9 Things To Do in Dublin
Dublin is not that fair a city, though apparently it once was. Thegirls are not incredibly pretty, at least when compared to othercountries’ capital cities. But what Dublin does have, is character, andit has it in spades. The character is not necessarily in its grandbuildings though there are some, or in its broad streets because thereare a few. It is in the people. This means you cannot look for Dublin’sessence in any particular place, instead you will likely encounter itin the most unlikely of places: queuing for a bus, banter with a shopassistant or in an overheard conversation in a pub. That is not to saythere is nothing to do in Dublin or places to visit, there are, but thekey is watching and listening. Hang out, watch and listen.
But if you like lists – and many people do – here’s our Authentic Dublin list of things to do when in Dublin. At the end of our Top 9 list we've included our favourite Dublin walk and best Dublin daytrip.
This map might help: http://www.softguides.com/dublin/maps/centre.html
1. Dublin Bus Tour
It’s an easy option but it makes a lot of sense. Most tours take 1 to1.5 hours (if you don’t get off the bus) and the tour guides will makeyou laugh while giving you a good introduction to the city. If nothingelse it will help you get your bearings which may prove vital when itcomes to finding your hotel at three the next morning. Stops includeTrinity College, the National Gallery and Museum (both free), St.Patrick’s Cathedral, Guinness Storehouse and Jamieson Distillery. So asyou can see by doing the bus tour you can probably tick off half yourto do list. There are a number of bus tour operators but they alloperate on a “hop on, hop off” basis, meaning you have 24 hours tocomplete the tour. The Guinness Storehouse closes at 6pm so don’t planon spending the night there! Rumour has it Dublin Bus run the besttours. If you have heard different please let us know. Bus tours cost14 or 15 euro.
2. Museums
The bus tour routes stop at many museums. Some are better than others. These are our top picks:
- Kilmainham Gaol Historical Museum: This is where the leaders of the1916 Rising were held and then executed by firing squad, an act whichgalvanized Irish public opinion at the time and eventually led to theIrish War of Independence a few years later. Much more than a jailtour, this building encapsulates a pivotal moment in Irish history. Itis hard to do this tour and not be moved.
- National Museum:The National Museum on Kildare Street houses a very impressivecollection of gold and silver treasures dating from 2500BC to chalicesand brooches from the 8th century and later. All the exhibits takentogether provide a fascinating and accessible sweep through Irishhistory. A must.
- TrinityCollage: standing in the heart of the city centre where Dame Street andGrafton Street meet, Trinity College is probably Dublin’s mostrecognizable building. Access to the campus is free and a strollthrough the grounds is a very civilizing experience after the noise andbustle of city life outside its walls. The various old halls,courtyards and green areas exude an air of quiet enlightenment. FromApril to October students offer 30 minute guided walking tours startingfrom main gate. The €10.00 cost includes admission to the Old Librarywhere the 8th century Book of Kells is displayed. Not to be missed.
- National Gallery: Western European art from the middle ages through the 20th century. The collection of Jack B Yeats’ paintings is a highlight.
- Natural History Museum: the kids’ favourite with over 10,000 animals on display.
- Also worth a visit: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral,Chester Beatty Library and No. 29 Fitzwilliam Street Lower, a restoredGeorgian townhouse.
3. Guinness Storehouse
As one of Dublin’s most popular tourist attractions, the Guinness Storehouse has certainly earned this reputation. The factory & tour are definitely worth a visit as extensive work has been put in to offering a thorough, fun & exciting tour. The story of Guinness and the many exhibits are interesting & well presented and the view from the Gravity Bar is certainly worth a look. The tour is self-guided & some might say this is a possible draw back, that to have a guide would enhance the tour more? Perhaps a fair point from our foreign visitors perspective but it certainly doesn’t take from the tour either. Larger group tours with a guide can be scheduled, just inquire in advance. There is no doubting the unique tastiness of the black stuff; it was certainly the smoothest I have ever tasted but don’t take my word for it; go along and try it yourself.
4. Do a walking tour
- 1916 Rebellion Tour:highly acclaimed tour and very entertaining even if you are unfamiliarwith the history. Meet at the International Bar on Wicklow Street. Twotours per day – enquire at the bar.
- Dublin Literary Pub Crawl:actors performing extracts from major works in a number of pubs withliterary connections. Meet upstairs in The Duke pub on Duke Street.
- Traditional Irish Music Pub Crawl: go on a pub crawl with two musiciansperforming songs and playing music. Starts at Oliver St John Gogarty’sin Temple Bar, nightly at 7.30pm from April to October. Thursday toSaturday only from November to March.
5. Or go for a relaxing stroll on your own
- Stephen’s Green. Gorgeous on a sunny day. Half of Dublin lunches here during the summer. Grab a sandwich and join them.
- Merrion Square. Not as large as Stephen’s Green but even more spectacular when the flowers are in bloom.
- Grand Canal. Walk along Patrick Kavanagh’s ‘leafy-with-love banks’ fromRathmines Bridge to The Old Schoolhouse bar and restaurant.
6. Go Shopping:
Inrecent years Dublin has really taken off as a shopping destination. Thetwo main areas of concentration are Henry Street (like Oxford Street inLondon, but smaller) and the more upmarket Grafton Street.
Henry Street : Home to trendy fashion stores Zara, Oasis, A-wear and Mango, there'salso big department stores like Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and thehome-grown Arnotts. If you don't like crowds, avoid at peak shoppinghours. Around the corner on O'Connell Street is the excellent Penney's.The clue's in the name - you'll spend less here on a top than you willon your lunch; it's surprisingly trendy stuff and at the price,gobsmackingly decent quality.
Grafton Street : The charm of Grafton Street itself has faded somewhat due to the overabundance of mobile phone stores and the like, but in the surroundingwarren of streets, cool shops are mushrooming every day. For highfashion and unique designer pieces, try Fran & Jane, Dolls, AveMaria, Noa Noa, Jenny Vanders, Rococo, Chicas in the Westbury Mall andThe Design Centre in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. Brown Thomas,the most aspirational store in Ireland, is a vast department storespread over 4 floors. Stomping ground of affluent Dublin, this is theplace to pick up your Balenciaga tote, Chanel sunglasses and Jimmy Choosling-backs. Couture fashion resides on the second floor, with Dolce& Gabbana, Prada, Chloe, Stella McCartney, Gucci and Paul Costello;and on the top floor, exquisite home collections including John Rochaand Louise Kennedy's crystal ranges, Denby homeware and Gaggiaappliances. Brown Thomas is yummy mummy heaven; across the road itsoffspring BT2 is for the cool kids hooked on designer labels.
Dundrum Shopping Centre: A huge spanking new mall a few miles from the centre with plenty ofparking. Upmarket stores include the only branch in Ireland of House ofFraser and the exclusive Harvey Nichols.
Temple Bar: Temple Bar is better know for its pubs and galleries, but in the 'posh'part there's also some great quirky shops. On Cow's Lane, Whichcraft dobeautiful designer jewellery, crafts and artwork; Retrospect sell funky20 th century furniture, lamps and clocks and every Saturday morningthere's a market dedicated to handmade one-off original Irish design inclothing, homewares and jewellery.
Francis Street : If antiques is your thing, walk through the historical Christchurch andPatrick Street areas to get to Francis Street, literally lined withantiques shops, selling genuine pieces from all eras; check out NiallMullen Antiques for exquisite remnants from the golden age of Art Deco.
7. Go to the Theatre
Dublin is famous for its writers and playwrights. Presumably as aresult, Dubliners today are avid theatre goers. The Abbey, Gate andGaiety Theatres are the most famous but there are many smaller highlyregarded theatres that should not be overlooked. For up to datelistings of what’s on check the following websites:
http://www.eventguide.ie/
http://entertainment.ie/
8. Stare up in wonder at the Spire, Dublin’s controversial new landmark on O’Connell Street. What could it possibly mean?
9. Go on a Pub Crawl
Dublin is famous for its pubs and rightly so. Don’t expect undergroundjazz joints or chic cocktail bars, though they are starting to appear,instead focus on Dublin’s strength: what I refer to as “old man bars”.Don’t be put off, this doesn’t mean bars full of old men, it simplymeans they are old style Dublin bars that have refused to change withthe times. These just happen to be the bars that older, wiser folkprefer to imbibe in. The great thing about these bars is that theyattract a mix of all ages except the very young, i.e. the 18 to 25’swho prefer not to be able to hear themselves think. Sorry, is thatageist? I mean no disrespect of course. The following are all greatDublin pubs, check out as many or as few as you like:
- Mullligans, Poolbeg Street (some say the best Guinness in Dublin)
- Kehoe’s, South Anne Street (get there before the suits arrive at 5.30pm)
- Neary’s, Chathnam Steeet (for civilized conversation)
- Grogan’s, South William Street (perfect Saturday afternoon spot)
- The International, Wicklow Street (an institution)
- The Long Haul, South Great George’s Street
- The Upstairs Lounge in the Central Hotel (comfy, cozy)
- Sackville Lounge, Sackville St, off O’Connell Street (the real McCoy)
- The Palace Bar, Fleet Street, Temple Bar (a gem)
- The Stag’s Head, Dame Court
BEST DUBLIN WALK
The best walk within Dublin’s environs is Howth Head. Grab a DARTfrom Tara Street Station (on the Liffey, just east of O’Connell Bridge)to Howth on Dublin’s north side (30 mins). Walk to the end of Howthalong the water front following the road up and to the right at the endof the harbour. Keep following the coast and you will find yourself ona wide unpaved path that runs right around Howth Head. You can doubleback at any time or continue all the way to Sutton (2-3 hours) fromwhere you can catch a DART back to the city centre. The walk hassplendid sea views and is guaranteed to clear away any city cobwebs.Reward yourself with some of Dublin’s best seafood at King Sitric FishRestaurant in Howth.
A second, moretraditional and less taxing option is to walk the pier at Dun Laoghairewhich extends more than a mile out into the Irish Sea. Again a DARTfrom Tara Street – this time to the south – will get you there.
BEST DUBLIN DAYTRIP
The best daytrip from Dublin is undoubtedly to Glendalough (glen of thetwo lakes) in County Wicklow. Only an hour’s journey by car,Glendalough has a beauty and serenity found in few other places inIreland. The ruins of the 8th century monastic settlement only add tothe otherworldly peacefulness of this unique valley. There are walkingand hiking trails to suit all energy levels, the Spink Loop being acurrent favourite of mine. If you don’t have a car while in Dublin youcan catch St Kevin’s Bus which provides a daily service between Dublinand Glendalough: http://www.glendaloughbus.com/
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