A Not-So Rocky Road to Dublin

Our Journey on The Enterprise – a doorway to Dublin.

Hey everyone!  

Welcome to my second in a series of travel blogs about the adventures I have gone on, as poet in residence at Belfast Grand Central Station and places you can travel to as well from the station 

“We’d barely pulled out of Belfast Grand Central Station when the coffee kicked in, the chats started flowing, and I realised—this wasn’t just a trip to Dublin. It was a chance to slow down and spend real time with the people around me.” 

In the past three weeks, I’ve taken The Enterprise from Belfast Grand Central Station to Dublin Connolly twice—and I have to say, I missed travelling to Dublin by train so much.  

On both trips, the train gave me space to talk, laugh, and reconnect—whether it was with family, colleagues, or complete strangers who somehow became friends by the time we reached Dublin. That sense of togetherness is something I think about a lot in my role as poet-in-residence at Belfast Grand Central Station. I see how stories move through the station, just like people do—full of memories, moments, and meaning. 

Part of my role as poet-in-residence at Belfast Grand Central Station is to meet the people who travel alongside me—listening, observing, and gathering the stories that move through the station every day. My first trip to Dublin was to lead a creative writing workshop with Fighting Words, an organisation that offers free workshops to young people across Ireland, helping them find their voice through storytelling. 

I love traveling by train – not only is it better for the environment, which makes me happy – it's special. The rhythm of the tracks, the changing scenery, and the conversations sparked along the way. It’s more than just a journey; it’s a connection.  

Belfast Grand Central Station isn’t just where I catch a train—it’s a doorway to Dublin, to new experiences, and to the people I travel alongside. Every time I step onto the platform, it feels like the start of something—a spark of possibility, stories waiting to be shared, and the chance to meet someone who might just change your day.  

My second trip was a family outing to see my cousin star in Jane Austen’s Emma, showing at the Abbey Theatre—just a 10-minute walk from Connolly Station. 

With my family, we arrived at Connolly and walked towards Henry Street, stopping beside The Spire on O’Connell Street (next to the James Joyce statue) to see the portal that looked onto a city in Poland! Joyce stood among the crowds with his walking stick and bent leg, watching Dublin’s hustle and bustle, his metallic profile and silhouetted spectacles blended into the cityscape.  

After veggie spice bags from Xian Street Food for lunch, we walked to the Abbey Theatre. Founded by Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats, this theatre is beyond iconic, and to think my first time there was to see my cousin perform – it felt legendary. The stairs were lined with portraits of artists, including Donegal playwright Brian Friel. 

After a hilarious show, we headed to a restaurant in the heart of O’Connell Street for dinner, before saying goodbye to family members heading back to Scotland and other parts of Ireland. 

We paced through an ever-changing city, past Joyce Street, along the side of the Abbey (where my cousin’s face was on the billboards), and across the road to Connolly Station, to that familiar platform that would take us back up North. But first—we had to grab three Dairy Milk Golden Crisp bars from the station shop, because everybody knows southern Dairy Milk tastes so much better! 

The journey home was quieter, but no less warm. We chatted with rugby supporters who had been at Croke Park, cheering on their local team from Bath. I joked that we were just out of an Austen play (Austin—a famous Bath resident). We talked the whole way back to Belfast Grand Central Station, and for those of us still together, we waited for our lifts outside the station and parted ways—heading to three different compass points of Belfast: East, West, and North. 

“And if you’re tempted to take the Enterprise yourself, the Translink Journey Planner makes it simple to see the options and timings before you go.” 

Niamh

Translink Poet in Residence 2025