h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My middle son will be in Dublin as from next week. He will be with a friend who's been there for a while. Is there anything a 23-year-old shouldn't miss - anything that his friend perhaps hasn't found out about yet?

I don't know much about what 23-year-olds do these days in Dublin. But drinking Guinness in a pub has to be high on anybody's list.

Is your son interested in music, archaeology, clubbing, food, animals, art?

I'm interested in clubbing food animals...where can I do this in Dublin?

RF

He's mainly interested in music and drinking. Definitely not in sport, clubbing, discos. I'm not sure how interested he is in history or archeaology as they were force fed rather too much of that as kids.

Mulligans of Poolbeg Street supposedly pours the best pint of Guinness, although the difference between that and any other pub is probably only marginal.

The Porterhouse in Parliament Street is the place for specialist beers.

There's plenty of music in Dublin, both formal and informal, and I couldn't list all the venues. Just tell him to keep his eye on the newspapers.

I assume Molly Malones is still going - fantastic just to hear the absolute wealth of amateur talent there is about.

Plus hear some murdering versions of some old 'rebel' songs.

You mean this Porterhouse, Gnomon?

A3802925

Well he left, fiddle in hand, yesterday. He's spending a couple of days with his grandparents before flying on to Dublin on Saturday. I'll send him a link to this conversation.

So any more ideas can still be added!

How long will Trillian's grandson be staying in Dublin?

It's me that has the grandson - not TC. When I'm in Dublin, I love the tourist trail - on the bus - that takes in Guinness and Jamesons. The bus drivers usually sing!

Yes, if you take the open-deck tourist bus and get off when everybody else gets off you'll definitely be at the Guinness Brewery.
James Joyce's Martello Tower is worth a look. It's near the Gentlemen's Bathing Place.

Trillian's Child's son is presumably Trillian's grandson.

There's greyhound racing at Shelbourne Park a few evening a week. That'd be an experience. All levels of Dublin society will be in attendance.

'It's near the Gentlemen's Bathing Place.'

Is that the one for Forty Foot Gentlemen only?

Not any more. These days the fairer sex is also allowed in.

When I was there (eighteen months ago), there were indeed women bathing, but the sign was still up - maybe for its ambiguous humour?

It's an historical sign. I hope they stick a preservation order on it.

He sent me an e-mail this morning, saying that they were in a hostel with lots of (other) foreigners. Lots of people from Brazil, particularly. They all went out for a mass busk last night (Saturday) - at least that's what it sounds like from his description. A Japanese chappie called Tak is accompanying him on the guitar and he's really good, according to my son. I have no idea what kind of music they were playing.

He'd tried to phone home from a call box; it rang here, but I only got a couple of odd bleeps. That's why he sent the e-mail, because I couldn't hear him on the phone.

He comes home on Wednesday. I hope the weather in Dublin is a hot and sunny as it is here.

He got back home yesterday - I drove to the airport to pick him up.

He had a lovely four days in Dublin - he spent the mornings walking about town exploring and the afternoons busking. The highlight seems to be meeting Ronnie Wood - to the delight of his Japanese accompanist, who knows all 70s music and musicians inside out. In fact it seems that they played mainly Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin while jamming - Tak could play all the guitar solos.

So, as soon as we got home, we had to get the Pink Floyd LP's down and listen to them.

Sorry to have missed him! I suddenly found myself horribly busy after coming home from the Yorkshire Dales. Glad he enjoyed Dublin