A Review Of Lounge T1 And Getting Through US Pre-Clearance At Dublin International

Dan and I flew back to New York from Dublin International in February and visited a nice lounge before going through US Pre-Clearance and boarding our flight. Since US Pre-Clearance can be a bit confusing, here is a post on both our longe experience and US Pre-Clearance at Dublin International Airport.

Dublin – one of our favorite cities!

ARRIVAL AND SEARCHING FOR THE LOUNGE T1

Our journey home because by checking in for our Aer Lingus flight in Terminal 2 and clearing Dublin International’s security. Once through, we began looking for the The Lounge T2, to which we have complimentary access through our Priority Pass card.  We had some extra time to kill, and even though we needed to go though Pre-Clearance, we felt there was still time for a lounge (and we were right!).  We located The Lounge T2 easily enough, between Dublin’s Security and US Pre-Clearance, but the Lounge T2 was closed (Covid!)! However, there was a sign for its sister lounge, The Lounge T1, in Terminal 1, so we followed them to see if we could possibly access The Lounge T1 without having to re-clear security. Luck for us, you can walk between Dublin’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 post-security and its a pretty quick walk. Upon reaching Terminal 1, The Lounge T1 is located on the second floor of the Terminal, above the security area.

ENTRANCE TO THE LOUNGE T1

After spinning for a few minutes looking for the entrance to The Lounge T1, we found it right in front of us, LOL. Checkin was easy on the ground – presenting our boarding passes and Priority Pass.

The checkin area for The Lounge T1. We almost missed it!

Continue reading

Eating Our Way Around Dublin With Delicious Dublin Food Tours

Dan and I were recently in Dublin over President’s Day weekend (mid-February), and we spent our first full day on a food tour with Ketty of Delicious Dublin Food Tours! This was our first food tour in Dublin, although not Ireland, and it was a really fun way to spend a morning. We even found the very best Irish Coffee that we have ever had.

MEETING POINT – DUBLIN’S SPIRE.

Our tour started on a rainy Saturday morning, meeting a group of six others under the Spire (AKA Dublin’s tall pointy modern monument). The Spire is on the opposite side of the River Liffey from most of Dublin’s main tourist sites, so this was an interesting place to start. Ketty, our guide, explained a bit about the tour and food history of Ireland, before the group walked a few minutes to our first stop for that fantastic Irish Coffee that I mentioned!

The Spire, on a sunnier day than that of our tour!

Continue reading

Restaurant Review: Gallagher’s Boxty House, Dublin, Ireland

In light of my upcoming favorite holiday – St. Patrick’s Day – I am posting about our recent trip to Dublin, Ireland for the next two weeks!  Here’s a review of one of Dan and my favorite restaurants in Dublin, Gallagher’s Boxty House!

Gallagher’s Boxty House is an established Dublin restaurant located right in the middle of touristy Temple Bar. Despite this, Gallagher’s Boxty House is no tourist trap. Dan and I first ate here a decade ago and continue to return on every trip. Gallagher’s Boxty House specializes in the potato and almost all of its dishes are potato based. As the name implies, Gallagher’s also specializes in the Irish boxty, or a potato pancake. Eat at Gallagher’s for a taste of traditional, and delicious, Irish food.

As the napkin says, this place is really into potatoes!

The menu at Gallagher’s is on the small side, but as long as you eat potatoes, you should be able to find something.  Here is the menu from February 2022. It seemed a bit smaller this time, likely due to Covid. One pro of the menu (and this is common in Ireland generally), allergins are clearly listed on the menu.

Continue reading

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Weekend, and Yes, You Can Visit Ireland Over Thanksgiving!!

First, happy St. Patrick’s Day!! My favorite holiday! Since I’m not in Ireland (too bad!), I will be spending St. Patrick’s Day at my favorite bar, Morgan’s, in Tappan, New York! With lots of inexpensive flights to and from Ireland these days, St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to plan your next getaway to Ireland. Dan and I went most recently last Thanksgiving, and we had a lovely time!! 

IMG_5834

St. Patrick’s Day 2017 at Morgan’s!

Continue reading

Restaurant Review: Queen of Tarts, Dublin, Ireland

Like its name, Queen of Tarts is an adorable coffee shop/bakery/lunch cafe in Dublin, Ireland. Located not too far from Dublin’s tourist highlights in Temple Bar, Dan and I went here for bunch on our first day in Ireland when we visited Ireland over Thanksgiving last year. It was raining the morning that we arrived, and a meal at Queen of Tarts was just right to warm us up!

fullsizeoutput_ef5

All of the delicious tarts at Queen of Tarts.

Continue reading