Dalkey

Day 14: For our final full day in Ireland we slept in, and chose to eat a breakfast prepared by the owner of the B&B, Brenden. Apparently as we slept there was quite a thunderstorm and the morning was cold and drizzling. We kept warm with pots of tea, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, poached eggs with mushrooms, and his world famous ricotta pancakes. Breakfast was delicious. We filled ourselves on tasty food and watched the rain come down outside in the garden.

The morning progressed, the rain slowed, and we decided to drive to the coast and take one last castle tour. Our host had previously mentioned there was a lovely town, Dalkey about 20 mins east. There was a castle with a tour, many good restaurants and the possibility of spotting Irish celebrities who lived in Dalkey. The castle tour was great and included history from 600 to present day. The castle was actually considered a fortified town house. There were seven built in the town and their primary function was to guard the goods brought into the harbour before they were transported into Dublin. The tour was conducted by two characters who would've resided there in the 1600s, the archer and the lady of the house. We learned about the extra security feAtures of the house (trap doors from above where the enemy could be showered with hot ash, boiling water, or heavy objects), the various types of arrowheads, and common practices of the day. The actors were great, they stayed in character the entire time and conveyed tons of history in the process all while interacting with everyone on the tour.

Dalkey had many shops with handmade items, bobs and bits, and what seemed like endless options for lunch. We chose the Magpie Inn a newly renovated pub with a stellar bowl of steamed mussels. After lunch we drove back to Dundrum to visit the parts of the mall we had missed the night before. It was Massive. Five floors with two grocery stores, and endless amounts shopping, two cinema options, and the outdoor dining terrace. The later is got in the afternoon the busier the shopping center became. With lots to pack we headed out to cottage. We spent our last evening packing our treasures, eating take out, and snuggling into the sofa to watch a movie.

At the Dalkey visitor center

View from the top

Inside the townhouse

Looking up the murder door

Entrance

Old church

In the stocks

Lunch