by Scott Laird
Last updated: 5:00 AM ET, Wed March 13, 2019
Dublin is one of Europe's most exciting destinations for visitors. Writers like Joyce, Wilde and Shaw loom large while stories of Guinness and Whiskey dance about the crooked streets in between the neat Georgian columns. There are charming pubs and smart hotels to be found jostling for space alongside cozy restaurants and an international array of shops.
But the island of Ireland is small enough, and packed with enough to see and do, that it's really a must to get outside the city if one has any amount of time to explore. I've put together a couple day trips (some could even be done in a half day) from Dublin throughout Ireland's Ancient East for those intrepid wanderers.
Dalkey's Literary Links
Roughly a half hour on the train from Dublin lies the suburb of Dalkey. Nestled right in the center of the walkable high street is Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre. The site is well over a thousand years old and guards what was once the cargo-unloading site for ocean-going ships laden too heavy to enter the shallow waters of the river to get into Dublin.
The castle stood sentry over the town and guarded a chapel and graveyard, which docents guide visitors through with color added by living history actors who draw attention and interest from mixed crowds of any age.
Dalkey is also a literary center, with ties to Irish writers from James Joyce to Maeve Binchy, and the hotel gives guided walks pointing out sites relevant to both. Other Irish writers with ties to the area are celebrated on a wall in the center itself.
For a bite or a pint, stop into Finnegan's of Dalkey to see the photo of Maeve Binchy hanging over the table she frequented for lunch. On the back into Dublin, stop in Sandycove to visit The James Joyce Tower & Museum and the famous Forty Foot Bath.
Glendalough's Ancient Ruins
Roughly a two-hour self-drive, or available on a number of guided day tours, the monastic site of Glendalough in County Wicklow takes up a gorgeous position in a quiet mountain valley. Bubbling streams and ancient stone causeways punctuate the site, which is noted for its round towers and monastic ruins dating back to the site's 6th-century founding by Saint Kevin.
There are also plenty of walks and hikes of varying lengths and difficulties, up the mountain passes or to the nearby lakes, where often the only sound to be heard is that of the breeze rippling across the water. The Glendalough Visitor's Centre can provide trail guides for a nominal charge.
For a bite or a tipple to warm up, try a boozy coffee or hot chocolate in the bistro and bar at the Glendalough Hotel.
Belfast's Titanic Attraction
The capital of Northern Ireland is a two and a half hour train ride, so it's a bit more of a commitment for a day trip, but it's a must for Titanic buffs.
Sitting at the head of the slipways where Titanic was constructed from 1909 to 1911, Titanic Belfast celebrates the history of the doomed liner, which was built by Harland & Wolff shipyards in Belfast. Visitors can explore the inner workings of the ship itself, the period of transatlantic boom that spurred her construction and the fascinating power dynamics of the city that built her from keel-laying to fitting-out.
Visitors will also explore the famed maiden voyage that ended in disaster, along with the American and British inquiries that delved into the causes of the liner's sinking and examined the crew response and loss of life.
Also, a draw is the Nomadic, a tender built by Harland & Wolff specifically to ferry the larger passenger complements of Titanic and her sister ships boarding at the White Star Line's Continental port of call at Cherbourg, France.
Nomadic remained in White Star service for decades. After the folding of White Star into Cunard Line in the 1930s and retirement of the last White Star ocean liner from service by midcentury, she's the last remaining White Star ship fully intact.
Visitors can luncheon onsite, while weekend visitors can pop into St. George's Market to enjoy the beautifully refurbished Victorian market hall and sample local produce and specialty plates from Ireland, Europe, and around the world.
For more information on visiting Dublin, Ireland's Ancient East and Belfast, check out Ireland.com.
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