About five months ago, I called Susan and told her that no matter what else I did this year, I was going to see U2 in concert. We were planning to see the group in Washington, but when the European concert dates were announced, we started joking back and forth about how it would be ridiculously fun to see U2 in Dublin. Well, 10 minutes later, we were both holding airline reservations and I was on the phone with Marriott booking a reservation at the Shelbourne! Let it never be said that the Shelden women procrastinate when it comes to spending money or stamping a passport!Susan and I left for Dublin mid-week and spent four fun-filled days exploring the country. The following is our day-by-day, activity-by-activity travel log. I'm already looking forward to my next trip with Susie!
Tuesday, July 21
Susan picks Sarah up at 3:40 pm sharp. Sarah is frantically sending last minute emails and trying to push through her four-day long panic attack; she resents her career. Susan spent the afternoon at the pool.
We arrive at Dulles - an airport that is only tolerable if you are traveling internationally.
Satisfied with our dinner of Potbellys sandwiches, strawberry milkshakes and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (the first food Sarah has eaten in 4 days), we board our flight to Paris.
Sarah sits in the middle seat and stares with bitter animosity as Susan sleeps for 4 hours! The only thing that makes the flight tolerable is the Bose noise-reduction headphones and a personal TV screen with a selection of 25 movies.
Wednesday, July 22
During a two-hour layover in Paris, Sarah and Susan solve other people's marital problems. Apparently, we don't need to be married to be experts on marriage. Women of the future hold the big revelations.
Finally arrive in Dublin at 11 am and go through customs. With an Asian hot on her back, Susan announces, “I don’t like close standers.” She becomes more convinced that Mom ("Well, they're Jewish"; "The Chinese are ruining Christmas"; "I'd be very disappointed to learn we have German ancestors") is onto something.
We pick up our rental car at Hertz and after 10 minutes of manual vs. automatic? manual vs. automatic? Sarah declares the extra 150 Euro for the automatic is....worth it. She has no interest in doing navigation, left side driving, roundabouts and a left-handed stick shift. A woman can only do so much multi-tasking before she implodes.
With directions to Malahide Castle from our friendly Hertz agent, we set off. We don't make it through the first roundabout before having to rely on our trusty GPS, which we name Mr. Thorton (BBC North & South) for his trusty, reliable guidance. Now, we're on our way!Fourth roundabout in less than 2 minutes convinces Sarah and Susan that the extra 150 Euro for an automatic was worth it.
Arrive at Malahide Castle north of Dublin and eat lunch in the cafeteria. We decide that Irish food isn't going to be the highlight of the trip. "Hey, maybe we’ll lose weight on this trip!”Tour of Malahide castle. Aside from little Rose, the Talbots were not an attractive family.
We begin to feel sleepy, but we push through the jet-lag.
Travel to the Village of Trim, where we walk around the castle ruins on the shores of the Boyne river. It's a beautiful castle - Ireland’s largest - and the rain makes it Irish-authentic! Of course, Sarah left her umbrella in the car.Travel to Knowth in the County of Meath. Tickets are sold out. No entry for Sarah and Susan. No Megalithic Passage Tombs. No biggie.
Leave Knowth to head to Rooskey. Driving peacefully along the Irish country roads. Sarah is such a good driver.
Boom! Susan: “There goes our hubcap.” Sarah: “What?!?” Susan: “I just saw our hubcap flying into the grass.”
We learn there are potholes in Ireland. Big potholes. Very big potholes. Potholes so big that they crack your hubcap and bend your rim.
Operation Hubcap Recovery commences. Nothing to see here, folks! Sarah locates the hubcap in the middle of wet Irish farmland and decides to throw it in the backseat. Wouldn't want to break a nail trying to put it back on!
Sarah: “Hmmm. Maybe I should have brought walking shoes. These silk espadrilles might not make it.”
Arrive at our hotel in Rooskey on a wing and a prayer. Disappointed to learn it is run by Best Western (afterall, we're Shelbourne girls), but we're relieved and grateful we didn't have a flat tire on our way to hotel. Sarah can finally start breathing again.
Tire looks suspiciously flat in the hotel parking lot.
Check in at hotel and ask our first question: “Is there a mechanic nearby?” Brilliant! Mr. McGuire is next door and he makes it all ok. He jacks up the car, removes the tire, bangs the rim back into shape, fills the tire with air and sends us on our way for only 10 Euro. Sarah loves Ireland and Mr. McGuire....even if he does have two cats!
We head back to our hotel with a bounce in our step and air in our tires, only to fall into bed and crash. Dinner is cheese and crackers from McGuire's convenience store. Sarah can't make it past 7:42pm before she's sawing logs. First night in Ireland....night night!
Thursday, July 23
Sarah can't handle the possibility of a flat tire, so Susan does a car check and the prognosis is good. Thank you Mr. McGuire!!
Susan is training for a marathon so she goes for her morning run. 15 minutes. Whew! What a workout! “Hey, maybe we'll lose weight on this trip!”
We discuss what to do today - we decide to skip the castles and drive the coast. As U2 sings, we decide to "see the world in green and blue."
By 9:30am, we're in the car and on the road again, traveling a country "where the streets have no name." Thank goodness for Mr. Thornton!
On our way to Donegal, Susan suggests, “Let's listen to U2!” Sarah: “Great idea! Let's listen to their new album to get ready for the concert!” Susan: “Great idea! Oops.” Susan brought every U2 album except the album No Line on the Horizon that will be the highlight of the concert. Well done.
We drive 2 hours from Rooskey to Ballyshannon and north to the Northern Ireland border.
There are a lot of cows sheep in this country. At an overlook stop, Sarah notices the hubcap is little jobber-wocky. Whoops!
We have a "what the hell" moment at the Northern Ireland border - in we go!More sheep. And some cows.
Despite the rain, we love the northern coastline. It's absolutely beautiful with rocky cliffs and brilliant green pastures.
We arrive at Giants Causeway, which Sarah and Susan LOVE! It's a good thing we take the shuttle down to the colums because Sarah is seriously regretting her choice in footwear…Get on your boots!
We haul ourselves onto 40,000 amazing basalt columns and wander around with the world's other tourists. We love it and can not get enough of the attraction! Despite, our efforts, however, we don't find the Wishing Seat. Guess we'll have to come back!
Travel to Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge.
As Sarah navigates muddy, rocky cliff sides, she's now officially regretting her choice in footwear… “Hmmm. Maybe ballet flats weren't the wisest choice either!”
Locate a store that sells Walkers shortbread. “Hey, maybe we'll lose weight on this trip!”
Sarah: “My shoes are soaking wet.” Susan: “What about your brown sandals?” Sarah: “They got wet when I was looking for the hubcap.”
Upon leaving the rope bridge, Sarah does a quick calculation and realizes we won't be hitting Dublin until at least 9:30 pm. As we make our way along the final portion of Northern Ireland's Coastal Causeway, Sarah reluctantly acknowledges a sign for Murlough Bay, a particular spot that Susan wants to see. Thinking it will only take 10 minutes, she turns. After arriving a Murlough Bay 20 minutes later, Sarah sees a road sign: “Road subject to subsistence.” Susan: “What does subsistence mean?” Sarah: “I think it means the road may fall into the ocean. It’s time for a u-turn. If I had known this was going to be a 30 minute detour I wouldn’t have told you about the sign.”We stop for dinner at the Londonderry Arms Hotel and decide over a meal of salmon and mashed potatoes that plural marriage is okay for everyone else, but not us. We deserve to be the only one.
Dinner ends and we're welcomed into rain. It's raining. Really raining. Sarah is thrilled to be driving on curvy, unmarked roads in Northern Ireland in the dark, in the rain and in a car that is not insured to be in Northern Ireland. Oh, and on a tire that's missing a hub cap and a rim that was pounded out by Mr. McGuire. Can you hear our prayers?
Sarah and Susan roll into the Shelbourne Hotel in central Dublin at 12:45am. Only three hours later than planned!We check in - the amenities of the Shelbourne require a 10-minute orientation from the front desk agent. “See, we were born to live in 5-star hotels.”
Friday, July 24
It's U2 Day!!! "It's a Beautiful Day! Don't let it get away!"
We force ourselves from our plush Shelbourne bed and treat ourselves to a little continental breakfast downstairs. We decide there isn't enough time to see the Russborough House. Oh well, we will just have to return to Ireland another time.
We drive south to Powerscourt Gardens, which we have all to ourselves. Literally 1,000 acres and there's no one else. 
It's gorgeous and just as perfect as Sarah remembers from last year. Susan is swept away by the rows of hydrangeas.
In the midst of the garden, Susan gives a stirring impersonation of her Primary child, Grant. She declares that the right to be ridiculous is something she holds dear.Sarah introduces Susan to Avoca, the cutest boutique in Ireland that has “everything you didn't know you always needed.” Sarah buys a box of peanut butter and chocolate rice crispy treats. “Hey, maybe we'll lose weight on this trip!”
On the way back to Dublin we stop to get gas and commence Operation Hubcap Replacement. Nothing to see here.
We return the car to Hertz and spend the entire return process praying the Hertz agent doesn't notice the severely cracked hub cap. Sarah frets over receiving a bill for a new tire and rim! We make sure the car is perfectly aligned in its parking spot. “Roll forward. No, back up. Roll forward. Forward some more. Back up, back up. Right there.” Nothing to see here!
As we wait for the Hertz agent to finish the car inspection, Susan remarks, “I'm not sure I can keep a straight face.” Sarah: “I'm not sure you can either. Go sit on the couch.”
With a clean receipt from Hertz, albeit $350 for two days (!), we return to the Shelbourne to sell our extra U2 tickets and plan the day’s itinerary.
We receive an email from Susan's friend who is also going to the concert, but who is staying at the Holiday Inn. Susan and Sarah feel pity for the poor people who stay at the Holiday Inn.
Before the day really begins, we open the rice crispy treats…"Hey, maybe we'll lose weight on this trip!"
We wander down Grafton Street - and have no luck finding good shoes for Sarah - but we do discover yummy hamburgers at Avoca. 
And, to make the Avoca experience even more sweet, Dublin's most beautiful waiter (the one who made even Chappy blush) is still serving!After a whirlwind afternoon plowing through Dublin's shopping quarter, we head back to the hotel for a U2 power nap. Susan is so excited she can't sleep. She checks her alarm 4 times. Sarah's out with no problem for 2 hours!
The Main Event: U2 at Croke Park!! "Let me in the sound!"
We arrive at Croke Park and stand in line for 30 min to buy 25 Euro t-shirts that, let's be honest, we'll probably never wear. It's here in line that we get our first inkling of "The Wretched" - that nasty smell that immenates from men in a crowd.Bono, The Edge, Larry and Adam arrive on stage at 9pm and they look better than ever! Susan likes Bono's new haircut much better than the shag he had for the Vertigo tour. We conclude The Edge is hot.
Playlist: Breathe, No Line On The Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Beautiful Day, Elevation, Desire, Stuck In A Moment, One, Until The End of the World, Unforgettable Fire, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (Remix), Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride (In The Name of Love), MLK, Walk On, Where The Streets Have No Name, Bad. Encore: Ultraviolet, With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender."The Wretched" comes on multiple times with a powerful vengeance. Seriously....men are gross.
The Edge continues to look hot.
Sarah re-lives high school when Bono sings ‘Desire’. It's only marred by "The Wretched." Declares Sarah: “Something wicked this way blows.”
The concert ends after two solid hours. On our way out of the stadium an odd scuffle between two drunks begins. We keep walking. Just keep walking.
"All things holy! The Wretched is even outside of the stadium! Apparently, Guinness has a kick-back."
We arrive back at the Shelbourne and decide that midnight is a perfect time to eat a Caesar salad and hamburger. "Damn, this might be the best burger I've ever had!"
Saturday, July 25
Sleep in until 11 am. That's right. We wake up at 9am, rally for 10 minutes and then "rest our eyes" for two more hours. We worked hard yesterday.
We wander through St. Stephen's Green, where Sarah spies a red-headed toddler she wants to put in her pocket! We grab sandwiches at O'Neils on Grafton Street and continue onto the campus of Trinity College where we sit outside of the entrance to the Book of Kells. Based on her visit last year, Sarah announces Susan doesn't need to see it. Book of Kells. Schmook of Kells.
We wander over to Dublin Castle, which isn't all that impressive but the gift shop has adorable magnets!
Walk over to the Liffey River so Sarah can show Susan The Clarence Hotel, which is owned by Bono and The Edge. Hello, what's this?? A crowd of 200 people outside of the hotel's front doors. We make a bee-line for the crowd. "Are they in there?" Thirty minutes later, the security guard comes out to tell us that U2 is not in the house. Is it a rouse or is it true? We decide we paid good money to see them last night, we'll be ok if we leave.
We wander over Liffey River and back over the Ha'Penny Bridge. It's been 45 minutes and a huge crowd is still in front of The Clarence. We're comfortable leaving. After all, we're too cool to be groupies!We need to see our yummy Avoca waiter one more time, so we head over for some poached pears with butterscotch and rhubarb/apple strudel at Avoca. “Hey, maybe we’ll lost weight on this trip!
On our way back to the Shelbourne, we pass Butler's Chocolate shop and notice a sign for white hot chocolate. We've never had white hot chocolate. It's pretty damn tasty. "Do you think we've lost weight on this trip?"On our way to dinner, Susan counts the 300 Euros she has as a result of selling her 2extra U2 tickets. "What am I going to do with all these Euros?" Sarah: “Just hold on to them. It’s not like you’re never going to return to Europe. Did that sound pretentious?”
We head to Temple Bar to a pub called Gogarty's. We LOVE it! Thank you, Frommers! We have a dinner of fish & chips, accompanied by traditional Irish folk music. There's a fantastic banjo player, a fiddler and a guitarist. We soak it all up!The band accepts requests. Susan: “Who is the idiot who requested ‘500 miles’?” Sarah: “The Germans.”
Susan excuses herself to go to the restroom and Paul the Drunk makes his way to Sarah and declares his love. "You caught me eye!" Oh boy. This is the exact scenario in which Sarah really shines. Of course, it's hard to imagine what those 70-year old drunk eyes are actually seeing! Sarah deflects Paul's requests for a dance, all the while thinking, "Where is Susan?!"At the musician's break, we reluctantly leave the pub so we can at least get 4 hours of sleep before leaving for the airport in the morning. We arrive back at the hotel past midnight, and whoops, Sarah turns on the TV for a quick news report and discovers .... ENCHANTED!!
Are you kidding....we now stay up until 2am to watch the last 90 minutes of Enchanted. Obviously. It makes perfect sense to leave live music in a Dublin pub in order to watch a Disney movie on TV. It's not like we can watch this movie in America!
At 2am, lights go out on our final night at the Shelbourne and Dublin. Awesome! Two hours of sleep before a 12 hour flight!
Sunday, July 26
Wake up at 3:30 am to catch a 6:20 am flight. Wretched. "Who turned on the TV last night?"
The pain of our leaving Dublin is shared by 3 American men in the hotel elevator, one of whom is blisteringly drunk, who are just getting back from Saturday night's U2concert and a night at the pubs. After swapping stories about the concerts, the drunk asks: "When do you leave?" Susan: "Today." Drunk: "Ah, so will you get back on Tuesday?" Hmmm...Guinness packs quite a punch.
We arrive at the airport, only to be told our bags have to be checked. Amazing. We're taking the same planes back home as we used when we arrived, but this time we have to check. Bummer.
One last chance to dump Euros, so we purchase Irish shortbread. “Hey, do you think we’ll lose weight on this trip?”
Our flight to Paris is delayed 5 min. And another 5 min. And another 5 min more. Flight is delayed 1 hour. Susan: “What is the problem?” Sarah: “They’re French.” Susan: “We are becoming more and more like Mom.”
Susan's irritation quickly disappates when she meets her yummy seat companion. Susan: “Would it be weird to spoon him?”
Our scheduled one-hour layover in Paris suddenly becomes a 5 minute layover. We make a mad dash through security and onto the plane with no time to spare.
On the plane ride home, Susan watches 17 Again and laughs out loud through the whole movie. Is the movie hilarious or is Susan delirious? Sarah watched The Reader. Apparently movies aren't edited on Air France. Hello full frontal nudity.
We land at Dulles one hour late and go to baggage claim to wait for our bags. Then wait some more. Then wait some more. No bags.
We solve our irritation with the French by heading straight to Rio. Why? Because every trip should end at the Rio. It soothes the travel blues.
Susan drops Sarah off at Amber’s apartment and they decide it was a FABULOUS trip! And one that needs to be repeated….after all, it’s not like the Shelbourne girls are never going back to Europe!
Bags finally arrive at Susan's apartment at 12:20 am. Not that she minded. It wasn't like she had jet lag or anything!