Visit Dublin Sole Circle - JT's Tales From The Trail

Jill Thomas is a Rambler, traveler, and storyteller with a big laugh who thinks it's funny how life leads you right where you need to be, however the roundabout path.

When I traveled to host our very first Sole Sister Ramblers Camino adventure in Spain, I deliberately routed my journey from Vancouver through Dublin. I wanted to finally meet, in person, our most talkative and enthusiastic group of Sole Sisters.

Dublin was the birthplace of our very first Sole Circle — the way our community connects locally for in-person Rambles — nearly four years ago before I arrived. Hard to believe.

When we first tested advertisements, our Irish sisters showed up with unmatched enthusiasm. At the time, we were brand-new to moderating Sole Circles, and it didn’t take long for me to learn something important: Irish Ramblers are a chatty bunch. Very chatty. As a total rookie moderator, I briefly tried (and failed spectacularly) to rein it all in.

We will always be grateful to our Irish Sole Sisters, because they’re the reason we created a separate space to chat in every Sole Circle. To this day, there’s more conversation, laughter, and connection happening in Ireland than anywhere else in our community.

They also love to Ramble — which makes perfect sense, given how breathtakingly beautiful Ireland is.

Our guide told us about exams called Schols, which are rigorous academic tests students take in their second year. The college has held them annually since 1592, and the select few who achieve a high enough score are awarded scholarships and free accommodation.

The exams are held in the Trinity Exam Hall, an impressive Georgian building completed in 1785 that dominates the right side of Front Square, an area known for its striking 18th-century neoclassical architecture. Across the square from the Exam Hall stands another similarly styled building, the Chapel. The Chapel is used for religious services and ceremonies and serves as a place for the Trinity College community to reflect and pray.

Sitting between the two buildings is a statue of George Salmon, a mathematician and theologian who served as Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1888 to 1904. He was a staunch opponent of admitting women to the university and famously stated that women would only be accepted “over my dead body.”

Legend has it that the first female student to enroll at Trinity was sitting the Schols exam in the Exam Hall while George Salmon’s funeral service was taking place across the square in the Chapel. Our guide quipped, “It seems Isabel Marion Weir Johnston was admitted over his dead body.”

After the tour, feeling both tired and inspired, I opted for aimless wandering along the river and through Dublin’s lively shopping streets and pub-lined lanes. I often feel torn in a new city — caught between wanting to see the must-visit sights and wanting to wander without a plan. I prefer the latter, though I’m never entirely free of the quiet fear of missing something.

I decided to indulge myself and Ramble aimlessly along the river, weaving through Dublin’s shopping streets and pub-filled neighborhoods, before settling in for a solo dinner of cottage pie and a pint of Guinness in a proper Irish pub. 

The next morning, butterflies filled my stomach as I made my way to meet the Dublin Sole Sister Ramblers at the historic General Post Office on O’Connell Street. Meeting new people has always intimidates me. I dread that moment — as my kids used to say — when you walk into a room full of people you don’t know. But almost immediately, the nerves melted away, replaced by warmth as we greeted one another.

We Rambled once again through Trinity College, this time led by a Sole Sister alum who humorously pointed out the campus pub overlooking the cricket green as one of the cheapest places for a pint in the city. From there, we continued on to Merrion Square, lined with elegant Georgian houses and home to a lovely park featuring Oscar Wilde’s statue, where we paused for cheerful photos.

From there, we explored St. Stephen’s Green, another place deeply tied to the history of the 1916 Easter Rising. Exiting beneath the Fusiliers’ Arch, its stone still marked by bullet holes, I was struck by the weight of history around every corner. I’ve never seen a bullet hole on one of my at-home Rambles on Salt Spring Island, Canada — or, for that matter, many buildings older than 50 years.

What struck me most was our Irish Sole Sisters' profound love for their city and its stories. I especially loved hearing about Countess Constance Markievicz, the fearless suffragist and revolutionary who advised women to "dress suitably in short skirts and strong boots, leave your jewels in the bank, and buy a revolver."

She was the first woman elected to the British Parliament. She fought alongside men in the 1916 rebellion and was only spared execution due to her gender.

We finished our afternoon in Dublin with cake and coffee in the Church Cafe, Bar & Restaurant, a gorgeous building and former Church of Ireland building, dating back to the 17th century. 

Connecting face-to-face with women on the other side of the world who’ve found friendship through our community felt nothing short of magical. My heartfelt thanks to Orla for leading such a perfect Ramble, to Esther for the beautiful handmade souvenir now hanging above my desk as a daily reminder of our day together, and to Kate for sharing her invaluable insights from her walking tour–guide training (hire her when you visit Dublin!).

To each Dublin Sole Sister — thank you for making me feel so warmly welcomed. I’ll treasure these memories until our paths cross again, and I truly hope that happens soon.

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