gazing upon it; I did.

To further excite the lover of literature, authors James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, William Butler Yeats, and Oscar Wilde were all born in Dublin.  Yeats’ and Wilde’s former residences are both in beautiful Merrion Square, a wonderful example of Georgian architecture.  While at Merrion Square you must see the statue of Oscar Wilde leaning up against a rock with a wry and playful look upon his face.

Despite all of Dublin’s virtues, hotel stays are not always easily obtained, and sometimes seniors want more privacy.  A luxury home exchange may be an answer.

Further out from Dublin’s city center is the James Joyce Tower and Museum in Sandy cove near Sylvia Beach.  The museum is in a Martello Tower�"a former military defense structure.  Joyce stayed in this particular tower briefly and used it as the setting for his famous first chapter in “Ulysses.”While speaking to locals near the tower, they reported that Joyce was notorious for not paying his rent�"I suppose that when one’s head is full of writing a novel brilliantly combining myth, religion, great character development and stream-of-consciousness, things like rent can seem trivial.

Another weighty write, Samuel Beckett, set one of his famous radio plays, “Embers” near the sea. Killiney Beach, south of Dublin, is a pebble beach, and when the waves retreat, it makes a sort of sucking sound not found on sandy beaches.  It was here that the waves were recorded for the 1989production of “Embers.”  The Killiney Beach area seemed to me like the Beverly Hills of Ireland.  A friendly resident pointed out where Bono’s, Enya’s and Jim Sheridan’s homes were (This was in 2000, and I’m not sure if they still reside there.  There were also a lot of beautiful blondes driving around in expensive cars).

I was fortunate to have a drink with some folk in Dublin, and I asked them why Ireland seemed to produce so many great writers.  “The pub culture and sometimes inclement weather,” said one of my companions.  According to this gentleman, when the weather is bad, it sends people indoors to pubs where ideas and theories are shared over a pint�"thus encouraging contemplation and the acquisition of dialogue.  It seems like a plausible theory to me.  

These same locals wanted to buy me a drink and asked if I would like a Baileys Irish Cream.  When I told them that I had never had one, one of my companions declared, “She’s a virgin!  Get this woman a Baileys Irish Cream!”

I have never experienced anything like the Irish pubs.  Mostly brightly-lit and family-oriented, they seemed like happy gathering places, and the corned beef and cabbage served was as good as one would expect.

In addition to a rich, literary tradition, Dublin also has a magnificent theatrical tradition.  Founded in 1904 by W.B. Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory, The Abbey Theatre continues to produce world-class plays; in 2000, I saw a wonderful production of Shakespeare’s, “The Tempest,” as well as a modern piece.

I can’t think of a place I would have rather been than Dublin on New Year’s Eve 1999-2000 (Remember the Y2K scare?).  If I had to endure the modern world shutting down, I don’t think I could have endured it any better than with Dubliners.  

James Joyce said, “When I die Dublin will be written in my heart.”  No one said it better than he. 

View home exchange properties in Ireland. 

Author's Note

The above page has been written by an experienced provider of Swap Vacation Homes arrangements. He has various kinds of home exchange programs for those, who  home exchange for local as well as worldwide vacations.