Dia duit! Or, for those who don’t speak Irish, top o’ the mornin’ to you! Dublin was the Dins’ third stop on World Tour, and although we were only there for a mere 36 hours, it was a delightful place. The Dins have not been to Dublin in almost 20 years, so the stop seemed like a brand new one for us!
A fun, pub-filled street in Dublin with an even fun-er Music Director.
Photo by Sam Rosner #245
The Dins arrived on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 5th, to a somewhat confusing scenario regarding our Airbnb. Once the minor hurdle was sorted out, though, the Dins relaxed and rested for a while. Our previous stop in London was rather packed with daily excursions and gigs, so it was good for all of us to take a few hours and kick back. All of us then headed into the city, soaking in the sights and working up an appetite by wandering around. After thoroughly exploring the main drag, we all went to get dinner at the oldest pub in Ireland, the Brazen Head. When the food came, it made sense why the pub had been thriving since the 1100s. The traditional Irish stew I had there was perhaps one of the top three meals I’ve had on tour so far. Though I didn’t have, the others took the opportunity to get some Guinness, Ireland’s most Irish beer - though even that seems to sell it short, from what I was told. After the wonderful experience, the guys split up, some going back to the Airbnb to sleep early, others continuing on to explore.
A photo of the towering Dublin Castle.
Photo by Eli Troen #25o
The next morning was a late start for most. I got up earlier than everyone, hoping to attend a Catholic Mass in one of Dublin’s beautiful churches, and as I was getting ready to go, Sam got up and decided to join me. Together, we went into the city, and after the Mass, we explored for several hours. We walked through St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church, the latter of which was where the first performance of Handel’s Messiah took place. We also checked out Dublin Castle, strolled through St. Stephen’s Green, and explored the campus of Trinity College Dublin before heading back for our performance. Everyone got in their tails, after reconvening from various daytime expeditions through the city, and headed off to the gorgeous Trinity College Chapel.
The Dins rehearsing for our Dublin performance in the stunning Trinity College Chapel.
Photo by Kevin Kearns #244
After a few warm-ups in the resonant space, we thought we would further promote our new stop’s gig by doing pop-up performances in the heart of the city. We strolled over in tails to the Temple Bar area, a major tourist hub, the Molly Malone statue, and finally the Trinity College Plaza, singing short sets in each to reel in interested people. The tactic was quite effective (a security guard even had to stop us!), and the pop-ups were one of my favorite memories of performing on tour so far. The gig at Trinity Chapel itself was a great deal of fun, too. There was something truly special about singing Danny Boy in Ireland. A high school friend of Sam’s was among the crowd at the gig, and she and one of her friends joined us for a late dinner at Davy Byrne’s, home of “the best pint of Guinness in Dublin”. It was a great final night out on the town, and shortly after, the Dins made it back to pack. We had a painfully early wake up call at 4:15am to leave for our flight to Zurich, but I couldn’t help but be thankful for a terrific stop. It was new for the group, new for almost all of us individually, and we only had a day and a half, but we managed to have a terrific time exploring and a successful gig! Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to spend even more time exploring the beautiful isle of Ireland next tour. Slán Go Fóill, or goodbye for now, and see you in Switzerland!
Cheers,
Kevin Kearns #244