Our Last Day in Dublin

St Patrick’s Cathedral

It’s Halloween and also our last day in Dublin and in Ireland.

The sun is beaming and we head to St Patrick’s Cathedral. They give us audio guides and we explore the cathedral. Jonathon Swift (he wrote Gulliver’s Travels) was the dean of the cathedral and is buried here.

Christ Church Cathedral

Christ church Cathedral is just five minutes down the road. This church houses the tomb of Strongbow. It also has a really interesting crypt. A mummified cat and rat that got trapped in an organ pipe is a bizarre addition to the historical artifacts.

Walking to Meet Zoe

We head out to meet Zoe, walking through the Italian area along the way. We walk along the River Liffey which runs through Dublin. People are enjoying their coffee in the sun by the river. I am quite warm and I am regretting some of the layers I put on. We also pass the elegant Customs House.

EPIC, the Museum of Irish Emigration

Zoe is waiting for us at EPIC, the Museum of Irish Emigration. I can see why this museum won so many awards, it is very interactive. I am glad that we didn’t try to rush it yesterday because you really need at least 1 1/2 -2 hours to do it justice.

Dublin Castle

Our next stop is Dublin Castle. We take the longer guided tour that explores many areas of the castle dating from the Viking era to modern times.

The Not so Haunted Ghost Tour

We grab a pint and light snacks at a pub across the street while we wait for our ghost tour….after all it is Halloween

All over Ireland, places are decorated for Halloween and lots of people of all ages are dressed up

It’s only 5:30pm but totally dark when we meet our guide near the castle. The temperature has really dropped so now I’m thankful for the extra layers. Lots of groups are meeting in the same spot for night tours. Fireworks are going off throughout different parts of the city.

It turns out that our tour is of Dublin’s dark side so it is mostly about tortures, murders, gravediggers with a little bit of prostitution thrown in for good measure.

The fireworks are still going on at end of the tour, huge sparkling ones lighting up the night sky.

Last Irish Supper

Of course we have to have one last supper at an Irish pub that has live traditional Irish music. Click here for a short video.

After dinner I am stuffed and exhausted. Fireworks are still going off as we head back to our accommodations.

We say goodbye to Zoe and pack up for tomorrow’s morning flight back to Canada.