After a bumpy landing into Dublin and a very slow bus ride into the centre of town we finally made it to Cats friends house. Lorraine and Finnula were kind enough to have us to stay and give us a bit of a tour of Dublin. We had a cup of tea and chat before heading into the city centre to grab a bite to eat. Before long we were wandering along Temple Barr trying to find a place to grab a pint. So it was only about 2pm before the drinking for the weekend started. We went to a pub called 'The Palace' just outside Temple Barr on Fleet Street which was a bit quieter so we could all chat away. It was fun meeting Cats friends and hearing stories about her when she lived in Ireland. We actually got a fair bit of ammo for teasing her a bit later on which I dont think that she was too happy about haha.
We headed back to Lorraine and Finnula's to get ready and a few more drinks before heading out into Dublin city for a night out on the town. The girls took us to a place called Copan which they deemed 'good Craic' which is basically Irish for 'good fun, good chat, good banter' where we met up with more of Cats friends and had a few (ok... lots Five pound long island ice teas). The night was spent on and off the dance floor and chatting away. It was fun to be out and about in a new city in a good club with good mates and new friends. After heaps of good craic at the pub we headed back to the flat and kept drinking and listening to the girls singing irish tunes and lots more laughing and chatting.
The next day we were surprisingly not very hungover so after a breakfast with the girls we headed off to check out more of downtown Dublin (minus the pubs). First stop was Trinity College which was a lovely campus and home to the Book of Kells. I didn't go in to check out the old library and the Book of Kells as it was around 10 euro but Kate went and checked it out while we explored the rest of the campus. Next stop was Grafton Street which is the main shopping district which leads up to St Stephens Park. It was a nice sunny afternoon so wandering through the gardens in spring was a good way to end our time in Dublin before jumping on the bus to Navan. The smaller town outside of Dublin where Cats parents live.
After an hour on the bus we arrive in Navan and head to Cats beautiful home. It was so nice to be in a family home and see where she grew up. Her parents Betty and Joe had been out that day but we had been left a yummy lasagne and salad for dinner and it wasn't long before we devoured that and got back into the drinks. Before long we Betty and Joe were home and we go to meet Cats parents which is always fun. We then decided to check out Navans nightlife and head into a pub in the town. We had planned to go to a pub and have a pint but they were all closed by the time we got in there so we ended up going to a pub/club time of place which was a bit seedy but still heaps of fun. We listened to live music before heading up stairs to the night club for a bit of a dance. We totally owned that dance floor by the way. Downtown Navan didn't know what hit them.
The next day we were treated to a full irish breakfast before heading off to Tara Hill which is about a 20 minute drive from Cats house. We were lucky with the weather again and it was a beautiful day to be walking around the countryside. Unfortunately Cat didn't really know much about the area but it was good to check out the scenery and get a whiff of the fresh air. Sadly our time in Dublin had to end so we went back to Cats place for a afternoon tea of homemade baileys cheese cake and tea before heading to the airport.
It was such a good break away and a great chance to see where Cat came from and where she used to live. I dont think I have laughed so hard and for so long in ages. The best thing is that I dont think it will be the last of our trips to Navan as Betty and Joe said we were welcome anytime and Lorraine and Finn said they would love to go out with us all again. Hopefully we can keep getting a few cheap flights here and there and pop over again during the summer. I wish we could just pop home so the work girls could meet all my friends and family and see what my life was like at home. Sadly though the 24 plane ride just doesn't stretch to a long weekend.
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