Tag Archives: ireland

Dublin Ireland. 27 Sept 2025. Oceania Sirena

Dublin Ireland 

27 September 2025. Saturday morning 

Waking to the grey wet morning in Dublin. We can see town and will be provided a shuttle to drop us off further up river. We wanted to be on shuttle after breakfast before 10 am to miss the safety drill for staff. Yay, we made it!  It is light enough rain to start. 

We are on Do Dublin hop on bus. Starting with stop 6. Live commentary which is charming and understandable Irish accent. Places of rich n famous. 300 year old Georgian houses four stories up. Basement for servants and receiving coal through shoots. Doors painted different colours. 

Oscar Wilde quotes. Fun. Everything in moderation including moderation. Always be yourself as everyone else is taken. 

Pearse street, longest in Dublin. Police is Guardians of the Peace. Guns not allowed here. 

Trinity college. 60% grads are women now. There was a time when no women allowed to study here. 

Molly Malone statue. Our guide sang the song. And received applause. Fun

Dublin castle. 

Christ Church Cathedral. 1028 built. Was where Viking first settled. Architecture from 9th century. Archways. 

Viking museum with artifacts. 

St paddy’s cathedral built 1100s. 

No catholic service in over 500 years in either cathedral even though originally built as catholic. 

Built 1701 a library we pass. 

Teeling Distillery at 11 am stop.  Guinness stop. Sold out tour and tasting due to football activity this weekend. 1759 Guinness history. 7 floors. Sold out for weekend. Can take 7000 people a day!  Original owner had 21 kids. 

Another song. Wild Rover with audience participation clapping. 

Pearse Lyons Whisky distillery. In a church. Big renovations. 

Largest park in Europe. Phoenix park. Wellington monument. Flower garden. In 1660 was opened for royal hunting ground for royal family. 

Liffey River through city. Several bridges. Few swans through raindrops 

Jameson whisky distillery. 

There is a famous Dublin pub. 

Four courts of Dublin is very old. 

New courthouse for all Ireland. 

Vikings came in 9th century. 

Ha penny bridge. Before the bridge there was ferries connecting both sides of river. A family charged a toll. Ferries fell to disrepair. The city said either fix ferries or build bridge. It was cheaper to build a bridge. 

25 stops. On this tour.

1757 built Maternity hospital. Still here

As Rotunda hospital. 

we shall stay on a bit more to finish the tour. Our driver is great. He gets off at end of line, start at number one stop. 

Irish Writers Centre. Dublin Writers museum. Clerys department store and the tallest needle sculpture on o,Connell street. “I can see clearys now the crane has gone”. 

We walk about and find some fine Irish woolen shops. The city is alive with anticipation and celebration of big football game today. The Guinness.  The road closures. The pubs. 

We head back to the ship on shuttle bus. We will grab some food, have tea and then share a table for 6 of us, friends for dinner in main dining room. Yay. 

Good night. From Sirena at sea. Sea day tomorrow. 

Cobh Ireland. On board Oceania Sirena

26 September 2025

Beautiful sunny crisp morning to sit outside on deck of ship at Terrace Cafe on Oceania Sirena. Sky is blue with light clouds. The sunrise this morning was spectacular. We are enjoying the quiet as most guests have gone ashore after we met with immigration. A new stamp in my passport. 

We just talked with last nights entertainer, Irish Celtic fiddler dressed in Rosa Bloom sequinned spandex. She was very good musician and entertaining. 

Breakfast is over, warm drinks on the patio. Windmill twirling in the distance and sea gulls fluttering around. The wait staff setting up tables for lunch crowd. Nothing feels crowded here, lots of space and lots of great service. 

Our ship is docked at Cobh. Cute little place with colourful row homes and little shops. Cunard once had office here, I took picture of the sign over the door. 

We are interested in the Titanic experience tour. Starting in Cobh known now as “Cove”. There is no letter v in Irish language. Previously was Queenstown in 1912. Still it is visible- the pier used for titanic guests to disembark. Second largest natural port in world. We are given identification as we enter the presentation. 

I have third class identification for this experience and dear Hanna N does not survive the catastrophe. A view of the third class bedroom which included electricity and running water. Most third class did not have these luxuries at home at that time. 

Loved the tourist shops and whole titanic themed experience. We decide to take half hour rail ride to larger city of Cork. 

Our good weather is holding. Along sea coast sparkling blue surface reflecting the deep clarity of the sky. Coloured row houses on the shore. Shorebirds and low tide. Mucky shores like Nova Scotia with tide out, except the soil and clay are not red here, more grey. A few stops and thirty minutes and we arrive. 

In Cork. We walk and find a tourist information centre as maps are few and far between here. Recommended an English Market, started in 1700’s. We find it, stalls of fish, chocolate, tea, olives and cheeses. I am sure there were other things. Haha. We get some goodies and continue our walkabout. About two hours at this destination and now returning to Cobh. 

Gentle rocking of the train is tempting me to dose and sleep. 

Reading this weeks article referencing the background hum of some doom and worry and the advice is to sit, notice and focus on a miracle such as the beauty of a butterfly or hummingbird fluttering by in search of its goal, a scent, a sparkle of satisfaction. 

We set sail at 6 pm for Dublin. We are ready for specialty dining and the ship is wild and free. Deep discussions over dinner so we miss the show. Now we are spending some quiet moments in the library. Good night. Tomorrow is Dublin