Country Club at the Portmarnock Hotel

We ate dinner at the Country Club at the Portmarnock Hotel. The hotel and country club is located right on the ocean, and the small restaurant features very large windows that overlook the ocean. However, dining late in the evening, we missed out on the beautiful views. That said, the drive to get here at sunset was breathtaking.

Our dining party ordered the fish and chips, the sirloin steak and the seafood linguine. The fish and chips was a good size, but for me, the breading was a little soft, not the crispy breading I like with my fish and chips. The steak was fantastic, well seasoned and had a nice crust on the top and bottom from the griddle. The seafood linguine was also very good, but we were told, can run out quickly on busy nights.

After dinner we walked around the gardens a bit, and were taken to a coat of arms and plaque towards the front of the gardens, that explained that the location is formerly the Jameson Estate and the coat of arms is the Jameson family coat of arms.

The Church

We stopped at The Church bar in Dublin for some sweets and coffee while strolling and touring downtown. We ordered Irish coffees, which were perfectly made, and the Bailey's Cheesecake.

Grabbing a quick bite and a coffee here, was the perfect way to enjoy this very unique restaurant. The place is built in an old church, with the stained glass windows still there, the old organ still in its prominent location at the front of the church. The history of the church itself is very interesting, as well, and according to their menu and website, the church has been associated with Arthur Guinness, Jonathon Swift, and more.

Cafe en Seine

We went to Cafe en Seine, located in downtown Dublin, for lunch. The restaurant was recommended by friends, so we definitely checked it out. The restaurant is French themed and has a number of French dishes on the menu.

At lunchtime during the week, only a quarter of the restaurant was open, however, the restaurant was extremely large and apparently gets very busy in the evenings and on weekends.

For lunch, we ordered the ham and brie sandwich and the daily special - the pork and leek sausage with gravy and mashed potatoes. The ham and brie was also served with soup - I tried the carrot and ginger soup, which was also very good. The sandwich was a little light on the brie, but was very good regardless.

The sausages were definitely the star of our meal, light sausages with really delicious gravy.

Since we were dining with friends, I also tried the hot wings, which I was told are some of the best in Dublin. They had a nice hot sauce and were served with blue cheese dressing. Definitely a nice change of pace.

Queen of Tarts

There are two locations of Queen of Tarts in Dublin, and they are not very far from one another. However, the location on Cows Lane at Dame Street is larger and has a larger outdoor patio with seating.

We ordered the chocolate and pecan tart. The slice was a decent size, a good size for two to share (unless you have a sweet tooth!). The tart was decadent and sweet and the crust buttery and flaky.

This is the perfect stop for something sweet and a cup of coffee while in Dublin. Make this a must do.

The Old Jameson Distillery

Jameson is a name synonomous with Ireland. Their Irish Whiskey is world famous, and for good reason...it's an excellent whiskey. When in Dublin, you can take a guided tour of the Old Jameson Distillery. The tour starts with a video on the history of Jameson done in a humorous fashion. From there your guide will take you through the process of how the whiskey gets made from start to finish.

At the beginning of the tour, your guide will ask for volunteers for something later in the tour...you should definitely volunteer for this! You'll find out at the end of the tour that you get to participate in a tasting of Jameson versus other whiskeys. It's definitely fun, and the whole tour is worth the time, even for people who aren't whiskey fans.

National Leprechaun Museum

The National Leprechaun Museum was a surprisingly fun time. It isn't your typical museum where you just look at a bunch of artifacts and exhibits. Instead, you go on a guided tour through various rooms and your tour guide will tell you Irish myths as you travel into rooms that make you feel like you're in those myths. You'll get to experience what it is like to be a leprechaun in a room made of giant furniture, travel through a rainbow, see a pot of gold and more.

It was a great time and our tour guide was excellent. This museum is perfect for children and adults a like! Definitely make this a place to stop at during your visit to Dublin.

Dublin Castle

Located right in the heart of Dublin, Dublin Castle offers visitors the opportunity to see a castle that has been in continuous use since the 13th century. Both guided and self-guided tours are available, and people with Heritage Cards can get in for free.

You'll get to see some interesting artwork and see where visiting dignitaries stay during their trips to Dublin. Keep in mind, because of this, if a high level official from another country is visiting the city, the castle may be closed entirely or partially to tours.

While not as grandiose as some other castles around Ireland and other parts of Europe, seeing an active castle in the middle of a major city has its own unique charm.

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!

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.

Guinness Storehouse

When most people think of Ireland and associate only one product with it, Guinness is usually the product they think of. The stout beer that they created is a worldwide phenomenon. When in Dublin, you can visit the Guinness Storehouse, which is an ode to this company. While it is a bit pricey to enter, it is a fun experience and a great way to spend a day.

Unfortunately, on the day we went, it was very crowded due to a cruise ship being in town. Despite that, we still enjoyed learning about the history of Guinness, their advertising campaigns over the decades, the history of the family in relation to Ireland, the process that goes into making Guinness, and much more.

You also get a free pint of Guinness at one of the bars on the premises (bonus!). In addition, at the very top of the building, you get a magnificent view of Dublin and it's a great place to enjoy your free pint of Guinness.

Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre

The Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre was surprisingly one of the more fun activities we did during our stay in Ireland. To start your tour, you watch a short video giving the history of the castle and region, which is very informative.

After that, you will be entertained by the different actors who portray characters who would have lived in this style castle several hundreds of years ago. The actors, varying from a hunter to the lady of the house, bring the history to life and do a good job of getting the guests involved, from showing us how to use a bow to putting us in the stocks.

The tour lasted for about an hour, and all of us enjoyed it thoroughly. If you're in Dalkey (which is right outside the main part of Dublin), it is definitely worth a visit.