Some Irishmen say Dublin is not a city that reflects the true Irish mentality. “I’ve lived there for years before, but it’s never been a home to me,” said one of the Irish ladies I met on the internship. It definitely has its touristy areas that overcharge and manufacture “authenticity,” and these areas can become smokescreens for the actual intimate experience the traveler seeks. I anticipated not liking Dublin for its prices and supposed lack of charm. However, Dublin did not rub the the wrong way at all.

Jim Larkin Statue in the Dublin

The capital seems to have a lot going for itself. Theaters dot the city and definitely don’t go unnoticed. The local free newspaper details cultural events ranging from free music and graffiti festivals outside to basement techno parties. And Dublin appears to attract a large amount of travelers who immediately take on the Irish personable nature upon getting to the little green island.

We arrived in Dublin early in the morning and quickly got to work on Intern responsibilities and pressing health issues (Chris had a cough that just wasn’t sounding too pretty). I sat in our hostel’s common room with my laptop open, firing digital data into the universe.

Within the first hour, I met two very interesting people without even trying. Sharing my power cord with a Canadian high school grad led to her recounting why she decided to take a year off to work and live in Ireland. And when the man nearby overheard me explain the details of the World Traveler Internship, we began chatting. I eventually learned he was a fellow American on an round-the-world trip of his own. Both were incredibly willing to show me what they knew about Dublin and the world of travel.

A group of solo travelers and ourselves decided to make a night of it before the tour started in the morning. We ventured to the pub behind the hostel, which squeezed into the empty space between multiple buildings. And it was here that I tried my first pint of Guinness. I took photos. I told the bartender as if it was a monumentous occasion. I took a sip and sensed the microscopic bubbles flow down my trap. Unfortunately I was still a bit under the weather and had no functioning taste buds, but I sensed the surprisingly smooth and creamy texture of the classic Irish stout and said, “Hey, not bad at all.”

A night out in Dublin sometimes means a night amongst the streets of the Temple Bar area. This is a place I doubt Dubliners frequent, but it provides a large amount of venues for entertainment and debauchery and, most importantly, Guinness consumption. We found a bar with a band and nestled in a nook with the other French, Canadian, German, and American travelers. This was the first time on the trip traveler intermingling felt so organic.

Sometimes I forgo the opportunity to submerge in the hostel world or traveler niche when traveling because I’d rather be looking for a gallery where I can chat it up with the owner or a pub where the local bartender has time to tell me the good stuff about where I am and who the locals really are. But there’s true merit in speaking to the people you brush your teeth next to. We’re all out there feeling like we’ve got a mission to accomplish and it helps to hear about others’ successes and mishaps. And sharing perceptions of a place can comfort weary bones or stale minds.

I don’t think I met a single Dubliner. Maybe the Irish don’t find Dublin home-like because its already packed with travelers and foreign workers. Whoever actually resides in the city though makes it an easy, fun place.

I’m not going to lie to you – Dublin will empty your wallet if you’re not prepared. The businesses in the tourist areas like Temple Bar know how to get every last Euro off of tourists. That being said, there are a number of free things to do in Dublin that allow you to save your Euros for the pub.

The River Liffey in Dublin

The National Gallery – Ireland is a land of poets and writers you say – not painters. Not exactly. Check out the wing of Irish artists at the National Gallery to take a gander at Allegory by Seán Keating and Death by Harry Kernoff – it might just change your mind. And if you still favor the traditional giants of art, check out The Betrayal of Christ by Caravaggio. It’s an amazing piece that was discovered in a Jesuit convent in Dublin almost 20 years ago.

St. Patrick’s Park – As breathtaking as the inside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral is, the Park next to the Church offers up a formidable challenge. Lined with colorful flowers and plenty of park benches to eat your lunch and enjoy the laughter of small children, it’s an oasis in the middle of gray, dreary Dublin. In particular, try to catch the sun breaking through the clouds after one of the frequent – but short – showers Dublin is famous for to get the best views of the Church.

Museum of Modern Art – What makes this museum worth your time – and the slightly long walk from where most of the other sights are – is the collection of installations. About half of the museum focuses on an exhibit called “Between Metaphor and Object” with one of the stars being Filament II by Ann Hamilton. Filament II is a moving curtain suspended from the ceiling that allows visitors to step inside the curtain for an interesting perspective on the piece.

If you’re looking to spend a little, I recommend Kilmainham Gaol near the Museum of Modern Art. The tour is well worth the small admission price of 6 Euros.

Skip the hotels, bed and breakfasts and other less-than-exciting digs your next trip to the capital of the Emerald Isle. The best place to stay in Dublin is a hostel called Kinlay House.

Situated far enough from Temple Bar to avoid many of the tourists, but close enough to walk to loads of great restaurants, pubs and sights like the Guinness Storehouse, you really can’t go wrong staying at Kinlay.

Two weekends ago, I caught a few nights of Zzzz in the famous brick red building  across from Christ Church Cathedral so I could give you guys an accurate review of one of the most well-known hostels in Dublin.

The Kinlay House in Dublin

The Good

The Rooms – Hostels are not meant to be the Four Seasons, but the Kinlay is top-notch when it comes to accommodations. The bathrooms, showers and rooms are very clean and there are enough bathrooms and showers to accommodate all guests.

It’s Connected to a Bar – You don’t have to look far to get your first pint of Guinness as the Kinlay is connected to Darkey Kelly’s pub in the rear. Plus, ask the guys at the front desk of the hostel for a coupon for 1 Euro off your first pint. Just make sure to go on karaoke night.

Storage and Security – Not all hostels have lockable storage, but the Kinlay has two such options – one for small laptops and electronics and one for larger luggage. The entire hostel itself is locked 24 hours-a-day and you have to show a pass to get in and use a key card to enter your room. There’s no need to worry about leaving your laptop or luggage when you head out for the day.

Free Stuff – Free Internet and WiFi, free calls home and free breakfast. The Internet is not exactly the fastest and the computers aren’t the latest iMacs, but they serve the purpose to check Facebook and e-mail.

The Bad

The Temperature – If you’ve been to Dublin this summer, you know it’s been a bit warmer than usual. While it isn’t scorching, if your Dutch roommate closes the window in the middle of the night, it can get a bit warm in the room.

On you’re next trip to Dublin, check out our hostels section of statravel.com and book a night at the Kinlay.

Some of the best things in life are free. One of those happens to be the “My Maps” feature on Google Maps, which makes planning your next trip a cinch.

I’m planning a trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland for later this summer. I got my flight, booked my tour for Northern Ireland and created a list of sights from suggestions from some of my more experienced Dublin-traveling colleagues.

I have three days in Dublin before heading on my tour and then one more half-day back in Dublin afterwards. I set out to find a nice hotel or hostel that was in the middle of all of the sights I want to photograph, bars I want to frequent and historical locations I want to explore.  After reviewing my list, I was pretty sure it was going to be difficult to snag a bed in a location that made it easy to get to all of them without too much hassle.

My Map for Dublin (Click to Make Larger)

That’s when I discovered what might be my new favorite travel tool: My Maps on Google Maps.

1. I opened up the My Maps section and searched for Dublin. I narrowed it down to the city center – where most of the attractions I want to see in Dublin are located.

2. I entered all of the addresses for the places I want to see. The Guinness Storehouse, check; National Museum of Ireland, check; and so-on-and-so-on. For each of the locations I added, I got to choose one of 91 different markers. From push-pins to buses – useful for bus stops – there are a ton of options to make it easy to recognize what you’ve marked on the map.

And for many of the more popular spots, there are pictures of the destination (very helpful for the visually inclined) and links to the official Web sites. It’s mustard.

3. Now that I had an idea of where all of the spots I wanted to hit were, I added in the hotel and hostel options in the area that I was considering.

In about ten minutes, I had a personalized map of Dublin that made it easy to not only see where all of the stuff I wanted to do is located, but also where I can stay that gives me easy access to all of those spots. Plus, I can print out that map before my trip, share it with friends and share it with everyone so that other travelers can benefit.

Once you’ve gone and taken videos and photos, you can add them to your map. You can even invite others to collaborate and add their own markers to the map.

Check out my map.