what to do in Dublin | hire the Popemobile!

When in Dublin, you can hire the Popemobile. The vehicle in question was built for Pope John Paul II's 1979 visit to Dublin. The Dublin Wax Museum acquired the Popemobile and restored it with a Mercedes engine and seating for 12, including a papal throne. It's available for hire at 300€ per hour + VAT.

How in the world did I learn about this? Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, NPR's weekly news quiz, featured this story on today's "bluff the listener" segment. The most popular use for the Popemobile? Planners of Stag and Hen parties have booked the Popemobile to chauffeur guests around Dublin (which apparently has a pub or two to visit).

Does Dublin's Popemobile pose serious competition for Las Vegas? They just need an Elvis lookalike to drive it...

Dublin is one of Europe's best destinations, and even if you don't want to ride in the Popemobile, there are plenty of great reasons to visit Dublin and the rest of beautiful Ireland and its 40 shades of green.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Guinness stout and Irish pubs

Pubs are big in Ireland, every small village having several, and Guinness is the single most prominent Irish brand. The Guinness sign is above the door of most pubs we saw, and the company has a number of memorable tag lines (such as, Guinness makes you strong). The Irish are passionate about beer!

During your trip to Ireland, you will doubtless visit at least one pub, if only for a traditional pub lunch. Referred to by the locals as "pub grub," you'll have choices like Irish Stew, Guinness Stew, and Fish & Chips (deep fried cod and thick french fries).

Our tour guide, Dermott, was a former pub owner (he and his wife ran a small pub in Limerick) and rugby player. He seemed to know every pub in Ireland, especially those with the best food. Dermott could also quote the price of a pint of Guinness in every city in Ireland - 4.90€ in Dublin, 4.20€ in Limerick and Cork (sometimes discounted to 4.10€), and just 3.80€ in Killarney.

We didn't visit the Guinness factory in Dublin, but I actually did sample a half pint ... and picked up a taste for the stuff. The flavor is mild and quite pleasant!

 

trip to Ireland (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.