The Hen House

We dined at the Hen House at The Pavilion in Dublin on a whim. The menu looked good, the place looked busy, but the menu was a little bit of a miss for us. We ordered the Free Range Chicken Supreme and, were there early enough for their early bird special, so ordered the panko covered and fried brie and the chicken fajitas.

The chicken supreme was good. The mustard and tarragon sauce on the side was definitely the star of the dish, on both the chicken and the potatoes. I would order this again if I dined at The Hen House again. The Fried Brie was delicious, but it is difficult to screw up brie.

The chicken fajitas on the other hand, were served in a heavy red sauce which was over powering to the rest of the dish. It was already incredibly messy to eat with all the sauce dripping out of the soft tortilla shells provided with the meal.

Chester Beatty Library

The Chester Beatty Library is an interesting museum located right next to Dublin Castle. There's various anthropological exhibits within the museum to keep people of varied interests busy. All of the people in our group enjoyed their experience here. You can expect to spend around an hour to 90 minutes to see everything in the museum.

Our favorite floor was the first main floor of exhibits, with exhibits on Asian cultures and their books,a s well as old books behind glass.

And best of all, admission is free!

Beshoff Bros.

Beshoff Bros. fish and chips is an absolute must do when you're in Dublin. There is a location in Dublin City, however, the original location seaside in Howth is much more picturesque and far less touristy.

We ordered the North Atlantic Cod Meal - the most popular meal ordered. The cod is flaky and fresh and crispy - and HUGE. The fish itself was big enough for two of us to share. Underneath the fish is a bed of chips (British for french fries, in case you're curious). Big, thick cut fries. The best way to eat the meal is to squirt the lemon across everything - fish and chips alike. We also ordered the mushy peas. The peas are yummy and are the chips are really good dipped in them.

At both locations there are not seats in the restaurant. In Howth, take your meal to the park across the street. We were lucky enough to find a bench, however, there were a number of families that brought picnic blankets and enjoyed the beautiful day and the scenery while noshing on delicious fish.

The Book of Kells

Within Trinity College, the mythical Book of Kells is on display. This world famous book is lavishly decorated and is a great sight to see. In addition, the other artifacts on exhibit are interesting, and the long gallery (the long library at the end of the self guided tour) itself is pretty impressive.

When visiting, be careful of any cruise ships that may be in town that day. When we arrived shortly after they opened, there was a line of several hundred people waiting to get in. If there is a cruise ship in town, plan on doing this late in the day. If you arrive within an hour of closing, they'll also give you admission for half price, and you shouldn't need more than an hour in there.

Casino Marino

Located right outside the center of Dublin, the Casino Marino looks pretty cool from the outside. In order to see the inside though, you must do a guided tour. When we took the guided tour, we found the tour guide to be un-impressive, and the inside of the house itself didn't have too much to see. The tour guide explained what was located inside the building back when people lived on the estate and used the casino for entertaining, but that was about it. Most of the artwork has been removed from the building and what is there is either modern art or replicas from the time the casino was in use.

The most interesting item was in the basement where you enter, a model of what the area looked like when the estate was in use, and what is now an urban center of Dublin city.

While this is free to do with a Heritage Card, it's something we'd still suggest passing on.

Newgrange & Knowth

One of the most famous sites in all of Ireland is Newgrange. This ancient site is over 5,000 years old and you can really get the sense of that when visiting. There's also the option to visit Knowth from the same Visitor's Center. Buses operate to take people to the sites and all tours are scheduled. Keep in mind, it can get busy and tours do sell out, so plan your day accordingly.

The sites are large and the majority of them are outdoors, so wear comfortable shoes. 

We highly recommend seeing these two sites when in Ireland.