Ireland: Dublin (Friday, February 22) — Part 2 (night)

Written Saturday, February 23 at 9:40 am, Dublin (again, on the bed at the B&B)

Dragged myself out of bed at about 9:30 last night, swigged a cup of instant (ewww!) coffee, and caught the bus to the City Centre.   Fortunately, lots of folks were getting off at a couple spots, so I knew when to exit — right on the O’Connell Bridge over the River Liffey.  From there, I walked east along the south side of the river (Aston Quay and Wellington Quay), trying to find Georges Street where a couple of the gay pubs are.  Finally got to Parliament Street and remembered that Georges didn’t come all the way to the river, so I found where I was going in short order.  Passed by the Dublin branch of legendary UK comic store chain Forbidden Planet; I’ll get back there next weekend.

Had a Foster’s at The Dragon, and then a Guinness at The George, where I met a couple guys from London (Fraser and I think it was “Fahmi”).  Chatted with them a bit, then headed across the river.  Tried to find Out on the Liffey, but it is closed according to the guy at The Dock Sauna (a gay bathhouse, attached to Inn on the Liffey; no, I didn’t go in).  So I went to find PantiBar (formerly GUBU [short for “Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre, and Unprecedented”, a quote from Taoiseach Charles Haughey, referring to a double murder in 1982; although the original quote is apparently not gay related, as a name for a gay bar, it is almost as good a repurposing as “santorum”]).  I got rough directions, but couldn’t find it until I stopped at a straight pub and got better info.

Had a Guinness at PantiBar, and eventually started to fade; too little sleep does that.  Met and made out with a guy named Declan there; maybe I’ll get the chance for more when I’m back next weekend.  (Told you I’d pay for the lack of sleep.  Otherwise I would have gone back to the George with him and his buddies and well, who knows!  Always a shame to pass up potential goodies.)

Walked to O’Connell Street to try and find the hotel where I’ll be next weekend, but no luck.  (Didn’t see it on Sunday when we were by there in the daylight, either.  I think it’s a block further up.)  Caught a cab, which I was sure was taking me completely in the wrong direction, but poof, there we were back by Porterhouse North and I was in bed by 1:30 am.