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With the sun beaming through the window, I leaped out of bed with the excitement of the day ahead, a visit from the sun alone is usually enough to put a smile on my face and with a fun filled day ahead, I could hardly contain myself. We took the Luas to Connelly Station and headed out to Howth for the morning and by 2pm we were back at the Docklands for the Maritime Festival.

Tall ships from around the world had docked on the River Liffey for the three-day event and more than 130,000 visitors descended upon the Dublin Docklands, with brilliant sunshine bringing the highest temperatures recorded so far this year, it certainly was an event not to be missed.

You could have been in any country with the aroma of delicacies from Spain, Finland, Holland, Greece, Germany, France, Lebanon, Italy and Asia, being carried on the breeze. I queued for a worthwhile twenty minutes for a German style hot dog, loaded it with ketchup and mustard and found my spot overlooking the murky River Liffey, munched away to my hearts content, licked my fingers and mosied on.

With a very large German beer in hand, I squeezed my way through the crowds to get a glimpse at the very entertaining Orkestre Del Sol. The group of ten, playing an array of instruments such as the Trumpet, Soprano Saxophone, Fiddle and the Trombone, had the crowds gleaming with their brilliant dramatics and their catchy tunes, an absolutely talented team of musicians.

Afterwards we strolled along the Docklands admiring the many colourful stalls, themed characters from the deep and the beach and some of the most beautiful ships ever seen on the River Liffey alongside our own Jeanie Johnston. Thousands climbed on board the Atlantis, Lord Nelson, Le Aoife , Kathleen & May, The Loth Lorien and The Eendracht, for a chance to see what life of the high seas is like. Festival organisers said the sight of the ships has the power to lift everybody’s mood and that they did. We stumbled across the MV Cill Airne a renovated training vessel now home to the Quay 16 Restaurant and the Blue River Bistro Bar. The relaxing sound of blues music rose up from the barge, enticing passersbys to visit and as we boarded this unassuming ship I felt like I was on holidays. We sat overlooking the musicians below and sipped on a Corona with a twist of lime and watched the world go by.

By six o clock we were exhausted but decided we couldn’t say good bye just yet and hopped onto a boat taxi to the other side. We made our way down by The Longboat Quay a new development situated between the River liffey and the Grand Canal Dock. Across the water people were enjoying drinks whilst basking in the sun, encouraged by the crowds we made our way over, ordered some drinks and enjoyed the amazing waterfront views and as I sat there with my legs dangling over the water, the fond memories of the day drifted in and out of my head and there I knew that I would be a dedicated follower of the Maritime Festival in the future.