Orientation in Dublin

overlooking Dublin

main government building

So, I arrived in Dublin on September 12th with a severe amount of jet lag, buttt we were all so excited that after I checked in to my hostel with the rest of the group, my hostel mates and I explored Dublin. Everything was closed - it was like a ghost city at 6am, and the only thing that was open was Burger King. Hellooooo America.
We had a pretty busy orientation schedule, with lots of meetings and lots of people shoving lots and lots of information down our throats. It was pretty overwhelming, not to mention we all had no idea what time it was.
We explored Dublin a lot. The best area was definitely Temple Bar, which was definitely a cool area with tons of bars, live music, and good food. However, it was quite touristy at times and super expensive! 6 euro for a pint, which is about 8-9 dollars. Goodbye hard-earned waitressing tips.
Seen below: THE original Temple Bar.

first pint!

The first night out, I obviously needed a pint of Guinness, but we spent about an hour looking for a good pub to go into. See, it was about 9 at night, and we thought all the pubs would be lively, but as I've come to realize, no one really goes out until 11 or 12 at night, so it wasn't as lively as I thought at the time. We wanted to find a traditional pub, not a touristy one, and we finally settled on one. The bartender had dreads and they were playing reggae music, so I obviously wanted to go in. I ordered a pint the wrong way (hahaha!) and the bartender was very nice in explaining to me how you order in Ireland. Long story short, my guinness was delicious. It is literally dessert. Smooth, dark, and creamy.... and filling.

During my short 4 day stay in Dublin, I also went to the Guinness factory, where you get to pour the perfect pint and drink it at the top, learn how its brewed and why it's the best in the world, and see the most amazing views of Dublin from one of the highest points in the city.
I also went to St. Patrick's Cathedral while in Dublin, which was very beautiful, but pretty touristy inside. I believe a cathedral loses some of its magic when there's a gift shop inside, only a hop, step and a jump away from the alter -_-

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

Overall, I'm simplifying Dublin, but it's not the greatest city. It's very touristy, gloomy weather, and not as friendly as I'd hoped. I was thrilled to leave and actually visit Ireland's greatest city - Cork! The best place in Ireland, as I was soon to find out, and the true capital as Corkonians say.
Cheers