title A Couple of Days in Dublin, Ireland - 12th April 2024 intro We're off to see Da Gorls in Monkstown, just south of Dublin. We don't see a huge amount of them, but do go out for a feed at the Sunshine Café on George's Street Lower in Dun Laoghaire. The next day, we wander off to see the Norwegian-flagged Sørlandet, which is moored just off Dun Laoghaire's East Pier, and then catch the DART up to Dublin. The boys make a bee-line for the Lego shop on Grafton Street, and after we visit Neary's for a half a Guiness and a round of chip. A bit later, we meet up with Jamie and the kids in Milano's pizza restaurant. On the final morning, we're in Blackrock, where there's something of an infestation of runners. After a bit of a walk around Blackrock Park, we're back on the plane to Stansted. imgp1436 Harry in the back of our van to the airport imgp1438 We wade through the gas section at Stansted imgp1440 We eat our picnic in the secret seating area imgp1441 The monorail trundles into the station imgp1443 We head back upstairs to the departure area imgp1445 There's a big stack of steps on the apron imgp1447 We wait for our plane at the departure gate imgp1450 Ryanair loves just moving the queues around imgp1452 The plane unloads at a wet Dublin airport imgp1461 Harry jumps around in Da Gorls' back garden imgp1466 We're in Da Gorls' kitchen imgp1470 We wait for the 25L bus to Dun Laoghaire imgp1472 Walking up George's Street Lower imgp1473 Wall art in Dun Laoghaire imgp1474 Isobel and Evelyn in Sunshine Café imgp1481 Harry does some furious drawing imgp1484 The gang in Sunshine Café imgp1490 The proprietor chats to some other punters imgp1493 The Sunshine Café on George's Street Lower imgp1494 A pint of Guiness imgp1497 Isobel gets her coat imgp1499 The shops on the end of Monkstown Farm Road imgp1500 A painted street-side cabinet imgp1501 The gate on the East Pier bogs is rusting away imgp1505 The Norwegian Sørlandet is anchored off the pier imgp1515 Isobel and Harry imgp1519 Dereliction in the disused public toilets imgp1521 Victorian cast-ironwork on the fountain cover imgp1522 Fred looks back as we cross the road imgp1523 The Dun Laghaire East Pier lighthouse on a cabinet imgp1525 A pair of DART trains at Dun Laoghaire station imgp1526 Drusto graffiti near Sydney Parade imgp1528 A big painted fox near Grand Canal Dock imgp1529 The converted gasometer imgp1533 Harry and Fred on the DART imgp1535 Our train about to leave Pearse Station imgp1538 Harry and Isobel in the grounds of Trinity College imgp1540 Muhammad Ali street art on Grafton Street imgp1541 Isobel in the Grafton Street Lego shop imgp1542 Giant Lego characters imgp1543 Fred points at the giant Lego AT-AT set imgp1554 Harry builds a pick'n'mix box of Lego imgp1556 Some dude with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice imgp1557 The hordes on Grafton Street imgp1561 We have a drink in Neary's upstairs bar imgp1564 Fred takes a photo of Harry imgp1571 Fred's photo of the remains of our lunch imgp1573 We pack up to leave Neary's imgp1574 An infinity of mirrors imgp1575 Tattered posters on a brick wall imgp1576 Attention-seeking gobshite graffiti imgp1579 Isobel looks at posters imgp1580 Isobel on a Dublin street imgp1581 In George's Street Arcade imgp1583 Graffitoed building hoardings imgp1584 More graffiti in an alley imgp1586 Striking shamrock anti-Biden graffiti imgp1587 A nice pavement mosaic for the Stag's Head imgp1590 The derelict-looking Molly Malone's in Temple Bar imgp1593 We visit the world music shop on George's Street imgp1594 The amusingly-named Hairy Lemon on Drury Street imgp1595 An old Routemaster bus on St. Stephen's Green imgp1597 Victorian-style painting on another cabinet imgp1598 We cross St. Stephen's Street to Merrion Row imgp1599 The boys are outside O'Donoghue's imgp1601 There's a music session on in the pub imgp1603 The scene on O'Donoghue's imgp1605 An entrance to the Royal Irish Automobile Club imgp1607 We end up in Pizza Express, a.k.a. Milano imgp1610 Isobel chats to Jamie imgp1612 Fred makes a cool mini tank out of Lego imgp1613 In Milano's restaurant imgp1614 A panda on a street cabinet imgp1616 The ever-changing Frascati Road in Blackrock imgp1619 The defunct Apache Pizza on Main Street imgp1621 A classic old Ford Fiesta imgp1622 An infestation of joggers on Main Street imgp1623 Da Wheeze and Fred sit on some benches imgp1628 Evelyn, Harry and Isobel meet us in Blackrock imgp1630 Blackrock market imgp1631 Isobel and Evelyn peer in Akash restaurant imgp1632 Inside the defunct Akash Indian restaurant imgp1633 Harry and Fred haul extra chairs down the street imgp1636 The gang have breakfast imgp1637 Colourful graffit on the bridge over the DART imgp1640 Bright graffiti by the old Blackrock lido imgp1642 The Winkies, and Poolbeg imgp1643 The sad remains of the Breffni on Idrone Lane imgp1644 The Blackrock Market elephant imgp1645 Evelyn and Isobel have finished brunch imgp1650 It's time to settle the bill imgp1651 The condemned V-Style is literally falling down imgp1654 Fred and Harry have got sticks imgp1656 Da Gorls chat near the DART line imgp1660 Evelyn leans back imgp1667 We roam around Blackrock park imgp1669 Evelyn scowls at the old family house imgp1674 Isobel has a very quick dip in the sea imgp1677 The boys with Evelyn and Louise on a bench imgp1680 We see Da Gorls off at a bus stop imgp1681 Fred wanders off at the airport imgp1682 Isobel and Harry in the shopping section imgp1685 There's a starling in the departure lounge imgp1690 We're hanging around at a departure gate again imgp1693 More steps than is strictly necessary imgp1694 Harry and Fred watch the planes imgp1697 A Ryanair tug waits to do push back imgp1701 A hangar sign refers to ancient Boeing 707s imgp1706 Dublin's runway 28 Right imgp1707 Rain over the fields of Ireland imgp1708 The plane unloads at Stansted