Letters from Ireland: Dublin, a Remarkable City of Love and History…

My dear travellers and all lovers of unusual trips, welcome to the second travelogue in the series of posts from Ireland on the Mr.M blog. The month of February is dedicated to this unusual country in the heart of Western Europe, a country known for its greenest landscapes, St. Patrick’s Day, music, the famous Irish whiskey, but also for its exceptionally high quality wool. At the very beginning of today’s travelogue about the capital of Ireland – Dublin, the most famous city of love and history in Europe, I would like to thank the Enterprise Ireland team for the cordial invitation to the 50th anniversary of the three-day Irish craft fair and the Showcase Ireland fair and for enabling cooperation with Irish fashion brands that you had the opportunity to see in fashion stories from Ireland.

If by some chance you missed reading the previous travelogue post about Showcase Ireland or you want to remind yourself of some interesting things, take the opportunity to visit the following LINK.

Dublin is Ireland’s capital, situated on a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey in the province of Leinster. The town’s southern border runs along the Dublin Mountains, which are part of the Wicklow mountain range. At the latest census, the inner city region had a population of about 600,000, Dublin and its suburbs had a population of around 1,300,000, and County Dublin had a population of 1,500,000, making it the island’s most populous metropolis.

How was Dublin founded? The Gelli settled in the area about the 7th century, followed by the Vikings. The Kingdom of Dublin expanded to become Ireland’s main settlement following the Anglo-Norman conquest of Ireland in the 12th century. Since the 17th century, the city has grown significantly, temporarily becoming the second largest in the British Empire and the sixth largest in Western Europe following the 1800 Act of Union. After obtaining independence in 1922, Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State, which was renamed Ireland in 1937. As of 2018, the Globalisation and World Cities Research Network classified the city as a global metropolis, with a “Alpha Minus” classification that placed it among the top thirty cities in the world.

Dublin’s historic center is surrounded by the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal, bounded to the west by Houston train station and Phoenix Park, and to the east by the IFSC and Docklands. O’Connell Street is a major thoroughfare in the city center and many Dublin bus lines, as well as the Luas Green Line, stop at O’Connell Street. The main shopping streets in the inner city include Henry Street on the north side and Grafton Street on the south side.

Dublin has many landmarks and monuments dating back hundreds of years. One of the oldest is Dublin Castle, which was first established as a great defensive work by order of King John of England in 1204, shortly after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, when he ordered to build a castle with strong walls and good moats for the defense of the city, the administration of justice and the protection of the king. Largely completed by 1230, the castle was of typical Norman courtyard design, with a central square without a tower, bounded on all sides by high defensive walls and protected at each corner by a circular tower. Located south-east of Norman Dublin, the castle formed one corner of the outer perimeter of the city, using the River Poddle as a natural means of defence.

One of the most prominent sights of Dublin is the Dublin Tower, officially called the “Monument of Light”. It is a 121 meter conical tower, made of stainless steel, completed in 2003 and located on O’Connell Street, where it meets Henry Street and North Earl Street. It replaced Nelson’s Column and is intended to mark Dublin’s place in the 21st century. The tower was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, who sought “Elegant and dynamic simplicity that bridges art and technology”. The base of the monument is illuminated and the top is illuminated to act as a beacon in the night sky across the city.

The old library of Trinity College Dublin, which houses the Book of Kells, is one of the most visited sites in the city. The Book of Kells is an illustrated manuscript made by Irish monks around 800 AD. Ha’penny Bridge, an iron footbridge over the River Liffey, is one of Dublin’s most photographed landmarks and is considered one of Dublin’s most iconic landmarks.

Other landmarks and monuments include Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Mansion House, the statue of Molly Malone, the complex of buildings around Leinster House including part of the National Museum of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland, the Custom House and Arras an Uachtarain. Other landmarks include the monument to Anna Livia. Pulbeg Towers are also a landmark of Dublin and can be seen from various places around the city.

Interestingly, there are 302 parks and 66 green spaces in the Dublin City Council area as of 2018. Public parks include Phoenix Park, Herbert Park, St Stephen’s Green, Saint Anne’s Park and Bull Island. The Phoenix Park is about 3 kilometers west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey.

Its 16-kilometer perimeter wall covers 707 hectares, making it one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of lawns and rows of trees, and since the 17th century it has been home to herds of wild fallow deer. The residence of the President of Ireland, which was built in 1751, is located in the park. The park is also home to Dublin Zoo, Ashtown Castle and the official residence of the United States Ambassador. Music concerts are sometimes held in this park.

St Stephen’s Green park is close to one of Dublin’s main shopping streets, Grafton Street, and the shopping center named after it, while the surrounding streets are home to the offices of numerous public authorities.

St Anne’s Park is a public park and recreation facility shared by Raheny and Clontarf, both suburbs on the north side. The park is Dublin’s second largest municipal park, part of a former 2 square kilometer estate that was put together by members of the Guinness family, starting with Benjamin Lee Guinness in 1835. The largest municipal park is located near (northern) Bull Island, which is also shared between Clonley Dolly Beach, not far from Ramount.

Which sights should not be missed if you are visiting Dublin? Trinity College is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Irish capital, due to the unusual treasures housed in the Old Library, built by Thomas Burgh between 1712 and 1732. The main reason for the large number of tourists is the famous Book of Kells, an amazing, illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament, which were written around 800 AD. created by monks on the Scottish island of Iona, but even more stunning is the 65-meter long room, the main chamber of the library, which houses about 200,000 volumes of the oldest library.

Dublin Castle (Dublin Castle), this castle has been the stronghold of British power in Ireland for over 700 years, beginning with the Anglo-Norman fortress commissioned by King John in 1204. Only the Record Tower, which was built in 1258, remains of the original structure, while most of what you can see today was built from the 18th century onwards, but believe me, parts of this castle are still impressive.

Christ Church Cathedral is a magnificent cathedral that was originally designed to be seen from the river, make the effort to walk up to it, to really see its grandeur up to and to truly admire the beauty and grandeur of this religious edifice. The cathedral dates back to 1038, when Sitrich, the Danish king of Dublin, built the first wooden Christ Church here. A little later, in 1171, the original base was expanded in the shape of a cross and rebuilt in stone under the leadership of the Norman warrior Strongbow.

You might think that this is a bit of an unusual tourist recommendation, but if you have time, you must visit Glasnevin Cemetery. Gravestones in Ireland’s largest and most historically important cemetery where you can read like a who’s who of Irish history as most of the leading names of the past 150 years are buried here, including Daniel O’Connell and Charles Stuart Parnell. The cemetery was established in 1832 by O’Connell as a cemetery for people of all faiths – a high-minded response to the refusal of Protestant cemeteries to bury Catholics. There are a lot of organized themed tours of this cemetery so ask around and learn more about Irish history.

During the trip, the hotel where we stay is very important to all of us, because the hotel is our home in the new destination and therefore it is very important to choose a good hotel in each destination. During my stay in the capital of Ireland, my hotel Herbert Park Hotel & Park Residence was my home, which is decorated with modern style, comfort and a beautiful atmosphere in the old in the immediate surroundings of the park in the heart of Herbert Park.

Herbert Park Hotel & Park Residence is set in a tranquil park in the center of Dublin, this hotel acts as a peaceful and spacious oasis dedicated to providing a luxurious, relaxing city break imbued with high quality hospitality and a thoughtful personal touch.

During my visit to Showcase Ireland, I had the opportunity to stay in a park view studio apartment with a balcony. For those who want to extend their stay and enjoy the hotel a little more, Herbert Park Hotel & Park Residence is pleased to offer exclusive Studio Apartments with a balcony that have a magnificent view of the park. Within this distinguished category, this hotel has a select number of Studio Suites, each offering unparalleled views of tranquil Herbert Park.

These studio apartments redefine luxury living, seamlessly blending the comfort of a superior hotel experience with the convenience of a fully equipped kitchenette, ensuring that every moment of your stay is filled with enjoyment and comfort. Perfect for holidaymakers and business guests looking to stay a little longer, the apartments have an integrated kitchen, lounge and dining area, as well as all the amenities you’d expect from a luxury hotel. The Park Residence at the Herbert Park Hotel is the perfect choice for guests looking for both short and long term accommodation in Dublin.

Today I want to introduce you to a truly exceptional Irish brand with a passionate story behind it. This is a story of celebrating true craftsmanship, ethical production, sustainable natural fabrics and the desire to bring each of these together into beautiful, modern and timeless collections of cruelty-free silk sleepwear for men and women, as well as famous award-winning pillowcases.

The Ethical Silk Company is a brand that began its journey in the lush and colorful country of Ireland, brought to life in the hands of Dubliner and wife founder Eva. As a girl, Eva was inspired by her mother’s numerous beauty rituals that she did every day before going to bed with a silk scarf around her pillowcase to protect her skin and hair, and she continued this as an adult when she lovingly founded The Ethical Silk Company, in order to show the world the benefits of sleeping on silk!

The Ethical Silk Company brand, with a lot of hard work and creativity, has undergone a transformation into the much-loved brand it is today. The brand led by a group of 5 business women, Banke (CEO of the company), Fritha (Director for Europe), Margaret (Director for UK), Sade (Director for North America) and Shola (Director for Ireland), who took over from Eva, are now fighting with full force for ethical and slow fashion!

Despite their different stages of life, this team of five fantastic women has many passions that bind them together as one business family. They strive to be uncompromisingly committed to ethical production and fair practices because they firmly believe that everyone should be fairly rewarded for their work and skills, and should be treated with respect. Of course, there is also a love for natural, sustainable fabrics where no animals have suffered in the production process that has as little impact on our planet as possible.

A simple and transparent supply chain. The team of this brand knows their suppliers very well, they build a solid and reliable relationship and during these years they visit them regularly, so they are also considered an extended part of this business family. What’s most important is a deep appreciation of generational, expert craftsmanship and beautiful, high-quality tailoring and merging these into modern, elegant and timeless fashion collections for men and women.

Plus the beauty of hand block printing with each piece being unique and telling its own story. The Ethical Silk Company family is in love with what they do! They never sit still in the world of slow fashion. The future is eco fashion and they are proud that the brand’s Ethical Silk Company clients can have peace of mind knowing that they are not only enjoying the timeless elegance of the men’s and women’s collections, but are supporting the cycle of sustainability and social responsibility, making a statement that luxury and ethics can coexist beautifully.

In today’s post, you have the opportunity to see The Ethical Silk Company men’s silk pajamas, which are proof that elegance can meet comfort when sleeping in natural ivory with navy details. Made from 100% mulberry silk and tailored in a Fairtrade tailoring unit using environmentally friendly mulberry silk. These pajamas are breathable, lightweight and temperature-regulating for the best possible sleep.

These pajamas feature details such as trouser pockets, French seams, mother-of-pearl buttons and navy detailing. These pajamas are machine washable.

The Ethical Silk Company sleepwear is designed to be relaxed for maximum comfort. Since woven silk doesn’t stretch, if you’re ever in doubt about a size, I recommend choosing a larger sleepwear size to allow for extra wiggle room while you sleep. In this way, you will allow yourself maximum comfort so that you can truly enjoy the beauty and benefits of silk.

This time I have a surprise for all Mr.M blog readers so with this special code MRM10 you can get a discount of 20% and it can be used on the entire The Ethical Silk Company offer except gift cards and eye masks. This code cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or archive sale.

I would like to give a special thanks to the staff of Herbert Park Hotel & Park Residence for their warm welcome and hosting me in their hotel. The stay in their hotel was exceptional, a unique experience that I will remember!

My dear travellers, we have come to the end of this second special travelogue in the series of travelogues about Ireland where we had the opportunity to get to know the capital of Ireland – Dublin and to share with you some interesting tourist attractions that you should visit if your trip leads you to Ireland.

Today’s travelogue would not be possible without the selfless help of Enterprise Ireland and Herbert Park Hotel & Park Residence in collaboration with local partners who allowed me to feel the spirit and beauty of local culture and the beauty of everyday life in Ireland. Of course, as always, I tried my best to convey to you my impressions of this unusual experience from Ireland.

A person is rich in soul if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad that I always manage to find partners of my projects who help me to discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with many companies and entrepreneurs in different sectors and I would like to thank Enterprise Ireland and Herbert Park Hotel & Park Residence once again for this amazing Showcase Ireland adventure and for allowing me to experience in a very different way I feel the beauty of this unusual Irish culture and I feel the beauty of everyday life in Dublin and Ireland in general.

How did you like my story about Ireland and the presentation of the capital of Ireland – Dublin? Have you had a chance to visit Ireland yet?

If you have any question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write me below in the comments. Of course, as always, you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT page. See you at the same place in a few days, with a new story!

With Love from Dublin,,

Mr. M

This post is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland and Herbert Park Hotel & Park Residence as well as other local partners. This post represents my personal and honest review of the event experience and the destination itself.