Dancing, Drinking, Dublin

From the second we landed in Ireland, everything felt alive. The streets had that kind of energy where something is always about to happen—music spilling out of pubs, people laughing on corners, strangers talking like old friends. Dublin felt colorful, chaotic in the best way, and completely unbothered. A city that knows exactly who it is.

I went with the boys and Lydia—the LDP group (london-dublin-paris). The kind of trip where every memory gets better because of who you’re with.

We stayed at Staycity Apartments City Quay, and I would absolutely stay there again. Great location, super nice, and close enough to everything that the city always felt right outside the door.

One thing I learned fast: Dublin runs on live music and good energy. Each night felt like an invitation to stay out a little longer. Temple Bar was the center of it all—busy, loud, packed, and somehow still magic. We danced to live Irish music, drank beer, got pulled into the crowd, and ended up dancing with an Irish family like we had known them forever. That’s Dublin. You walk in as a visitor and somehow end up part of the night.

At the Temple bar, which is the iconic bar of Dublin, they had patches all over the bar, mainly silly ones but some from places. I found a Tucson, Arizona patch! All the way in Ireland! It was a special touch of home.

A big activity that we did was tour the Guinese factory. We got to see how they make Guinness and even got our faces printed on top of a beer! It was a lot of fun. We ended up at the Sky Bar at the end of the Guinness Factory tour, drinking beers above the city with the boys, everyone happy, everyone laughing, one of those moments you know you’ll remember later.

Walking around Dublin was half the experience. Grafton Street had live music on every corner, packed crowds, and that electric feeling of cities. We stood there listening to buskers play while everyone stopped in their tracks. We heard “Keywest” play, they were incredible. Lydia and I stayed and listened for 30 minutes. They told the crowd that they only busk and are not on any streaming services.

Ha’penny Bridge lit up beautifully at sunset. Trinity College was stunning, full of history and architecture. We saw St. Patrick’s Cathedral too—founded in 1191, built to honor Ireland’s patron saint, carrying all that history so casually.

And then there was the food. Bread and cheese for a simple lunch. Guinness Storehouse apple cider. Brown bread. Croissants. Chicken sandwiches. Light, pulled pork salads. The kind of trip where every meal somehow tastes better because you’ve been walking all day and laughing all night.

The best part of Dublin, though, was the people. Everyone felt happy, kind, and drinking—but in the warmest way possible. If you asked for directions, they’d probably walk you there. If there was music playing, they’d probably pull you in. If there wasn’t room for one more at the table, they’d make room.

If I did it again, I’d stay longer. Long enough for a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher. Long enough to keep finding new pubs with live music. Long enough to let Dublin keep surprising me.

Because Dublin is full of passion. You can feel it in the music, in the laughter, in the way strangers talk to you, in the way the city moves after dark.

Some places you visit.

Dublin pulls you onto the dance floor and shoves a drink in your hand!