The city I always wanted to visit was Dublin and as a whole literally one of the most amazing places I have ever been, it was 'GRAND'. Lively, fun and super compact; everything is walkable and I mean everything. I ventured across the city in 48 hours to find inspiration for my first BELT TOUR design; the truth is Dublin inspired me a lot more than I thought it would, here are the main points of attraction that dropped my jaw accompanied by the pictures I took with my camera along the way. I will take these images back into my studio to fully design the #DUBLIN belt.

When I first arrived in Dublin, I started in the city centre with my notepad and pencil to begin sketching down ideas. I'd highly recommend attacking this list on your agenda if you want to venture in Dublin. I personally have a thing about lights, I love night lights in and around a city; so I ran back to a few locations that I thought would come alive when the sun went down.

1. The Spire. 

2. The Book of Kells, The Old Library, Trinity College. 

3. Grafton Street. 

4. Grand Canal Square. 

5. Samuel Beckett Bridge & National Conference Centre. 

6. Wall of Fame. 

7. Temple Bar. 

8. Ha'Penny Bridge.

9. Guinness Factory; The Store House.

10. Zozimus Bar. 

After 48 hours what I saw everywhere was GUINNESS. I kid you not, no matter where you look you will see either a pint of the black stuff, the trademark of the famous Harp, a lorry delivering Guinness, folk drinking it everywhere or randomly just the word Guinness if there is a space on the street to put it. I found Dublin such a fun atmosphere, with real music; you walk down any street and it really is lively, with an amazing band, with a jumping street audience, which everyone loves to be apart of. Plenty Guinness being spilt too. 

While we are on the subject of the black stuff, I just want to say before I went to the Guinness Store House to see behind the scenes of their story and spirit; I have been to a few Whisky distilleries over the years and I normally find them all the same roughly, not much buzz and I feel once you have done one you have done them all, in the best respect. But the Guinness Store House was truly amazing, the place is like a theme park, inside a building in the shape of a giant pint of Guinness. You have lots of surprises along the way including an Irish Dancing RiverDance show, plenty of free Guinness and the opportunity to have your picture taken using a special technology that lays millions of natural malt molecules to turn your selfie into a personalised pint of Guinness, called STOUTie by Ripples - I never thought I’d get the chance to drink my own selfie! The rest that Guinness showcase on their tour I will leave for you to find out for yourself.

Here is a slider of images that gives you an idea of what I mean, GUINNESS is everywhere you look. It's time for me now to head back to Glasgow, into my studio and begin my belt design on #DUBLIN. To be Continued...