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Your guide to the perfect Dublin break

  • Food & drink
  • Festivals & events

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A couple in green hats at the 2022 St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin city

Festivals and events coming up

dublin travel guide book

The President by Thomas Bernhard

Fri, 2 Feb - Sun, 24 Mar

Gate Theatre

dublin travel guide book

Turning Heads: Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer

Sat, 24 Feb - Sun, 26 May

National Gallery of Ireland

dublin travel guide book

Sive - Gaiety Theatre

Sat, 27 Jan - Sat, 16 Mar

The Gaiety Theatre

dublin travel guide book

A Rose By Any Other Name

Mon, 4 Mar - Sat, 9 Mar

Smock Alley Theatre, 1662

dublin travel guide book

WAKE 2024 - by THISISPOPBABY

Wed, 6 Mar - Sat, 23 Mar

The National Stadium

dublin travel guide book

MnĂĄsome Morning

Fri, 8 Mar 10:30

Malahide Castle & Gardens

dublin travel guide book

Giant Rooks

Fri, 8 Mar 19:00

dublin travel guide book

Bricktionary: The Interactive Exhibition

Sun, 10 Mar - Sat, 18 May

Theatre of Light

St Patrick's Festival 2024

Get excited for four days of celebrating all things Irish at St Patrick's Festival. Head to the parade and catch incredible performances and events across the city.

dublin travel guide book

Traveller Guides

Inspirational ideas to help you plan your Dublin experience. More inspiration

dublin travel guide book

Essential Dublin

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Uncover unique and exceptional experiences that are the lesser known attractions in Dublin

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Dublin Travel Guide: Vacation and Trip Ideas

Tess Desjardins/Travel + Leisure

Dublin is a city brimming with history, from centuries-old cathedrals to stately manors that line the winding streets. Institutions like Dublin Castle, the National Gallery of Ireland, and St. Patrick's Cathedral have long drawn tourists looking to catch a glimpse of the city's rich history, while places like Trinity College highlight Dublin's literary past — after all, there's a reason the city is called 'the land of saints and scholars.'

Spirits lovers will find themselves right at home amongst favorite spots like the Guinness Storehouse, the Jameson Distillery, and the Teeling Distillery. And Irish cuisine, once considered a bit of an oxymoron, is on full display in Dublin. The city is now home to five Michelin-starred restaurants, plus an array of international restaurants that highlight the diversity of the city.

So whether it's history, architecture, or literature that piques your interest, or you're most focused on food and spirits, there's plenty to keep you busy on your next trip to Dublin. Here, our favorite spots in 'The Pale.'

Irish Standard Time

Best Time to Go

Winter weather in Dublin is less than ideal, with temperatures averaging in the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit. But the city offers a number of festivals that make up for the chilly weather. There's the New Year's Festival which takes place for three days at the start of each year, the Dublin International Film Festival every February, and a five-day-long St. Patrick's Day Festival in March.

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin is more so celebrated by travelers than locals. However, you'll still find quite the crowd congregating around the city's Temple Bar neighborhood indulging in the revelry. Locals view the day as more of a reflective occasion to celebrate relationships, family, and faith.

As the weather starts to get a bit nicer, travel to the city starts to pick up significantly, but that also means that prices tend to increase. In late spring and summer there are a host of festivals to keep anyone busy, including the International Literature Festival in May, Bloomsday (a celebration of author James Joyce) and Pride in June, and the Festival of Curiosity in July.

The autumn months are particularly beautiful as leaves start to change color throughout the city and its many parks. Every September, there's the Dublin Fringe Festival and the Taste of Dublin — great for foodies. And each November, celebrated authors come to the city for the annual Dublin Book Festival .

Things to Know

Currency: Euro

Current Exchange Rate

Language: English is the predominant language but signage is also in Gaelic.

Calling Code: +353

Electricity: Standard voltage in Ireland is 230v, which is within the 110-240v range most U.S. electronics use. However, you'll still need an adapter as the country uses a large "G" electrical outlet with three square prongs.

How to Get Around

Getting around Dublin and the surrounding area is incredibly easy. The DART train connects the city to the quaint villages and towns that dot the countryside and waterfront. The light rail and bus system can get you anywhere around town, and there are even bicycles for rent for a more leisurely experience. Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland and offers direct flights that connect Dublin to cities all over Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Trains: The DART is the city's commuter train that connects Dublin to surrounding cities and towns. The city's light rail system, the Luas , has two lines that service 67 stations around the city. The Green line runs north to south, and the red line east to west. Travelers can purchase tickets at any of the stops.

Buses: The Dublin Bus has 120 routes and 18 night routes that connect the entire city. The fare is dependent on distance traveled and tickets can be purchased at stations and on the bus. Travelers can also purchase the Leap Card, a prepaid card that saves 24% on travel, and they can be purchased at any number of locations around the city.

Taxis: Taxis are available all over Dublin and are fast and efficient, if only a bit expensive. City Cabs (01 872 7272) and Taxi 7 (01 460 0000) are two highly rated companies that service the city. Uber is also available throughout Dublin.

Best Hotels

The westbury.

Address: Balfe St, Dublin 2, Ireland Phone: +353 1 679 1122 Website

The five-star boutique hotel in Dublin's Temple Bar neighborhood blends contemporary designs with neutral colors to offer a relaxing retreat, while still being in the heart of the city. The hotel has 205 rooms and suites, a central location close to a handful of historic attractions, and a world-class cocktail bar: The Sidecar.

The Merrion Hotel

Address: Merrion St Upper, Dublin 2, Ireland Phone: +353 1 603 0600 Website

Housed in a collection of four Georgian townhomes, The Merrion Hotel offers a five-star experience with an on-site spa, pool, and gym, plus the two-Michelin-star Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. There's also The Cellar Bar, The Garden Room, and No. 23 Cocktail Bar, for those looking for a quick bite or fine cocktail. The hotel offers 142 rooms and suites, many of which overlook the meticulously manicured gardens.

The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection

Address: 27 St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland Phone: +353 1 663 4500 Website

Just across from St. Stephen's Green, The Shelbourne is a luxury hotel that oozes history. The nearly 200-year-old property seamlessly blends historic design with modern amenities and has played host to a number of celebrities, from John F. Kennedy to Princess Grace. Guests can enjoy cocktails or bites from any of the six venues at the hotel and the on-site spa offers a range of wellness amenities perfect for relaxing after a day of exploring.

The Marker Hotel

Address: Grand Canal Square, Dublin Docklands, Dublin, D02 CK38, Ireland Phone: +353 1 687 5100 Website

Situated on Grand Canal Square in the city's newly emerging cultural and business district, The Marker Hotel offers a luxury stay with loads of modern amenities. The hotel's 187 rooms and suites sport bright and stylish design with pops of color accenting contemporary furnishings. Guests can partake in rooftop yoga sessions, grab a bite or drink from any of the hotel's three eateries and bars, or unwind at the on-site spa.

The Westin Dublin

Address: College Green, Westmoreland St, Dublin, D02 HR67, Ireland Phone: +353 1 645 1000 Website

Within Dublin's Temple Bar neighborhood, The Westin Dublin offers an opulent stay in an historic building loaded with modern conveniences. The 191 rooms and suites all sport classic Irish décor and offer a signature Westin Heavenly Bed, designed for optimal sleep. The hotel is centrally located to much of what the city has to offer, overlooking Trinity College and just down the block from the many shops and boutiques that line Grafton Street.

Best Restaurants

Glover's alley.

Address: 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, D02 HE18, Ireland Phone: +353 1 244 0733 Website

This fine-dining restaurant led by chef Andy McFadden dishes up elegant fare with ingredients sourced by some of Ireland's top farmers. Overlooking St. Stephen's Green, Glover's Alley blends contemporary décor with imaginative dishes to offer a truly unique culinary experience. Reservations recommended.

Fade Street Social

Address: 6 Fade St, Dublin 2, Ireland Phone: +353 1 604 0066 Website

Fade Street Social offers a range of phenomenal and incredibly unique dishes — think: duck egg with pickled anchovy and glazed pork belly — that are all craveworthy. The restaurant is centrally located, just steps from Dublin Castle. There's also a rooftop terrace with wood-fired dishes and cocktails on offer, plus some of the best views around.

Chapter One

Address: 18-19 Parnell Square N, Rotunda, Dublin 1, D01 T3V8, Ireland Phone: +353 1 873 2266 Website

Chapter One is a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Phibsborough neighborhood, serving up dishes that combine international recipes with creative and innovative techniques. Housed in an 18th-century mansion, along with the Dublin Writers Museum, the restaurant blends history with contemporary design. Reservations recommended.

Ananda Restaurant

Address: Sandyford Rd, Dundrum, Dublin, D16 VK54, Ireland Phone: +353 1 296 0099 Website

Located about a 30-minute drive south from the city center, Ananda is a culinary hot spot that's worth the trek. The restaurant serves contemporary Indian fare and is open for dinner service Tuesdays through Saturdays, and for both lunch and dinner on Sundays. Reservations recommended.

The Pig's Ear

Address: 4 Nassau St, Dublin, D02 YX74, Ireland Phone: +353 1 670 3865 Website

The Pig's Ear is a local favorite, offering unique takes on traditional Irish dishes. The restaurant offers a four-course set menu, mainly using ingredients specific to Ireland, and is open for dinner service from Wednesday through Saturday. Reservations recommended.

Things to Do

Guinness storehouse factory.

Address: St. James's Gate, Dublin 8, D08 VF8H, Ireland Phone: +353 1 408 4800 Website

Pretty much anyone coming to Dublin has the Guinness Storehouse on their list of places to visit — and for good reason. It's not only geared toward beer lovers (though that is a main draw), but also history fanatics, offering plenty of information on the building and the surrounding neighborhood throughout the years. Learn to pour the perfect pint or just enjoy hearing of the building's 250-year history, either way, it's a great place to visit for anyone heading to Dublin.

Teeling Distillery

Address: 13-17 Newmarket, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 KD91, Ireland Phone: +353 1 531 0888 Website

While the Jameson Storehouse is most often visited by tourists (and is surely a place worth checking out), the Teeling Distillery is less than a 10-minute drive away and offers a less-crowded experience. The distillery has more than 230 international whiskey awards and is a favorite among whiskey aficionados. Guests can tour the facilities or partake in a whiskey tasting for the full experience.

Dublin Castle

Address: Dame St, Dublin 2, Ireland Phone: +353 1 645 8800 Website

Once the seat of the British government's administration in Ireland, Dublin Castle now welcomes world travelers interested in learning about the history of the country. The 13th-century building is situated right in the heart of the city, with easy transport to pretty much anywhere you need to go. Visitors can opt for a guided tour of the castle or visit for any number of their regular events or exhibitions.

Trinity College Library

Address: College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland Phone: +353 1 896 1000 Website

You might think that a visit to a college library wouldn't be top of mind during your Irish vacation, but Trinity College Library isn't like anything you've seen before. The 400-year-old building houses over seven million books, but the architecture is just as impressive — resembling something out of a Harry Potter movie.

St. Stephen's Green

Address: St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland

This bucolic park is situated right in the center of town and offers a quiet retreat after a long day of exploring, or at least a respite before you continue on. Take in the views of the stately Georgian mansions that line the park or stroll along the central pond to watch for swans. On the surrounding streets, you'll find upscale boutiques and shops, plenty of restaurants, and a few landmarks.

National Botanic Gardens

Address: Glasnevin, Dublin 9, D09 VY63, Ireland Phone: +353 1 804 0300 Website

The National Botanic Gardens are about a 10-minute drive north of the city center but feels worlds away. At nearly 20 hectares, you could easily spend an entire day strolling through the beautifully landscaped gardens.

National Museum of Ireland—Natural History

Address: Merrion St Upper, Dublin 2, D02 F627, Ireland Phone: +353 1 677 7444 Website

There are three National Museum of Ireland locations, each with their specific focus — including archaeology and decorative arts and history — but the Natural History museum is a favorite. The museum hosts a number of events, and showcases a range of 10,000 unique exhibits.

Best Shopping

Clerys quarter.

Address: 27 O'Connell Street Lower, North City, Dublin, Ireland Phone: +353 1 618 1300 Website

The famed department store dating back to 1853 is being fully reimagined with a more contemporary feel. Situated on O'Connell Street and just a block from the Liffey River, Clerys Quarter will offer a hotel, rooftop bar, and plenty of shops and eateries to keep you busy all day.

Temple Bar Markets

Address: Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland Website

The Temple Bar Markets are open every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. right in the heart of the city. Visitors can find plenty of handmade goods and bites, making for a great place to stop to pick up some souvenirs.

George's Street Arcade

Address: South Great George's Street, Dublin, Ireland Website

George's Street Arcade is filled with shops, galleries, and eateries and has been serving the community since 1881. Visitors can stroll the halls to check out any of the 32 shops or grab a bite to eat at one of the 10 restaurants on-site.

Powerscourt Townhouse Centre

Address: 59 William St S, Dublin 2, D02 HF95, Ireland Website

This upscale shopping center is housed in an 18th-century mansion and perfectly showcases the architectural heritage that is so prevalent in Dublin. Visitors can shop or dine at any of the over 40 boutiques and restaurants throughout the complex.

Brown Thomas

Address: 88-95 Grafton Street, Dublin 2, D02 VF65, Ireland Phone: +353 1 605 6666 Website

Brown Thomas is an upscale department store that's been serving the residents of Dublin for nearly 200 years. Those looking for the best in fashion will find just what they're looking for here, as some of the world's top design labels can be found at Brown Thomas, including Gucci, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren, among many others.

Neighborhoods to Know

Lara Antal/Travel + Leisure

Temple Bar : Temple Bar is the heart of the action in Dublin, located in the city center on the south bank of the Liffey River. The cobbled streets are lined with historic buildings, filled with boutique shops, cafés, pubs, hotels, and hostels. If you're looking for a place to catch live music, this area is it. Throughout the week, many of the pubs invite local musicians to rile up the crowds as they enjoy a pint or two. A favorite spot amongst visitors is the neighborhood's namesake Temple Bar pub, which dates back nearly 200 years.

St. Stephen's Green : Centered around its namesake park, St. Stephen's Green is one of the priciest areas in the city and is characterized by stately Georgian architecture. Just a short stroll away, you'll find some of Dublin's best shopping on Grafton Street with dozens of luxury retailers. On the south side of the park, you'll find the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), which highlights the country's vast storytelling history.

Christchurch : Christchurch is centrally located to a number of Dublin's best attractions, including the 1,000-year-old Christchurch Cathedral, Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and the Guinness Storehouse. In addition, travelers will find plenty of great restaurants and pubs on the surrounding streets.

Rathmines : Situated just outside of the city center of Dublin, Rathmines is an upscale neighborhood with great bars, boutique shops, and eateries. The nearby Ranelagh neighborhood has a similar feel, and both can be easily reached by taxi.

Portobello : Portobello is a city-suburb located just south of St. Patrick's Cathedral and is known for its beautiful scenery and quaint Georgian homes. The area is filled with great shops, restaurants, and boutiques, making it the perfect stop for souvenir shopping. Portobello Road runs along the canal and is a great place to take a leisurely stroll after a long day of exploring.

Compared to other European cities, Dublin has a relatively mild climate. Winters are on the cooler side but temperatures don't often drop below freezing and the summer months are very comfortable. The city gets a fair amount of rain, averaging some level of precipitation around 191 days out of the year.

Average temperatures are listed below in Fahrenheit.

January 37-47 February 36-47 March 38-51 April 40-55 May 45-59 June 49-64 July 53-67 August 52-66 September 49-62 October 45-57 November 40-51 December 38-48

Apps to Download

Dublin Bus iOs | Android

Iarnród Éireann : Irish Rail app iOs | Android

Journey Planner : Ireland's National Transit Authority app iOs | Android

Leap Top Up : Manage your Leap card on your phone iOs | Android

GPSmyCity : Literary Walking Tour of Dublin iOs | Android

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Dublin Travel Guide

Ireland is poised to remain Europe’s fastest growing economy for a fifth consecutive year—and there’s no better place to embrace the Celtic Tiger 2.0 than in Dublin. The Vikings were the first to establish a settlement here in the 9th century along the River Liffey, naming it Dubh Linn (Black Pool). One thousand years later it became home to famed authors James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, and Samuel Beckett, known worldwide for their cultural contributions. Today, the city is a major hub for tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Airbnb. Blessed with gorgeous Georgian architecture, world-class museums, libraries, and public parks, and an astonishing five Michelin-starred restaurants, the city is fueled by the ever-endearing Gaelic trait of craic (crack)—a hodgepodge of innate humor and all-around appreciation of fun.

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More than Guinness: Inside Dublin's Thriving Restaurant Scene

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15 Best Hotels in Dublin

By Nicola Brady

Editor Hotel Recommendations

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16 Best Things to Do in Dublin

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3 Best Day Trips from Dublin

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10 Best Places for Live Music in Dublin

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10 Best Free Things to Do in Dublin

Editor Recommendations

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Editor Restaurant and Bar Recommendations

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© Brian Morrison/Tourism Ireland

Young Couple of Friends Are meeting in Town for a takeaway Coffee a Walk by the river. The urban area is lighted by sunny cold autumn/ winter day. the Latin Man and the Afro Black Woman are Wearing Heavy jackets and holding a Cup of Coffee from the Shon in The Corner.

A small capital with a huge reputation and a cosmopolitan outlook, Dublin has a mix of heritage and hedonism that will not disappoint.

Best Time to Visit

Best things to do, leave the planning to a local expert.

Experience the real Dublin. Let a local expert handle the planning for you.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

DUBLIN, IRELAND - FEB 15: The Long Room in the Trinity College Library on Feb 15, 2014 in Dublin, Ireland. Trinity College Library is the largest library in Ireland and home to The Book of Kells.

Old Library & Book of Kells

Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green

Trinity's greatest treasures are found within the Old Library and the incredible Long Room is one of the most photographed rooms in Dublin, for good


August 2019: A tour group on the floor of the Victorian main hall in the Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison which is now a museum. 

Kilmainham Gaol

If you have any desire to understand Irish history – especially the long-running resistance to British colonial rule – then a visit to this former prison


Dublin, Ireland - August 3, 2013: Visitors under the Campanile of the Trinity College

Trinity College

Trinity College Dublin is Ireland's most prestigious university, a collection of elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings, cobbled squares and nature


DUBLIN, IRELAND - 10th June, 2017: the beautiful architecture of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin city centre

National Gallery

A magnificent Caravaggio and a breathtaking collection of works by Jack B Yeats – William Butler Yeats' younger brother – are the main reasons to visit


DUBLIN, IRELAND - APR 1: The Guinness Storehouse Brewery at St. James Gate, Dublin Ireland on April 1, 2013.  Guinness brewery  was founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland, by Arthur Guinness.

Guinness Storehouse

The most popular attraction in Dublin is this multimedia homage to Guinness. An old fermentation plant in the St James's Gate Brewery has been converted


A replica of a tenement room from the early 20th century, 14 Henrietta Street.

14 Henrietta Street

North of the Liffey

Explore behind the facade of one of Dublin's famous Georgian townhouses, carefully restored to gently peel back layers of complex social history over 250


St Patrick's Park, Dublin City, Ireland

St Patrick's Cathedral

Ireland's largest church and the final resting place of Jonathan Swift, St Patrick's stands on the spot where St Patrick himself reputedly baptised the


A stag stands in front of a herd of deer under a beautiful summer sunset in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland, on a grassy plain with clumps of trees in the distance

Phoenix Park

The hugely impressive 707 hectares that comprise Dublin's Phoenix Park are not just a magnificent playground for all kinds of sport—from running to polo


Top picks from our travel experts

23 of the best things to do in dublin.

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

This is a high-tech, interactive exploration of emigration and its effect on Ireland and the 70 million or so people spread throughout the world who claim


Palace Bar

With its mirrors and wooden niches, the Palace (established in 1823) is one of Dublin's great 19th-century pubs, still stubbornly resisting any


Close up of John Mulligan's sign

John Mulligan's

This brilliant old boozer is a cultural institution, established in 1782 and in this location since 1854. A drink (or more) here is like attending liquid


Project Arts Centre

Project Arts Centre

The city's most interesting venue for challenging new work – be it drama, dance, live art or film. Three separate spaces allow for maximum versatility


Sideview of an Indian elephant mother and her calf as seen in Dublin Zoo

Established in 1831, the 28-hectare Dublin Zoo just north of the Hollow is one of the oldest in the world. It is well known for its lion-breeding program,


The entrance to Teeling Distillery

Teeling Distillery

The first new distillery in Dublin for 125 years, Teeling only began production in 2015 and it will be several years before any of the distillate can be


Whelan's

Whelan's

Perhaps the city's most beloved live-music venue is this midsized room attached to a traditional bar. This is the singer-songwriter's spiritual home: when


Military Road entrance to IMMA

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Ireland's most important collection of modern and contemporary Irish and international art is housed in the elegant, airy expanse of the Royal Hospital


Pearse Lyons Distillery

Pearse Lyons Distillery

This boutique distillery opened in the former St James' Church in the summer of 2017, distilling small-batch, craft Irish whiskey. You have a choice of


Vintage Cocktail Club

Vintage Cocktail Club

The atmosphere behind this inconspicuous, unlit doorway initialled with the letters 'VCC' is that of a Vegas rat pack hang-out or a '60s-style London


Workman's Club

Workman's Club

A 300-capacity venue and bar in the former working-men's club of Dublin. The emphasis is on keeping away from the mainstream, which means everything from


The main barracks of the National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History

National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History

Once the world’s largest military barracks, this splendid early neoclassical grey-stone building on the Liffey’s northern banks was completed in 1704


DUBLIN, IRELAND - AUGUST 4, 2018: Wide Angle View of the interior of a glasshouse of The National Botanic Gardens in Dublin, Ireland in a sunny day with blue sky.

National Botanic Gardens

Founded in 1795, these 19.5-hectare botanic gardens are home to a series of curvilinear glasshouses, dating from 1843 to 1869 and created by Richard


Gravestone of Michael Collins at Glasnevin Cemetery.

Glasnevin Cemetery

The tombstones at Ireland's largest and most historically important burial site read like a 'who's who' of Irish history, as most of the leading names of


26th  August 2018 Dublin. Papal visit to Ireland. Image taken at Pope Francis's mass in Phoenix Park, Dublin, to hundreds of thousands in attendance.

Papal Cross

In the centre of Phoenix Park, the Papal Cross marks the site where Pope John Paul II preached to 1.25 million people in 1979. Pope Francis celebrated


President's residence in Dublin.

Áras an Uachtaråin

The official residence of the Irish president, this white Palladian lodge was originally built in 1751 and has been enlarged a couple of times since, most


The outside of Arthur's traditional Irish pub

Arthur's

Given its location, Arthur’s could easily be a cheesy tourist trap, and plenty of Guinness Storehouse visitors do pass through the doors tempted by


Folkster shop facade

This surprisingly affordable independent boutique stocks a blend of cool clothing and funky homewares. The clothes here are mainly smart casual with sleek


The outside of the Icon Factory

Icon Factory

This artists' collective in the heart of Temple Bar hosts exhibitions on Ireland’s cultural heritage. You’ll find colourful, unique souvenirs celebrating


Siopaella

Specialising in luxury secondhand clothing and accessories, Siopaella is the place to nab pre-loved designer goods at a reasonable price—think HermĂ©s


The Millenium Spire.

The city's most visible landmark soars over O'Connell St and is an impressive bit of architectural engineering that was erected in 2001: from a base only


Museum of Natural History

Museum of Natural History

Affectionately known as the 'Dead Zoo', this dusty, weird and utterly compelling museum is a fine example of the scientific wonderment of the Victorian


International Bar

International Bar

This smallish pub with a huge personality is a top spot for an afternoon pint. It has a long bar, stained-glass windows, red-velour seating and a


National museum Ireland Dublin

National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology

Established in 1877 as the primary repository of the nation's cultural and archaeological treasures, this is the country's most important museum. The


Button Factory

Button Factory

A multipurpose venue where one night you might be shaking your glow light to a thumping live set by a top DJ, and the next you'll be shifting from foot to


dublin travel guide book

Glasnevin Cemetery Museum

The history of Glasnevin Cemetery unfolds in wonderful, award-winning detail in this museum, which tells the social and political story of Ireland through


GPO Witness History

GPO Witness History

Inside the General Post Office is this wonderful museum that also serves as a fitting tribute to the 1916 Easter Rising and its key role in the creation


Poolbeg Chimneys visible from Dollymount Strand

Dollymount Strand

In the coastal suburb of Clontarf, follow the tang of sea air from the promenade across the wooden footbridge and continue down Bull Walk, enjoying an


Exterior of O'Donoghue's pub, Merrion Row

O’Donoghue’s

The pub where traditional music stalwarts The Dubliners made their name in the 1960s still hosts live music nightly, but the crowds would gather anyway –


March 29, 2019: Crowd of people sitting on the grass in St Stephen's Green city centre public park on a hot sunny day.

St Stephen's Green

St Stephen's Green’s 27 acres is the most popular park in Dublin city centre. Come for a leisurely stroll in elegant landscaped gardens, stay for the


Wide view of Farmleigh house, a historic house, estate and working farm is the official Irish state guest house, in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland. Shot on a sunny day with blue skies and lots of foliage

The Irish government's official guesthouse is this fine Georgian-Victorian pile designed by James Gandon. Originally part of the Guinness estate, it was


Georgian entrance to the Little Museum of Dublin

Little Museum of Dublin

This award-winning museum tells the story of Dublin over the last century via memorabilia, photographs and artefacts donated by the general public. The


A reproduction of what the GPO looked like in 1916, at the General Post Office.

General Post Office

It's not just the country's main post office, or an eye-catching neoclassical building: the General Post Office is at the heart of Ireland's struggle for


Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin City, Ireland

Christ Church Cathedral

Its hilltop location and eye-catching flying buttresses make this the most photogenic of Dublin's three cathedrals, as well as one of the capital's most


19 of the best free things to do in Dublin

Archway leading into Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

As the stronghold of British power in Ireland for more than 700 years, Dublin Castle has played a central - and often adversarial - role in the history of


Dublin City Gallery.

Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin

Whatever reputation Dublin has as a repository of world-class art has a lot to do with the simply stunning collection at this exquisite gallery, housed in


Koran at Chester Beatty Library.

Chester Beatty Library

This world-famous library in the grounds of Dublin Castle houses the collection of mining engineer Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968), bequeathed to


Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip.

Best Neighborhoods

Dublin is easy to get around so you'll have no problem seeing what the city has to offer. Here are the best neighborhoods to base yourself in.

After you’ve ticked off the big Dublin sights, head for the stunning countryside on all sides. Here's our pick of the best day trips from Dublin.

Money and Costs

Even on a shoestring budget, you can experience everything Dublin has to offer. Try these top tips for exploring Dublin without burning through your bucks.

Transportation

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Dublin and beyond

Celtic Gardens outside Chester Beatty Library adjoining Dublin Castle.

Dublin Travel Guide: Best Places To Stay, Eat And See (For 2023)

Categories Dublin , Travel Guides

Are you looking for a comprehensive Dublin travel guide ? 

Situated on a wide bay between Howth and the Dalkey headland, Dublin is a city renowned for its cultural heritage and delightful friendliness. Its name derives from the Irish words dubhlinn, which means “dark, black,” and lind, which means “pool,” alluding to a dark tidal pool.

This tidal pool was located behind Dublin Castle within the castle grounds, around the point at which the River Poddle entered the Liffey.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Dublin originated as a Gaelic community during or before the seventh century AD, followed by a Viking settlement. The city expanded along with the little Kingdom of Dublin, and during the Norman conquest, it became the dominant settlement in Ireland.

Beginning in the 17th century, the city grew rapidly and briefly held the title of the second-largest city in the British Empire following the 1800 Acts of Union. Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State, which was subsequently renamed Ireland when Ireland gained independence in 1922.

Dublin is now Ireland’s educational capital, as well as the country’s historic center for arts and culture, government, and industry.

This city boasts enough art, culture, and landmarks to cover several tourist itineraries. It can be challenging to organize a vacation that includes all of Dublin’s finest attractions , but it is possible.

This Dublin travel guide will arm you with the knowledge necessary to make the most of your vacation to the Irish city.

Things you'll find in this article

Dublin Travel Guide (For 2023)

Best time to visit dublin, how to get around dublin, where to stay, where to eat, where to drink/party, things to do in dublin.

St. Patrick's Day Ireland

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Despite the rain, Dublin remains a year-round holiday destination thanks to its pleasant and temperate environment.

During June through August, Dublin is at its busiest. Accommodations will be scarce because it is peak season.  St. Patrick’s Day in March is a fun time to be in Dublin, as it fills up with locals and tourists eager to celebrate.

It’s also a great time to visit Dublin for the Samhain (Halloween ) events. This time of year, the weather is pleasant, and Ireland remains as lovely as it has always been.

Overall, the off-seasons are the best times to visit ( March – May and September – October ). The city is less congested, and the prices are less expensive. The weather conditions are great for exploration.

grafton street dublin

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Walking is the most effective way to travel about Dublin’s center. Despite its small size, Dublin’s public transportation system is quite efficient. Between Dublin’s bus and train networks, you’ll have plenty of options.

Do you want to know more about navigating Dublin during your visit to the Irish capital? The following guide will help you get around Dublin and make the most of your visit.

● Airlink Express bus (if traveling from the airport to Dublin city center. Here are other transfer options .) ● Bus ● Light rail system ● DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) for travel to the suburbs. ● Taxi ● Ridesharing ● Bike ● Car rental

Dalkey

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The city of Dublin offers a wide variety of accommodations. Choosing a plane to stay on, on the other hand, depends solely on your vacation goals. Are you in need of some time to unwind and unwind?

You may want to be close to the city’s bars and other points of interest. Or is there a particular neighborhood you’d like to be close to?

To help you plan your trip, check out this Dublin travel guide for some fantastic choices for the best places to stay in Dublin .

Abbey Court Hostel

Abbey court hostel ireland

If you’re looking for a completely packaged hotel that will fit your budget, Abbey Court Hostel is a good choice. This budget hostel is perfect for every backpacker who wants to keep the bustling Dublin nightlife closer.

Located just right off O’Connell Bridge, Abbey Court Hostel features modern rooms with all-you-can-eat breakfast. Its bunk beds come with a free locker each. The hotel also offers a free guided walking tour for  first-time visitors in Dublin .

For the latest rate,  click here .

Kinlay House Dublin

kinlay house dublin Ireland

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A lot of backpackers prefer Kinlay House Dublin because of its location. Situated in the famous Temple Bar district, you would want to enjoy these cheap offers too.

Kinlay House Dublin offers private rooms and shared rooms at an affordable price. Guests can also enjoy a continental complimentary breakfast here. It is also located close to Dublin’s top attractions like  Temple Bar ,  Dublin Castle , and Trinity College . Bus stops and stations are close-by too.

Ashfield Hostel

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Ashfield Hostel is perfect for travelers who are looking for cheap accommodation that is close to all the good stuff in Dublin. Check out its private and dormitory-type rooms.

This hostel has an excellent location— centrally located in Dublin. The rooms are also very affordable which is the reason why backpackers and budget travelers prefer it. The no curfew policy also makes it very appealing to younger guests.

For the latest rate,  click here.

Dublin as a tourist attraction consists of more than just historical sites. In recent years, the city has increasingly grown as a culinary destination.

Fresh seafood from Dublin Bay, trendy little eateries geared to fill the stomach, exquisite traditional Irish cuisines, and artisan cafés with hearty breakfasts and sinfully good desserts abound in this city. Here are some great dining options in Dublin .

Bunsen Burgers

The best cheeseburgers in Dublin, according to food reviews, are found in the humble Bunsen restaurant. With eight quality restaurants found in Ireland, one is sizzling juicy Irish-beef burgers in Wexford St., Dublin.

And with the simplest menu to offer amongst all the restaurants listed here, they do not and  will not  disappoint—their friendly staff is glad to help you choose and serve highly affordable quality burgers.

Grab a delectable Irish-beef cheeseburger for only €8.15! And their creamy milkshake, for only €4.75, is a must-try.

If you want to pair your burger with a hearty lager, you can only get it for €5.00. Their signature dish consists of burgers, but they also offer hand-cut, shoe-string, and sweet potato fries as perfect side dishes. 

 If you’re around Wexford St., or at any part of Dublin, Bunsen is an  absolute  must-try.

Umi Falafel

Umi Falafel

Falafels are golden-brown croquettes that are a bit crunchy on the outside but soft in the middle. A famous savory bread in the Middle East, the Umi Falafel’s signature dish is the Lebanese Falafel, for only €6.00.

A must-try is the Falafel Your Way, for only €6.50, you can create your own Falafel with a choice of 4 toppings and a sauce.

The Grilled and Breaded Haloumi Cheese Sandwiches also make a delightful treat for those who can’t live without the flavor of the cheese in their sandwiches, for €6.50 only.

A variety of salads, mezzes, soups, and extras are all available to order, all for less than €6.00!

If you want to taste the flavors of the Arabian lands while in Dublin, then Umi Falafel will be a great choice!

Dall’Italia Pasta Bar

If you’re used to pasta being served to you at your local restaurant from a strict menu, then Dall’Italia Pastabar will surely make you smile, for a change.

Here, you create your own pasta! The first step into making your pasta is choosing a one—from Tagliatelle to Macheroni Rigate.

The second step and the most crucial part is choosing your sauce—from their €7.50 Carbonara sauce to their €6.50 Tomato sauce, your pasta will be your own work of art. Other sauces include Aglio E Olio, Pesto, Quatro Formaggi, and Ragu.

The final step and the most fun part is choosing your toppings!

From their €0.70 Cherry Tomatoes toppings to their €1.50 Bacon toppings, combine all of these, and your Instagram-worthy pasta will await your camera and your taste buds.

Add some homemade tiramisu and Cannoli Siciliani for a sweet after-taste of your great Italian-dining experience in Dublin.

Temple Bar Dublin

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There are over 700 pubs in Dublin, and a trip to the city wouldn’t be complete without a stop at one of them. Prices are reasonable, and you may even get to try some of Ireland’s most popular drinks while pub-hopping.

Here are the best drinking and party spots in Dublin, whether you want a pint of any of these beers after a day of walking, a pint of jager, or a glass of whisky with friends.

Also read: Drinking Age In Ireland: Drinking Laws And Tips

The Bath Pub

            View this post on Instagram                         A post shared by The Bath Pub (@bathpubdub)

Located near the Aviva Stadium, The Bath Pub is the perfect pub for big games and concerts since  February  2012. Sports enthusiasts and locals love to spend some time here to enjoy the pub’s selection of Match Day drinks- from beers, gins, and even rum!

Not only that, but the Bath Pub is also serving steak and eggs, Irish smoked salmon, Irish pork sausage, and a lot more mouthwatering meals for brunch. Pizza and beer is also a popular duo here.

This cozy pub has enough space for indoor and outdoor seats. It also accepts reservations and booking for guests who want to celebrate birthdays, after wedding parties, and corporate events in The Bath Pub.

O’Donoghue’s

O'Donoghue's Dublin

O’Donoghue Pub also makes it to the list of best pubs in Dublin. This popular bar has been serving live Irish music and comfortable rooms since 1789. The rich heritage of the pub has earned the attention of tourists who intend to experience an authentic Irish nightlife.

If you happen to be in Dublin’s south side, O’Donoghue can be easily spotted near the popular  St. Stephen’s Green . Guests usually spend an hour or two here for a single pint.

Grogan’s

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Don’t forget to pair it with toasted ham and cheese sandwich too if you want something to munch on. Since it is the only meal served by the pub, expect it to be the best toasties you’ll find in Dublin as it has already been practiced to perfection.

Aside from these, Grogan’s also exhibits original art pieces. These pieces add up to the cozy and artsy aura of the pub. And if you fancy one of these masterpieces, they are also available for sale.

dublin castle

Walking around Dublin is a breeze because the city is small and flat. Planning ahead of time will allow you to cross off many of the “must-see” items on your itinerary much more swiftly.

Here are some of the best things to do and see in Dublin if you’re short on time or want to start planning your trip right now. This guide covers activities that kids will enjoy, free attractions , castles , gardens and parks , museums , and unusual tours.

Take a glimpse of the past in Trinity College

trinity college dublin

Long Room, Trinity College

If you enjoy walking down memory lane, give it a shot at Trinity College where you can find a collection of Ireland’s treasured past in its Long Room Library. This 200-foot-long room holds 200,000 books as old as you can possibly imagine.

The most popular treasure in this library is the  Book of Kells  which has a great role in the Irish identity. Trinity College is also one of the  best free things to do in Dublin, Ireland.

Revisit an old prison cell in Kilmainham

Kilmainham Gaol museum

So you think that visiting a mummy is not creepy enough? Then go ahead and add the Kilmainham Gaol in your things to do in Dublin. The Kilmainham Gaol used to be a place for executions and public hanging.

Martyrs and Irish leaders were also imprisoned within the walls of this infamous prison which makes it a perfect exhibit on the history of Irish Nationalism. It is also one of the best museums in Dublin.

Visit the Glasnevin Cemetery

Glasnevin Cemetery

A visit to the  Glasnevin Cemetery will surely not disappoint if you want to learn more facts circulating Dublin. Feel free to walk around this cemetery, chit chat with their experienced set of tour guides, touch the coffin of Daniel O’Connell, and dig deep into Dublin’s history.

Shake hands with the St. Michan’s Mummies in Dublin

St. Michan’s Mummies in Dublin

If you’re brave enough to spice up your  Dublin tour , why don’t you try shaking hands with an 800-year-old mummy? Kept in a vault underneath St. Michan church, dozens of coffins are left as-is for the public eye to see.

As time pass by, these coffins slowly disintegrate revealing a mummy inside. Well, not every coffin contains a preserved mummy though and nobody, not even the church, can tell which coffin has mummies in them.

If you are in the city, this is surely one of the most interesting things to add to your  Dublin itinerary.

dublin travel guide book

Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries for the past 8 years. I also lived in 3 continents – from the Caribbean, South East Asia to Africa. But despite living in several countries, my love for Ireland remains the same. A country that had been a part of my life since I was 14 because of my love for Irish music and bands. Ireland Travel Guides was born because of this passion and hopefully, in some little ways, this website will be able to help you on your next trip to Ireland.

dublin travel guide book

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DUBLIN TRAVEL GUIDE 2023: Unveiling the Treasures of Ireland's Capital City (TRAVEL GUIDE BOOKS)

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Joey is a Traveler

Joey is a Traveler

Punk'N'Travel

THE BEST DUBLIN TRAVEL GUIDE

dublin travel guide book

Last updated: September 7, 2023

Dublin is Ireland’s capital and largest city, with 1,417,700 inhabitants in metro Dublin in 2020, and is located on the east coast.

Like in the rest of Ireland, there are two official languages spoken here: Irish (Gaelic) and English, so don’t be surprised about bilingual signs!

For many tourists, Dublin is the gateway to their Irish adventures, which is why I chose this city as the first part of my Ireland Travel series! 😀 We spent four days in Dublin, which is a perfect amount of time before moving on to other places.

Table of Contents

Things to See and Do

The guinness storehouse.

First, stop at the Guinness Storehouse ( St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, D08 VF8H ), which tells the story of Ireland’s most famous beer! It’s a seven-floor building at St. James’s Gate, and used to be the fermentation plant of the brewery. Since opening its doors in 2000, more than 20 million people have been to this iconic attraction!

Visitors learn about the four ingredients needed to make Guinness, the brewing process, and how it’s been stored and transported around the world. You’ll even “meet” Arthur Guinness (the inventor)! Equipment that was used for brewing Guinness is displayed as well.

Moreover, don’t miss the many advertising slogans that promoted Guinness over time, and you can even learn to pour your own pint at the Guinness Academy!

dublin travel guide book

Entrance gate, the lengthy Guinness brewing process and a Steele’s Masher tool (c. 1880), and a vintage advertising poster from the 1930’s.

For a pick-me-up during your visit, take a seat at the Cooperage CafĂ© or Arthur’s Bar and 1837 Bar & Brasserie, that are ready to serve hot and cold drinks, snacks, and traditional Irish food!

Once you get to the 7th floor, you deserve a free pint of Guinness at the Gravity Bar, as well as a 360° panorama view of Dublin! Lastly, buy some cool souvenirs at the gift shop, like t-shirts, hats, pint glasses, socks, magnets, key chains, coasters, and even Guinness chocolates!

Ticket admission is 26 EUR for a self guided tour of the Guinness Storehouse. Or you can book a special experience, such as the STOUTie Experience , which includes your selfie being printed on a Guinness beer! You can find more info on this in Tom’s post.

dublin travel guide book

From left to right: Barrels used to store Guinness, ship for transporting the beer around the world, and 360° view of Dublin.

Trinity College

Trinity College ( College Green, Dublin 2 ) was founded back in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is Ireland’s oldest university. Many famous Irish people went to school here, including Oscar Wilde, Sally Rooney, Samuel Beckett, and Douglas Hyde (Ireland’s first president, who served from 1938-1945).

But the most popular spot of Trinity College is the Book of Kells exhibition . It’s a 680-page manuscript written in the 9th century AD, that, according to the Book of Kells Facebook page, “is Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure and the world’s most famous medieval manuscript”.

Every day, one page is turned, so it takes 170 days to finish this book. Moreover, the Long Room inside the Old Library, which opened in 1732, has 200,000 ancient books, as well as Ireland’s oldest harp (built in the late Middle Ages)!

It’s strongly recommended to purchase tickets online for a timed visit of 30 minutes (starting at 18.50 EUR), to guarantee entry into the exhibit.

dublin travel guide book

Entrance of Trinity College (Photo by Stephen Bergin on Unsplash ) and The Long Room (Photo by Hanna May on Unsplash ).

It’s fun walking on the cobblestoned paths of the campus, looking at the amazing Georgian and Victorian buildings, such as the Campanile (completed in 1853), and the ‘Sfera con Sfera’ (Sphere Within Sphere) bronze sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro (1982/83).

dublin travel guide book

The ‘Sfera con Sfera’ bronze sculpture and a part of the campus grounds.

You can book self-guided or guided tours around the campus and the Book of Kells exhibit. Lastly, it’s possible to book rooms (single/twin/double or apartments) at the Trinity College Campus and Dartry (15 minutes from the campus) during the summer months.

Temple Bar District

Temple Bar is Dublin’s cultural quarter and nightlife hotspot. It’s right next to the riverbank of the Liffey, which flows through downtown.

Temple Bar used to be a wealthy neighbourhood in the 17th century. But this changed drastically in the 1800s, when it was one of Dublin’s main red-light districts! It was still a crappy area towards the end of the last century, but in 1991, it was modernized.

Today, the most famous spot is the bright red Temple Bar Pub ( 47-48 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 N725 ), where you can check out Ireland’s largest Whiskey collection, and it has live music every day. This pub was established in 1840, and is known for its flower decorations outside, low hanging lamps, and a bronze statue of James Joyce.

dublin travel guide book

The Temple Bar Pub (Photo by Leonhard Niederwimmer on Unsplash ).

The Temple Bar district has many other pubs, night clubs, cafés, restaurants, hotels, hostels, and lots of shopping opportunities, but is also home to many art galleries and the Irish Film Institute (6 Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 PD85) .

Thanks to its high popularity with tourists and locals, this area can be pretty crowded. Moreover, it’s often more expensive than in other parts of Dublin, and petty crime, like scams and pickpocketing, can happen sometimes. But as long as you watch your valuables, you should be fine. 🙂

dublin travel guide book

The Liffey River.

The Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum

If you love Irish music, there’s no way to miss the Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum on Curved Street! The Wall of Fame outside, that displays many Irish Rock’n’Roll legends, including U2, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy, and Sinead O’Connor, is a great first impression of this place!

We join a guided tour, and look at a bunch of vintage guitars and records by Irish musicians, like The Cranberries, Enya, The Undertones, and The Boomtown Rats.

dublin travel guide book

Next, there’s Michael Jackson’s pajama and a jacket he wore while touring with the Jackson 5 (Fun fact: He lived in Ireland for a while in 2006!). After watching a short movie about Irish Rock’n’Roll legends, we move to a room dedicated to U2, that has tons of exclusive material!

But this place is not just a museum, as it also has a recording studio (Rihanna and The Script recorded here) and the Button Factory, a music venue, and to get the real Rock Star feeling, we jump on stage as well!

dublin travel guide book

Moreover, this is Dublin’s major rehearsal space for unknown and famous bands. As we enter one of these rooms, Brian, our guide, encourages the musicians in our group to start a jam session! After this completely unexpected experience, we check out Thin Lizzy’s recording studio and a selection of Phil Lynott’s guitars and a jukebox.

Lastly, we find a few things related to Rock legends who have Irish roots, like Johnny Rotten’s sleeveless jacket, a Nirvana gig poster, and Beatles memorabilia! The Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum is open 7 days a week, ticket admission is 16.50 EUR, and only guided tours can be booked at this time.

dublin travel guide book

Beatles memorabilia, Johnny Rotten’s jacket, Thin Lizzy’s recording studio, and a drummer in action!

Phoenix Park

Need a break from the busy city now? Then hang out for a couple hours at Phoenix Park . It’s perfect for walking, having a picnic, playing sports, and relaxing. You can also rent a bike with Phoenix Park Bikes ( Chesterfield Ave, Saint James’ (part of Phoenix Park), Dublin 8, D08 DF88) at the main entrance, and ride along the park’s 14 km (8.69 miles) of cycle trails.

It was founded in 1662 as a royal hunting area, and has been open to everyone since 1747. At 1,750 acres, it’s Europe’s largest city centre park (it’s twice the size of Central Park in New York City!).

The Irish President lives at the Áras an Uachtaråin residence inside the park, same as about 600 wild fallow deer, which have been here for many years, and are free to move wherever they like! There are ponds to look at, a Visitor Centre, the Papal Cross, Victorian Flower Gardens, a Biodiversity Information Centre, Phoenix Café, and Tea Rooms as well.

Lastly, you can also find the Wellington Monument inside Phoenix Park. It’s Europe’s tallest obelisk, and was built to honour the Duke of Wellington in 1817, who’d beaten Napoleon two years earlier. But the builders ran out of money, so it wasn’t completed until 1861, after he’d already died!

dublin travel guide book

Trees and flowerbed, the Wellington Monument, and one of the ponds in Phoenix Park.

St. Stephen’s Green Park

St. Stephen’s Green Park has 750 trees with a Victorian layout, and is right in the heart of Dublin. Until 1664, it was a marshy common for sheep and cattle to graze, and even public executions and witch burnings happened here! In 1877, Arthur Edward Guinness (Arthur Guinness’s great-grandson) asked the City of Dublin to open St. Stephen’s Green to the public, which was done in 1880.

The park also played a role during the Easter Rising of 1916, when rebels of mainly the Irish Citizen Army dug trenches and took it over. St. Stephen’s Green Park also has several monuments, like a bronze statue of Theobald Wolfe Tone, the leader of the Irish rebellion in 1798. There’s also a memorial to the Great Famine from 1845 to 1849.

Many birds and plant species live inside St. Stephen’s Green Park. There’s also a playground, the Ardilaun Lodge (Superintendent’s Lodge), built shortly after 1880, flowerbeds, waterfall, as well as a garden for the visually impaired.

dublin travel guide book

Grafton Street

There are many stores and shopping malls in Dublin, so get your credit card ready to be maxed out! A popular shopping spot is Grafton Street , a pedestrian street only minutes away from St. Stephen’s Green Park. There are tons of shops, like The North Face, Disney store, Levi’s, but also the Card Gallery, Ulysses Rare Books, the Irish Design Shop, and Aran Sweater Market (handknitted Irish wool clothing).

It’s also a great area to watch street performers and buskers, especially during the summer. Some well-known musicians started their career while busking here, such as Bono, U2’s lead singer. He also plays here every year on Christmas Eve, to help the homeless people of Dublin. How cool is that?

St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre

Next, check out St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre ( St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, D02 HX65 ), which has many European and Irish chain stores, like Game Stop, Flying Tiger, Butler’s, Eason Books, United Colours of Benetton, and Carroll’s Irish Gifts .

The latter sells jewelry, Irish-style (shamrock) clothing, chocolates, tea towels, green Leprechaun top hats, bookmarks, and more! We also like the design of this shopping centre, especially the large clock and all the balloons!

dublin travel guide book

Grafton Street (Photo by Sophi Raju on Unsplash ) and St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Center.

George’s St. Arcade

George’s St. Arcade ( South Great George’s Street, Dublin ) is a market inside a lovely Victorian-style red brick building in downtown Dublin, and is perfect if you’re into unusual stuff! It’s been around since 1881, and has several independent shops and stalls with vintage clothes, records, jewelry, book store, crafts from Asian countries and West Africa, and many more!

My favourite is Elevation Music Movies Comics , which, for example, sells cool vintage music and movie prints, comic book merch, buttons, patches, key chains, and magnets!

dublin travel guide book

George’s St. Arcade from the outside (Photo credit: The Layden Group) and a poster print of Nirvana’s Unplugged Concert!

Join a Bike Tour with Lazy Bike Tours

A great way to see lots of Dublin’s downtown attractions is through a bike tour. We join a tour with Lazy Bike Tours , which takes about 2.5 hours, and you can rent a push bike (cruiser bike) or e-bike, and rates start at 35 EUR.

Our first stop is Dublin Castle ( Dame St, Dublin 2 ), that was built in the early 13th century. But the powder storage of the castle exploded in 1684, that’s why the round tower (right side of the photo below) is the only original part still intact today. The hard dirt that was left from the explosion was later turned into a Georgian palace.

Next, we look at St Patrick’s Cathedral ( St Patrick’s Close, Dublin, D08 H6X3 ), completed in 1260, which is one of the few medieval buildings in Dublin that still exists. You can also find Jonathan Swift’s grave here, and there’s a nice park right next to the cathedral.

When we arrive at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery ( 13-17 Newmarket, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 KD91 ), opened in 2015, we learn that it’s the first distillery that opened in more than 125 years! Ireland’s whiskey making history started in the middle ages.

Fast forward to the 1800’s, a production boom happened, with 30 distilleries all over the country. But in the 20th century, the industry declined drastically, because of the damage due to the two World Wars, civil wars in Ireland, and a changed consumer taste preference.

dublin travel guide book

St Patrick’s Cathedral.

We also stop at The Liberties , Dublin’s oldest working class neighbourhood. In the 12th century, when Dublin was a walled city, this area was one of its suburbs, and many distilling and brewing families (including the Guinness family) lived here. The Guinness brewery is still here today, that a very optimistic Arthur Guinness leased in 1759 for 9,000 years!

You can also find many antique shops and small shops, that sell all kinds of knick-knacks. As we get to the Guinness Storehouse, Laura, our guide, tells us that Arthur Guinness was advised by businessmen that he’d be more successful producing whiskey instead of beer, as it was perceived as the “poor people’s drink”. Who knows what would have happened if he’d listened to them?!

dublin travel guide book

We also ride by some amazing Guinness street art murals painted by Holly Pereira .

dublin travel guide book

The most touching stop of this tour is the Kilmainham Goal Museum ( Inchicore Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 RK28 ), where criminals (especially revolutionaries fighting for Ireland’s independence) were imprisoned and executed from 1796 until 1924.

In May 1916, a total of 14 Irish rebels were shot by the British Army at the Stonebreakers’ Yard of this prison, soon after the Easter Rising had occurred.

Today, visitors can look at 14 bronze sculptures across the street, which were put up to honour these brave men. They are standing in a circle, blindfolded, and each one has holes where the bullets hit them.

dublin travel guide book

EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum

If you want to learn more about Ireland’s history, the EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum ( The Chq Building, Custom House Quay, North Dock, Dublin 1 ) should be on your list!

These days, more than 70 million people worldwide (many in North America, Australia or New Zealand) have Irish heritage, even if they never met their ancestors.

First, you find out why many Irish people emigrated, whether it was extreme poverty caused by the Great Famine (1845-1852), oppressive laws from the government, civil wars, forced labour, a weak economy, or a lack of jobs. Others were looking for a romantic partner or land to buy abroad.

You can also watch lots of short movies that show the Irish emigrants’ hopes and fears, which are very moving, and read some of the questions they were asked upon entering their new home land.

dublin travel guide book

As the tour goes on, visitors learn how the Irish culture and identity have changed the rest of world. Many Irish communities were formed overseas with time, and emigrants were happy to share traditional Irish music and dance with their peers, which started in the mid-1800’s.

Other Irish migrants and/or their descendants became politicians, actors, musicians, authors, journalists, directors, athletes, scientists, and so on. For example, did you know that several Canadian and Australian prime ministers and US presidents have Irish roots?

Irish food and drinks have travelled the world, too, which is why today, we have at least one Irish pub in many bigger cities, and Guinness and Jameson’s Whiskey are famous! And let’s not forget about the many St Patrick’s Day celebrations worldwide on March 17th each year!

Wow, the EPIC Museum was just awesome! It’s great that every visitor gets the EPIC Passport at the start of their tour, which gets stamped after each section is completed. You can also visit the Irish Family History Centre, to find out about your Irish ancestors, as well as the Gift Shop, which has many unique gifts and souvenirs.

Self-guided entry ticket admission is 19 EUR for adults, and you can download a free audio guide in various languages to your phone. The museum is also fully wheelchair accessible.

dublin travel guide book

Politicians and hit albums by musicians with Irish roots, books written by Irish writers, and my completed EPIC Passport!

Samuel Beckett Bridge

Only a few steps from the museum you can find the famous Samuel Beckett Bridge , a cable-stayed swing bridge shaped as a harp. It’s one of Ireland’s traditional musical instruments, and a big part of Irish culture.

It crosses the Liffey River, is 120 meters (390 ft) long and 48 meters (157 ft) high and was completed in 2009. Since then, it has become one of Dublin’s major landmarks.

dublin travel guide book

Dublin’s Street Art

Dublin also has more cool street art to look at, and we even saw a very colourful piano inside Connolly train station:

dublin travel guide book

Where to Eat & Drink

If you’re looking for craic (Irish slang for good times ;)), you can’t miss Dublin’s diverse food scene!

Here are our favourites:

Camden Bites & Brews ( 9 Camden Street Lower, Saint Kevin’s, Dublin, D02 FX67). This fun bar and restaurant is open daily, and is known for Italian coffee and cold drinks, DJ nights, and has hosted a flea market several times.

They serve lots of pub food, like burgers, wings, Fish & Chips, calamari, and chunky fries. We’re having a Beef Burger and Piccolo Vegan Burger, and they are both really good! There’s also an outside terrace and we love the chessboard floor design!

The Little Pyg ( 59 William St S, Dublin 2, D02 E521 ). Wow, what an unusual name! This restaurant is inside Dublin’s Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, and they are proud to serve authentic Neapolitan pizza, as per Michelin Maestro Enzo Coccia’s recipe.

We order their Tomato Soup and Mushroom Ravioli, which are very tasty, although a bit expensive, in our opinion. But even though this restaurant is inside a busy mall, it’s got a chill vibe, and the staff was very friendly and efficient.

dublin travel guide book

Kale + Coco ( 18 Grangegorman Lower, Dublin, D07 WF44 ) . This 100% vegan food cafĂ© is perfect if you’re looking for a healthy and organic breakfast or lunch! They have smoothies, chia pudding, nourish bowls, smoothie bowls, pastries, and hot and cold drinks on their menu. All food is gluten-free as well, and prices are very reasonable.

I’m having their Treat Yo’self Smoothie Bowl, that consists of bananas, almond milk, dates, raw cacao powder and Himalayan pink salt, and strawberries, granola, tahini maple caramel sauce, and cacao nibs for toppings.

I also love all the plants inside the café (whether they are real or painted on the walls), and cozy atmosphere, so no doubt that this is a great spot for hanging out or getting some work done.

dublin travel guide book

The Hard Rock CafĂ© ( 12 Fleet St, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 NW56 ). This iconic chain restaurant is right in the heart of the Temple Bar district. We’re having The Big Cheeseburger and Cauliflower Wings, and some Guinness, so good! They even have a Guinness Burger, but like in any of their locations, it’s not just about the food and drinks, but also about all the Rock memorabilia on the walls.

So while you’re waiting for your grub, check out Brian Johnson’s tweed hat, Jimi Hendrix’s silk shirt, Slash’s top hat, Ringo Starr’s drumsticks, and more! There’s also a drum set hanging from the ceiling, live music happens quite often, and don’t miss the Rock Shop with its iconic merch on your way out!

dublin travel guide book

Gushi Asian Bar & Kitchen ( 48 Capel St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 P7W9 ). This place is perfect if you’re craving authentic Asian food. There’s sushi, ramen, Chinese fried chicken, Thai Beef & Basil stir-fry, kimchi burger, Dakganjeong Wings, and more! They also have two bars with many drink options and a cocktail menu!

I’m having their Green Dragon Roll and Avocado Inari Roll, which are very good! They were quite busy that night, so service was a bit slow, but it was more than worth waiting for this great food! :p

dublin travel guide book

Where to Stay

The leeson bridge guesthouse.

The Leeson Bridge Guesthouse ( 1 Leeson Street Upper, Ranelagh, Dublin, D04 AH22 ) is a Georgian guesthouse in Dublin’s south. It’s a 20-minute walk to downtown, and bus stops are just a few minutes away.

We love the red entrance door and the reception area is very pretty as well. Guests can choose between a Budget Double Room and Executive Suite, which has a sauna and jacuzzi. We book the first option, and it’s cozy and clean, and has a balcony. But for some people, the bathroom may be a bit small …

They offer a complimentary breakfast in the morning, and St. Stephen’s Green Park and Grafton Street are only a 10-15 minutes of a walk.

dublin travel guide book

Entrance door and sitting area inside our Budget Double Room.

Clayton Hotel – Burlington Road

Clayton Hotel – Burlington Road ( Leeson Street Upper, Dublin, D04 A318 ) has 502 rooms and suites, so it’s a less personal vibe than at the Leeson Bridge Guesthouse. But the rooms are bigger and have A/C, and they have a very tasty breakfast buffet (at 15 EUR extra per person). Room service, a fitness room, meeting rooms, and work spaces are available, too.

There’s also a bus stop right out the door, and some of them take you right to the airport or downtown.

The Generator Hostel

Of course, Dublin also has tons of budget-friendly accommodations! I’m staying at the Generator Hostel ( Chimney Viewing Tower, Arran Quay, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 F2VF ), which is just a short walk to Temple Bar. The receptionist is very friendly, and there’s a bar with live music and a cafĂ©/restaurant area on site!

It has private or dorm rooms, a cinema room, games room, lockers, laundry, towels (for a small fee), and even bike rentals! There’s no kitchen though, and breakfast vouchers are available for 7.50 EUR per person.

I’m staying in a 6-bed ensuite female-only dorm, and it’s great chatting with other travelers again, and the beds are very comfy! I just would have appreciated a privacy curtain when I wanted to be left alone, but otherwise, it’s perfect!

dublin travel guide book

How to Get to and Around Dublin

Many airlines from Europe, North America, Dubai, etc. fly directly to Dublin Airport , Ireland’s busiest airport, with 32.9 million travelers passing through in 2019.

The Dublin Express #782 (at 8 EUR per person) and Aircoach #700 (at 7 EUR per person) go to the city centre (and back), which takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Dublin’s public transportation system is very good, and double-decker buses go pretty much anywhere in the city. Fares range from 1.30 EUR to 2.60 EUR for a single trip, depending on how far you’d like to go. Please note that no change is given back if you pay with the bus driver. Also, it’s important to wave when the bus approaches, so the driver knows you want to enter. Otherwise, the bus may just drive by you!

Dublin also has a light rail system (trams) called LUAS, with two lines, that go to Central Dublin and some residential areas (mostly in the south and southwest of the city). Single trip fares range from 1.70 EUR to 2.60 EUR.

For travel to the suburbs, use the DART trains and Commuter Trains to satellite towns in the Greater Dublin Area, which are operated by Irish Rail . DART goes along the coast side close to Dublin (e.g. Malahide, Howth and Greystones), and fares start at 2.50 EUR.

dublin travel guide book

If you’re in Dublin for at least 24 hours, it’s best to buy a Visitor Leap Card , as it’s 31% cheaper than buying individual tickets. You can buy it online, at Dublin Airport, or Dublin Central ( 59 O’Connell Street Upper, Uachtarach, Dublin 1, D01 RX04 ). It offers unlimited travel on buses, LUAS trams, and DART and Commuter Trains (within the Short Hop Zone, i.e. all of Dublin City and county).

If you’re just staying in and around Dublin, renting a car is not necessary. Traffic is often very busy, and parking spots can be hard to find and expensive. Moreover, driving on the left side of the road can be a challenge for tourists used to driving on the opposite side.

Uber and taxis are of course available, but can be expensive.

You can also join a bike tour or walking tour of Dublin, to get lots insider information from a local guide. Or renting a bike or just walking around are great ways to explore the city as well, especially because many attractions are within the City Centre.

Be sure to look into the right directions before crossing a street (there are some helpful writings on some roads, which are a nice reminder as a traveler who’s not used to left lane traffic).

My Opinion on Dublin

Wow, we loved our stay in Dublin! It gave us a great first impression of what Ireland is like, and the diverse restaurant scene is amazing! The many red brick buildings are very cool as well. Although it rains a lot in Dublin (271 rain days on average per year), there are lots of indoor things to do, whether it’s shopping at a mall, touring one of the many museums, or hanging and drinking at a pub, lol! The best you can do is bringing rain gear on your Dublin visit, so you’re always prepared for weather changes.

dublin travel guide book

We also meet some friendly Dubliners, who make us feel very welcome in their city, like our guides mentioned before, hotel receptionists, bus drivers, or taxi drivers. They all have cool stories to tell, and their sense of humour makes us laugh a lot!

One of the cab drivers truthfully says that the Guinness at the Guinness Storehouse is the most expensive in Ireland, lol! Another one raves about tasty Indian food in Dubai, then tells us that while Dublin is beautiful, visitors should also spend some time in the rest of Ireland!

My favourite things to see and do in Dublin are the Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum and the EPIC Museum, hanging at the parks, and shopping at George’s St Arcade.

But you can’t see everything Dublin has to offer in just a few days, so I hope to visit some of its literary attractions someday ( Chester Beatty Library , Oscar Wilde Statue, a Literary Pub Crawl , etc.). So until then, I’m gonna read some books by Irish authors!

I’d also love to see the Old Jameson Distillery , the National Leprechaun Museum (closed as of June 2023, but plans to reopen in August 2023), a few art galleries, and some “underrated” attractions next time, so if you have any tips, let me know in the comments! SlĂĄinte! 😀

If your kids are joining you on your Dublin trip, don’t miss Christine’s post:

10 Things To Do in Dublin With Kids

For other cool places in Ireland, check out my blog posts below:

How To Spend A Day in Athlone, Ireland

Killarney, Ireland Travel Guide

What Is Bunratty, Ireland Famous For? (Guest Post for First Step: Europe)

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks !

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Visiting Dublin: a travel guide for first time visitors

Dublin St Patrick cathedral

Travel guide for visiting Dublin, Ireland. expert travel tips to make the most of your time in Dublin Fair City

Dublin, the beautiful capital of Ireland, is a lovely destination: whether you come to Dublin for a city break, a work meeting or use the city as a jump-off point for visiting Ireland , Dublin has something to offer.

Looking for history? Dublin has museums and a castle for you! In need for a fun night out? Dublin has lovely pubs, music venues and great restaurants 9did you know? Yes, really, it does!). Looking for family activities: Dublin has those too!

I have been calling Dublin home for the last 15 years and, over this time, I have faced all the questions of the visitors and found all the answers as a local!

This is my travel guide to Dublin for first-time visitors.

This post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

How many days in Dublin?

Dublin is a dynamic European capital with many museums and things to do, however, most of its must-see attractions can be seen and enjoyed in about 3 days

This is not to say that 3 days will be enough to see everything or that you will get bored if you stay any longer.

Rather, it is the amount of time that I believe is ideal for a visitor to get a sense of the city, see some of its main sights and feel they have actually seen the place.

With three days in Dublin, you can have a nice stroll in the city center, enjoy Dublin’s pubs and restaurants, relax in a park, see some museums and even the Guinness storehouse, one of Dublin’s biggest attractions.

Where to stay in Dublin?

Dublin is a surprisingly large city with a compact city center and large residential areas sprawling towards the surrounding counties.

The best area to stay in Dublin for sightseeing is the city center and in particular, the areas around Trinity College, Merrion Square and Christchurch.

These areas are all on the Southside of the river and put you in close proximity to most of Dublin’s main sites and attractions. These are also areas that will allow you to discover most if not all of the city on foot.

The Trinity and Merrion Square areas are a little more expensive while around Christchurch you have more mixed prices.

Another good address I always recommend is the Hilton Garen Inn on the river. Unlike the other areas above, this is a stretch of Dublin on the Northside of the river and while it is not the most atmospheric, it will well connected to the city center and pleasant (it is also where the Epic Ireland exhibition is). This is a good mid-budget option.

Hotels I recommend in Dublin city center are:

  • Merrion Hotel (5 stars) – stunning and right in the city center
  • Hilton Garden Inn Custom House (3 stars) – on the river, close to the center
  • Radisson Blue Royal hotel city center (4 stars) – very well located for sightseeing
  • Clayton hotel Chaerlemont (4 star hotel) – new hotel in an excellent central location

How to budget for a trip to Dublin

Dublin is an expensive city, surprisingly so. How much or how little you spend is always down to own decisions however, to give you an idea, consider that:

  • A good room in a mid-range hotel costs easily between 100 and 200 Euro, closer to the 200 Euro mark
  • A cup of coffee is about 3.60 Euro
  • A beer is about 5.50 euro depending on size/brand
  • A nice dinner for two in a mid-range establishment is around 60 euro
  • Single hop bus ticket is 1.15 to 3.80 euro (depending on your exact journey and if you are paying cash/with leap card) – you can find more info on how to get around Dublin here

The best things to see in Dublin: Dublin must-see attractions

Dublin has many beautiful interesting attractions, most of them in the city center.

Trinity College and the Book of Kells

Trinity College and the Book of Kells, the unique medieval manuscript in its old library, is one of the most if not the most famous attractions in the whole of Dublin.

The College is right in the city center and therefore really easy to reach from almost anywhere in the city: I usually recommend it as the first stop for any Dublin trip both for location, interest and visual impact.

Worth seeing here are both the college grounds, the Library and the Book itself. Crowds can be intense so I do recommend you book tickets in advance.

A good offer is this one , which combines fast track entry to see the book and entry to Dublin castles, down the road from Trinity College and the next attraction on this list.

How to get there: any bus serving College Green, Luas Green Line Colleg Green, walking distance from O’Connell Bridge and Grafton Street.

Dublin Castle

Dublin castle is right in the center of Dublin and while not the most impressive castle you will see in Ireland, it is so significant in Irish history it rightly appears as a must-see place in Dublin.

The inside is also very beautiful and it is still now used for official State functions.

Dublin Castle is a short walk from Trinity College and you can visit both the college and the castle on the same day with this combined ticket here.

If you prefer to visit it separately, you can buy tickets on the official site or get hold of the Dublin Pass, which gives discounted and easy access to many city attractions.

How to get there: bus, walking distance from Trinity College and Christchurch cathedral

dublin travel guide book

The Guinness Storehouse

Another heavyweight among Dublin attractions is the Guinness Storehouse, a place to famous and quintessentially Dublin to make a visit to the city without a stop here almost unthinkable.

The Storehouse is very touristy but also a lot of fun. The space itself is fun (it also has lovely spaces for drinks and events), the tour is fun and the view from the Gravity Bar at the end, where you can taste Guinness with a 360-degree view over the city is special.

Good to know: you don’t need to be a drinker to enjoy the tour. While you can taste a pint at the end, if you do not drink alcohol for any reason (whether you are an adult or a child) you will be offered a soda / juice instead. the tours is fun and informative anyway.

The Guinness Storehouse is very popular: I recommend you book skip the line tickets in advance here .

Jameson Distillery Visit

If you are more into whiskey than beer, then you may like to visit the Jameson Distillery in the area of Smithfield. This is a very fun visit that even I, a non-whiskey drinker really enjoyed.

The distillery itself is lovely and the tour fun (you also learn what makes Irish whiskey different from Scotch): definitely one I recommend! You can find cost and tickets here

St Patrick’s Cathedral

St Patrick’s Cathedral is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and a wonderful place to see when in Dublin. Dating back to the 13th Century, the cathedral is said to be on a well allegedly used by St Patrick’s himself and is beautiful to visit inside and out.

Admissions to the cathedral is ticketed and you can pay the small entry fee on arrival. Tours of the church are available: you can find official info and how to pre-book here

Good to know: beside St Patrick’s Cathedral lies the Marshs’ Library, which is an old library said to be inhabited by a ghost! Make sure you add a stop here when visiting St Patrick’s, it is just around the corner from the main entrance.

Temple Bar is maybe the most famous street in Dublin, a pedestrianized road full of pubs, bars and restaurants. Temple Bar is nice during the day and can be fun at night but you need to know what you are in for, should you decided to go.

During the day and early evenings, you have a buzzy, dynamic atmosphere with lots of places to eat and drink and you have a huge variety of styles and people. later ar night, it becomes party central and you mostly have hen and stag parties.

Good to know both if you want to join them or avoid them!

dublin travel guide book

Ha’Penny Bridge

Close to Temple Bar lies cute Ha’Penny Bridge, one of the most iconic bridges in Dublin. While not as impressive as the newer Calatrava ones farther down the river, the Ha’Penny Bridge is so quintessentially Dublin you simply have to see it and take a photo of its peculiar iron frame!

St Stephen’s Green Park

If you are in Dublin on a sunny day (and yes, you have many!), you may want to have a break in lovely St Stephen’s Green, the large city center park at the top of Grafton Street.

laid out with nice paths, a duck pond and kids playgrounds, this is a lovely place for a romantic stroll or just getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city and hang out with the locals.

EPIC Ireland

A newer and wonderful attraction in Dublin is the EPIC exhibition , the permanent exhibition about Irish Immigration. Hosted in a beautiful dedicated space along the Liffey, this is a place to learn about Irish emigration and find your Irish roots visiting the Irish Family History Centre located right at the exit of the museum

Fun things to do in Dublin

As well as Dublin attractions, there are many fun things to do in Dublin for all types of visitors.

Go to the pub

Dublin has a huge number of pubs and they are so varied in size, style and clientele you are sure to find one to your liking!

Some pubs offer a more traditional experience (no food, slightly older clientele, lots of chatter), some offer cooked dinners and even cater to families, some are more local, some have beer gardens and so on: whatever pub experience you are after, Dublin has one for you! Head to the streets behind Grafton street for the widest selection and just pick any you like

Go on a literary pub crawl

Dublin has a fantastic literary tradition and a wonderful way to learn about it while having a good time is to join a literary pub crawl. This will bring you to some cool establishments and will make you familiarize with Irish writers and writing thanks to the aid of skilled readers and actors. This is a great activity and something pretty special you can do in the city.

Take a hop on hop off bus tour

A hop on hop off bus tour is a touristy activity but a fun one in Dublin. While most attractions in the city center are walking distance from each other, other cool Dublin attractions such as the Guinness storehouse, the zoo and the botanical gardens are not. A hot on hof off tour is a great way to add something a little more off the beaten track to your visit.

You can see exact stops and book your ticket here

See Irish dancing

Another really fun thing to do in Dublin is to go and see Irish dancing, a show that is incredibly energetic, fun and addictive! You can see Irish dancing at the Arlington Hotel , the (wonderful) Johnny Fox’s pub on the Dublin mountains and on selected nights at O’Sullivan’s on 2 Westmoreland St, Temple Bar.

Useful Dublin Travel resources: how to get around Dublin

Dublin has a decent public transport network made of:

  • Tram (the Luas)
  • Light urban railway (the DART)

Bus tickets can be bough on the bus itself and must be paid with coins (no cards accepted): the fair depends on the number of stops you need to reach your destination and has a maximum fare of 3 euro.

If you are staying in the center, you are likely to only need the bus occasionally however, if you are planning on staying in Dublin longer or your hotel is not in the city center, it can be convenient to buy a prepaid visitors card that allows you good saving on individual tickets.

You can find all you need to know about getting around Dublin and how to use Dublin’s public transport here .

dublin travel guide book

Visiting Dublin with kids

Dublin is wonderful to visit with kids. Most main sightseeing attractions are easy to visit with children in tow and, if you need some entertainment that is just for them, Dublin delivers with both indoor and outdoor family activities!

To give you an idea, Dublin offers:

  • Imaginoslity Children Museum
  • Indoor play centers (Jumpzone for trampolining, Climbing walls, Pottery painting studios etc)
  • Many parks and playgrounds
  • Dublinia (the interactive museum of Dublin’s Viking history)
  • Dublin splash tour

You can find my full guide to visiting Dublin with kids here and the best indoor activities for kids in Dublin on our sister site learning escapes here.

What to pack for Dublin

Dublin is a relaxed city and you can be as dressy or as casual as you fancy and be pretty sure you will fit in! The variety of styles in the city is one of my favorite things about it.

However, you always have to deal with the weather and since what you get changes every few minutes, some attires are better than others! I recommend you pack for Dublin your Ireland travel essentials plus:

  • Good walking shoes
  • Short-sleeve tops for the summer / long sleeve tops for the winter
  • LIght sweater for summer /warm woolen sweater for winter
  • Light jacket for summer evenings / warm waterproof coat for winter
  • Scarf, gloves and hat for winter
  • A nicer dress/shirt and shoes for going out
  • Sunglasses for the summer
  • Power bank for phone and all your tech
  • Travel adapter for Ireland (we use a 3 pin sock, like the UK)

You can find Here >>> my full packing list for Ireland, month by month .

What to eat in Dublin

In the last few years, Dublin has grown to become a real foodie destination with excellent restaurants catering to most types of palate. The most traditional food you find here is spring lamb and salmon, but ethnic restaurants now abound too.

While not as popular as you may expect in a city on the sea, seafood can be great in Dublin too. I personally love it in Howth, the coastal area of North Dublin with the fishing port.

I hope you enjoyed this essential guide to visiting Dublin: safe travels!

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Mama Loves Ireland

CĂ©ad mĂ­le fĂĄilte! A thousand times welcome! I am a travel-loving Italian Mama lucky enough to call Ireland her home. Let my articles help you plan your trip to Ireland and get ready to fall in love with the Emerald Isle, just like I did. With love. M x

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Dublin Travel Guide

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Set beside the shores of curving Dublin Bay, Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, is a thrusting, dynamic place, which despite its size remains utterly beguiling and an essential part of any visit to the country. Much of Dublin’s centre has been redeveloped over the last few decades, leaving a wag to comment that “the city’s only sights are building sites”. So, alongside the city’s historic buildings – its cathedrals and churches, Georgian squares and townhouses, castles, monuments and pubs – you’ll discover grand new hotels and shopping centres, stunning new street architecture and a state-of-the-art tramway system.

Brief history of Dublin

Accommodation in dublin, eating in dublin, dublin drinking and nightlife, dublin music, theatre, culture and entertainment in dublin, lgbt travel information for dublin, shopping in dublin.

  • Dublin's National Museum
  • Dublin's National Gallery

Merrion Square

St stephen’s green, o’connell street and around, parnell square and around, collins barracks.

  • West of Dublin's Center
  • Dublin's Northern Suburbs

South along the Coast from Dublin

Festivals and events, dublin castle and around, dublin and the messiah, the chester beatty library, christ church cathedral, st patrick’s cathedral, grafton street, kilmainham gaol, old jameson distillery and smithfield, phoenix park, trinity college, the old library and the book of kells.

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More than a third of the Republic of Ireland’s population of almost four and a half million lives within the Greater Dublin area. Intensely proud of their city, Dubliners seem to possess an innate sense of its heritage and powerful literary culture, and can at times exhibit a certain snobbishness towards those living in Ireland’s rural backwaters (people often termed “culchies”). Locals are noted for their often caustic, but engaging, brand of humour, as shown in the numerous and sometimes bawdy nicknames given to many of the city’s landmarks (the Millennium Spire, for instance, has all manner of sobriquets including “the eyeful tower” and “the stiffy by the Liffey”), but there is also a warmth in their welcome – it’s easy to find yourself drawn into conversation or debates in bars and cafĂ©s (or, if you smoke, outside them). Dubliners are also increasingly style-conscious; where once the city looked inwards for inspiration, today it glances both east and west, to Europe and America, catching new trends and bringing a decidedly Irish slant to bear upon them.

Most of Dublin’s attractions are contained within a relatively compact area, spreading either side of the many-bridged River Liffey, which divides the city between its Northside and Southside. These have very distinct characters, defined over the city’s historical development: stereotypically, the south is viewed in terms of its gentility while the north is seen as brash and working class, home of the true Dub accent. Pre-eminent among the city’s historic sights is Trinity College, whose main draw for visitors is the glorious Book of Kells. From here, the city’s main commercial street, Grafton Street, marches off towards St Stephen’s Green, home to the rococo splendours of Newman House. Among the stylish Georgian streets to the east of Grafton Street, meanwhile, you’ll find the compelling displays of the National Gallery and the National Museum. On the west side of Trinity begins Temple Bar, which somehow manages to remain the city’s hub for both carousing and art, overlooked sternly by Dublin Castle, British headquarters in Ireland until 1921 and now home to the glorious collections of the Chester Beatty Library. Dublin’s two historic cathedrals, Christ Church and St Patrick’s, stand to the west of here.

North of the river runs the wide boulevard of O’Connell Street, where the GPO, resonant site of the 1916 Easter Rising, is now complemented by the soaring modern beauty of the Spike. At the top of the street, Parnell Square is home to the Dublin Writers Museum and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art Gallery, while to the west lie the Old Jameson Distillery, in the historic Smithfield area, and Collins Barracks, home to the National Museum’s collection of decorative arts.

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West of the centre is the green expanse of Phoenix Park, while across the river to the south lie the grim memorial of Kilmainham Gaol and, to the east, the more obviously appealing Guinness Brewery and Storehouse. In the city’s suburbs, the attractions of the Northside have a definite edge over those to the south of the river: most compelling are the national cemetery at Glasnevin; the splendid stadium home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Croke Park, containing a fine museum; and the architectural wonders of the Casino at Marino. For a scenic breather from the city, take the southerly branch of the DART to panoramic Dalkey and Killiney Hills.

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Dublin’s origins date back to ninth-century Viking times when the Norsemen saw the strategic potential of Dublin Bay and established a trading post on the Liffey’s southern bank at the point where the ancient royal road from Tara to Wicklow forded the river. They adopted the location’s Irish name, Dubh Linn (“dark pool”), for their new home, soon amalgamating with an Irish settlement on the northern bank called Baile Atha Cliath (“place of the hurdle ford”), which remains the Irish name for the city.

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The twelfth century saw Dublin conquered by the Anglo-Normans when Dermot McMurrough, the deposed King of Leinster, sought help from Henry II to regain his crown. In return for Dermot’s fealty, Henry sent Strongbow and a contingent of Welsh knights to restore MacMurrough’s power. Strongbow conquered Dublin in the process and, concerned at this threat to his authority, Henry came over to Ireland to assert control, establishing Dublin as the focus for British sway over Ireland. This became the centre of the “English Pale” (from the Latin palum, meaning originally a “stake”, though later a “defined territory”), ruling over the areas of Anglo-Norman settlement in Ireland; since Irish resistance to conquest was so strong in other parts of the country, the pejorative phrase “beyond the pale” evolved as a means of signifying (at least in English terms) a lack of civilized behaviour.

Only a few buildings have survived from before the seventeenth century, mainly in the area encompassing Dublin Castle and the two cathedrals, and much of the city’s layout is essentially Georgian. During this period, Dublin’s Anglo-Irish nobility and its increasingly wealthy mercantile class used their money (often, in the aristocracy’s case derived from confiscated land granted as a reward for services to the Crown) to showcase their wealth in the form of grandiose houses, public buildings and wide new thoroughfares. Wealthy members of the elite revelled in their new-found opulence, filling their houses with works by the latest artists and craftsmen, and seeking to enhance their own cachet by patronizing the arts; Handel conducted the first performance of his Messiah in the city, for example. Increasing political freedom resulted in demands for self-government, inspired by the American and French revolutions. The legislative independence achieved during “Grattan’s Parliament” in 1782 was to be short-lived, however, and the failure of the 1798 Rebellion, led largely by members of the Protestant Anglo-Irish Ascendancy, inevitably led to the 1801 Act of Union and the removal of Dublin’s independent powers.

With Ireland now governed by a British vice-regent, Dublin sank into a period of economic decline, brought about by its inability to compete with Britain’s flourishing industries. The city remained the focus of agitation for self-rule, and by the end of the nineteenth century had also become the centre for efforts to form a sense of Irish national consciousness via the foundation of the Gaelic League in 1893. This sought to revive both the Irish language and traditional culture, and set the scene for the Celtic literary revival, led by W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, who established the Abbey Theatre in 1904. The political struggle for independence remained a live issue and events came to a head with the Easter Rising of 1916. The city’s streets saw violence again during the civil war, which followed the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921.

Austerity and much emigration followed Independence and it was not until the 1950s that Dublin began to emerge from its colonial past. The city’s infrastructure was ravaged by ill-conceived redevelopment in the 1960s which saw the demolition of many Georgian edifices, as well as the creation of poorly-planned “sink” estates to replace dilapidated tenements. A couple of decades later city planners began to address the issue of inner-city depopulation, constructing apartment blocks to house Dublin’s wealthy middle classes, and the numerous cranes on the city’s skyline demonstrate the continuing activity of the regeneration process, not least in the former docklands. The most obvious evidence of reinvigoration in the city centre is the Temple Bar area, though the original intention to develop a Parisian-style quarter of ateliers and arts centres soon fell foul of the moneygrubbers, while east of the centre, reconstruction continues in the city’s docklands, though much has been stalled by the severity of Ireland’s ongoing economic crisis. Today, the arrival of migrants, particularly from Africa and Eastern Europe, together with the city’s longer-standing Chinese community, has seen Dublin gradually inch towards multiculturalism. The effects of these changes are most visible in the city’s restaurants, shops and street markets, broadening native Dublin tastes and introducing locals to all manner of culinary and fashion delights.

The growth in visitor numbers over the last decade or so has had a positive effect on the variety of accommodation available in Dublin, and there is plenty to choose from for all budgets, with the Northside and suburbs generally cheaper than the centre. Hotels in the city centre tend to be expensive, though many offer discounts midweek or outside the high season (especially via Web bookings), while B&Bs usually provide a very welcoming and comfortable alternative. If money is comparatively tight and you want to be near the action, hostels are the best option and almost all have private rooms. Booking in advance is always highly advisable, and essential around major festivals such as St Patrick’s Day, in July and August, and on weekends all year round, especially when major concerts or sporting events are taking place. There is one campsite on Dublin’s outskirts.

Many of the city’s top-range hotels are located around Temple Bar and St Stephen’s Green, though the Northside also has some chic options. Dublin has a staggering number of B&Bs and you’ll find economically priced options on the Northside’s Gardiner Street or in the pleasant Southside suburbs of Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Rathmines, which are all within easy reach of the centre.

Numerous hostels offer both dormitory accommodation (€12–25 per person, depending on the season) and private rooms, usually sleeping between two and four people (€30–60 per person). Most rooms are en suite and the standard of private rooms is often as good as at B&Bs. Several Dublin hostels belong to the IHH though a few are members of the IHO. Many hostels offer free breakfast and provide internet access.

It’s fair to say that no one comes to Dublin just for the cuisine, but the last twenty years has seen a remarkable growth in the variety of places to eat, from Lebanese to Nepalese. The consequent rise in both standards and expectations looks set to continue – especially in the area of modern Irish cooking – though prices can be off-putting. Many restaurants, however, offer lunchtime or early-bird (typically before 7pm) set menus of two or three courses, sometimes for as little as half the cost of their regular evening fare. Some cafĂ©s and restaurants, catering to a crowd who have spent their money carousing late into the previous night, also provide good-value weekend brunch. In addition, plenty of pubs dish up decent, reasonably priced, hearty food, with more ambitious menus available at gastropubs like The Exchequer and The Odeon.

Dublin has long had a thriving cafĂ© scene, strongly supported by the widespread temperance movement and the churches. Nowadays you’re almost as likely to find baklava as traditional brack, accompanied by a speciality tea or a frothy cappuccino. For a splurge with a difference, “Art Tea” at the Merrion Hotel is a lot of fun: delicious afternoon tea in the drawing rooms, with cakes that creatively reflect the surrounding paintings from the hotel’s excellent collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century, mostly Irish, art (€36, including the catalogue of the collection).

The majority of Dublin’s restaurants are on the south side of the river in the city centre, with a tight concentration in Temple Bar. It’s generally worth booking ahead if you can, especially in the evenings.

Good puzzle would be cross Dublin without passing a pub

- James Joyce, Ulysses

Not known for their understatement, Dubliners boast that their city possesses the finest pubs in the world. They’re probably right too, but with over seven hundred watering holes to choose from, forming the backbone of the capital’s social life, there’s no harm in checking out their assertion. Along the way, you’ll also be able to test out competing claims about the hometown drink, Guinness: that it tastes better here is not open to doubt, but locals argue about exactly which pub pours the best drop (is the travel-shy liquid better at Ryan’s, just across the river from the brewery, than downstream at Mulligan’s?). In general, the stout is best in the characterful and sociable historic pubs, many of which retain their cut-glass screens, ornate wood-carving and cosy snugs, often with a private hatch to the bar.

In recent years, a plethora of cosmopolitan, youth-oriented bars have come onto the scene, the best of which have forged a style and character of their own, be they cavernous microbrewery-pubs, studenty DJ bars or chic designer lounges. Plenty of these bars have late licences, as noted in the reviews below, which allow them to stay open until 2.30am or so, usually from Thursday to Saturday.

Dublin’s music scene is thriving but ever-changing, so it’s always wise to check listings in the Event Guide or The Ticket, or the fortnightly rock-and-style magazine Hot Press. Ticket prices are dependent on the venue’s size and the performers’ status, usually costing €8–30, although major gigs can be as much as €110. There are also a number of open-air events during the summer, including one-off gigs by major acts at places such as Croke Park and Marlay Park in Rathfarnham. Traditional music is flourishing in the city with a number of pubs offering sessions, usually commencing at around 9.30pm. Listings of these can be found at wwww.thesession.org/sessions.

Drama played a pivotal role in Ireland’s twentieth-century cultural revival and Dublin’s theatres continue to act as a crucible for innovation, alongside staging a range of Irish classics. Highlights include the Dublin Theatre Festival (late Sept to mid-Oct) and the Dublin Fringe Festival (mid-Sept). Ticket prices vary, and you should expect to pay €10–20 per ticket for fringe shows, €20–40 for mainstream. Advance bookings can be made at the venues or through Ticketmaster . If you’re budget-conscious, it’s worth enquiring about low-cost previews and occasional cut-price Monday- and Tuesday-night shows, while students (with ID) and OAPs can sometimes find good concessionary rates.

As attitudes to homosexuality in Dublin have become increasingly liberal over the last two decades, so the capital’s gay community has grown in confidence, and a small but vibrant scene has established a niche in the city’s social life. The latest information on gay events and venues in Dublin is provided by Outhouse , 105 Capel St,a gay and lesbian resource centre with a cafĂ© and a small library, or from Gay Switchboard. The free magazine GCN (Gay Community News) has detailed listings of upcoming events and can be found in the gay-friendly Books Upstairs, 17 D'Olier St, or in clubs and bars. Useful websites include www.queerid.com for events and news and www.gaire.com for information, message boards and online chat.

The Southside is the most fruitful hunting ground for shoppers, offering Irish and global designer clothes around Grafton Street, and more alternative boutiques in the Market Arcade and Temple Bar. Also south of the river, you’ll find an attractive and eclectic range of artisan products gathered from around the country, from cheeses and whiskey to ceramics. Despite a recent revamp, Dublin’s most extensive shopping boulevard, O’Connell Street, is likely to hold little of interest for the visiting consumer, though the raucous Moore Street market, off Henry Street, is always entertaining. The majority of shops in Dublin are open Monday to Saturday only.

Dublin's National Museum

The National Museum on Kildare Street is the finest of a portfolio of jointly run museums – including Collins Barracks, which focuses on the decorative arts, and the National Museum of Country Life in Castlebar – and a must-see for visitors to Dublin. Undoubted stars of the show here are a stunning hoard of prehistoric gold and a thousand years’ worth of ornate ecclesiastical treasures, but the whole collection builds up a fascinating and accessible story of Irish archeology and history. The shop in the beautiful entrance rotunda sells a range of high-quality crafts inspired by works in the museum, and there’s a small cafĂ©.

Prehistoric gold, much of it discovered during peat-cutting, takes pride of place on the ground floor of the main hall. From the Earlier Bronze Age (c. 2500–1500 BC) come lunulae, thin sheets of gold formed into crescent-moon collars. After around 1200 BC, when new sources of the metal were apparently found, goldsmiths could be more extravagant, fashioning chunky torcs, such as the spectacular Gleninsheen Collar and the Tumna Hoard of nine large gold balls, which are perforated, suggesting that when joined together they formed a huge necklace. Further prehistoric material is arrayed around the walls of the main hall, including the fifteen-metre-long Lurgan Logboat, dating from around 2500 BC, which was unearthed in a Galway bog in 1902.

The adjacent Treasury holds most of the museum’s better-known ecclesiastical exhibits, notably the ornate, eighth-century Ardagh Chalice, the Tara Brooch, decorated with beautiful knot designs, and the Cross of Cong, created to enshrine a fragment of the True Cross given to the King of Connacht by the Pope in 1123. Also on the ground floor is Kingship and Sacrifice, showcasing the leathery bodies of four Iron Age noblemen that were preserved and discovered in various bogs around Ireland.

Upstairs, Viking-age Ireland (c.800–1150) features models of a house and the layout of Dublin’s Fishamble Street, while Medieval Ireland (1150–1550) moves on to cover the first English colonists, their withdrawal to the fortified area around Dublin known as “the Pale” after 1300, and the hybrid culture that developed all the while – you can listen to recordings of poetry written in Ireland in Middle Irish, Middle English and Norman French. Unmissable here is a host of strange, ornate portable shrines, made to hold holy relics or texts, including examples for all three of Ireland’s patron saints: the Shrine of St Patrick’s Tooth, the Shrine of St Brigid’s Shoe and the Shrine of the Cathach, containing a manuscript written by St Colmcille (St Columba), legendary bard, scholar, ruler and evangelizer of Scotland.

Dublin's National Gallery

The National Gallery hosts a fine collection of Western European art dating from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, which will happily engage you for several hours. The gallery’s old building, divided into Beit, Milltown and Dargan wings and entered from Merrion Square West, has now been joined by the Millennium Wing, giving access from Clare Street, which hosts major temporary exhibitions around its striking, sky-lit atrium. The resulting layout of the gallery, however, can be confusing, especially after a recent rehang, so the first thing to do when you go in is pick up a free floor-plan leaflet. In a prime location under the Millennium Wing’s glass roof, there’s a good self-service cafĂ©, with a restaurant upstairs serving lunch and afternoon tea. The gallery also offers classical and contemporary concerts, lectures and workshops, which are detailed in the quarterly Gallery News (available in the foyer).

Level 1 is chiefly given over to Irish art from the seventeenth century onwards, including a large gallery in the Millennium Wing devoted to the twentieth century. The real stand-out in the Irish collection, however, is the Yeats Museum (Level 1, Beit Wing), which traces the development of Jack B. Yeats (1871–1957), younger brother of the writer W.B. Yeats, from an unsentimental illustrator of everyday scenes to an expressive painter in abstract, unmixed colours. It’s also worth looking in on the National Portrait Gallery (Level 1, Dargan Wing), a chronological survey of Irish worthies that includes a rather sci-fi head of Bono from 2003 by Louis le Brocquy. In the mezzanine Print Gallery (Beit Wing), as well as temporary exhibitions throughout the year, watercolours by Turner are exhibited every January, when the light is low enough for these delicate works.

Highlights of Level 2 include Kitchen Maid with the Supper at Emmaus, the earliest known picture by Velázquez (c.1617–18); Vermeer’s Woman Writing a Letter, with her Maid, one of only 35 accepted works by the artist, with his characteristic use of white light from the window accentuating the woman’s heated emotions (both Milltown Wing); Caravaggio’s dynamic The Taking of Christ, in which the artist portrayed himself as a passive spectator on the right of the picture, holding a lamp (Beit Wing); and the “Grand Tour in Rome” room in the Dargan Wing: among some diverting views of Rome and various Irish gentlemen who had themselves immortalized in the Eternal City, don’t miss Reynolds’ fascinating Parody of Raphael’s “School of Athens”, which purveys some familiar Irish stereotypes to ridicule the Grand Tourists.

Begun in 1762, Merrion Square represents Georgian town planning at its grandest. Its long, graceful terraces of red-brown brick sport elaborate doors, knockers and fanlights, as well as wrought-iron balconies (added in the early nineteenth century) and tall windows on the first floor, where the main reception rooms would have been; the north side of the square was built first and displays the widest variety of design.

The broad, manicured lawns of the square’s gardens themselves are a joy, quieter than St Stephen’s Green, and especially agreeable for picnics on fine days. Revolutionary politician Michael Collins is commemorated with a bronze bust on the gardens’ south side, near a slightly hapless stone bust of Henry Grattan, while writer, artist and mystic George Russell (“AE”) stands gravely near the southwest corner and his former home at no. 74. But the square’s most remarkable and controversial statue is at the northwest corner, where Oscar Wilde reclines on a rock facing his childhood home at no. 1 (now the American College Dublin), in a wry, languid pose that has earned the figure the nickname “the fag on the crag”. In front of him, a male torso and his wife Constance, pregnant with their second child, stand on plinths inscribed with Wildean witticisms: “This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last,” “I drink to keep body and soul apart.” Nearby on the railings around the square’s gardens, dozens of artists hang their paintings for sale every Sunday (and some Sats, depending on the weather).

The Merrion Square South terrace has the greatest concentration of famous former residents, giving a vivid sense of the history of the place: politician Daniel O’Connell bought no. 58 in 1809; the Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist, Erwin Schrödinger, occupied no. 65; Gothic novelist Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu died at no. 70, which is now the Arts Council; and W.B. Yeats lived at no. 82 from 1922 to 1928. At no. 39 stood the British Embassy, burnt down by a crowd protesting against the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry in 1972.

St Stephen’s Green is central Dublin’s largest and most varied park, whose statuary provides a poignant history lesson in stone, wood and bronze. The main sightseeing draws in the area date from the Georgian period: the splendid stuccowork of Newman House and the elegant streets and squares to the east of the Green. St Stephen’s Green preserves its distinctive Victorian character with a small lake, bandstand, arboretum and well-tended flower displays. It was originally open common land, a notoriously dirty and dangerous spot and the site of public hangings until the eighteenth century. In 1880, however, it was turned into a public park with funding from the brewer Lord Ardilaun (Arthur Guinness), who now boasts the grandest of the Green’s many statues, seated at his leisure on the far western side. Over at the northeast corner, a row of huge granite monoliths – nicknamed “Tonehenge” – has been erected in honour of eighteenth-century nationalist Wolfe Tone, behind which stands a moving commemoration of the Great Famine. Meanwhile, on the west side of the central flower display, a tiny plaque inlaid in a wooden park bench commemorates the so-called “fallen women” – mostly unmarried mothers or abused girls – who were forced to live and work in severe conditions in Ireland’s Magdalen laundries; the last of them, in Dublin, wasn’t closed down until 1996. From the Green’s northwest corner, by the top of Grafton Street, you can hire a horse and carriage, either as a grandiose taxi or for a tour of the sights, which will typically set you back €40–50 for thirty minutes.

Termed in the eighteenth century “Beau Walk”, St Stephen’s Green North is still the most fashionable side of the square. The Shelbourne Hotel here claims to have been “the best address in Dublin” since its establishment in 1824 (see The Inner Southside). Beyond the hotel at the start of Merrion Row, the tiny, tree-shaded Huguenot Cemetery was opened in 1693 for Protestant refugees fleeing religious persecution in France. A large plaque inside the gates gives a roll call of Huguenot Dubliners, among whom the most famous have been writers Dion Boucicault and Sheridan Le Fanu.

George Bernard Shaw

Born in Dublin in 1856, George Bernard Shaw grew up among a Protestant family fallen on hard times. His father was an unsuccessful grain merchant and alcoholic – prompting Shaw to become a lifelong abstainer – and there was no money to pay for his education. At 15 he started work as a junior clerk for a land agency, but five years later went to London to join his mother who had moved there to further the musical career of one of his sisters. Reliant on what little income his mother earned as a music teacher, Shaw set about educating himself by spending his afternoons in the reading room of the British Museum. He hoped to become a novelist, but, following the rejection of no fewer than five novels, turned his hand to journalism instead, contributing music and drama criticism to London newspapers.

Shaw was a devout socialist, joining the Fabian Society in 1884, writing pamphlets and gaining a reputation as a natural orator. He espoused numerous causes, including electoral reform, vegetarianism and the abolition of private property. His theatrical career began in the 1890s when, influenced by Ibsen, he began to compose plays focusing on social and moral matters, rather than the romantic and personal subjects which then dominated British theatre.

In 1898 he married the heiress Charlotte Payne-Townshend and the same year saw the production of his first successful play, Candida. A stream of equally lauded comedy-dramas followed – including The Devil’s Disciple, Arms and the Man, Major Barbara and Pygmalion – though he later turned to more serious drama, such as Heartbreak House and Saint Joan. Simultaneously, he maintained an active career as a critic, journalist and essayist, his often bitterly ironic wit (“England and America are two countries separated by a common language”) becoming legendary. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, but initially rejected the honour before relenting and giving his prize money to a newly established Anglo–Swedish Literary Foundation.

Shaw’s attitude to Ireland was ever ambivalent – he once commented “I am a typical Irishman; my family came from Yorkshire” – and, though he remained interested in Irish affairs and became a personal friend of Michael Collins, his brand of democratic socialism would have been antipathetic to the austere Catholic and anti-British state that emerged post-independence. Shaw died in 1950 at Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire.

Newman House

Newman House at 85–86 St Stephen’s Green South boasts probably the finest Georgian interiors in Dublin, noted especially for their decorative plasterwork. The place is named after John Henry Newman, the famous British convert from Anglicanism, who was invited to found the Catholic University of Ireland here in 1854 as an alternative to Anglican Trinity College and the recently established “godless” Queen’s Colleges in Belfast, Cork and Galway. James Joyce and Éamon de Valera were educated at what became University College Dublin (UCD), which now occupies a large campus in the southern suburbs.

Newman House began life as two houses. No. 85 is a Palladian mansion built by Richard Castle in 1738 and adorned with superb baroque stuccowork by the Swiss Lafranchini brothers, notably in the ground-floor Apollo Room, where the god himself appears majestically over the fireplace, attended by the nine muses on the surrounding walls. The much larger no. 86, with flowing rococo plasterwork by Robert West, the notable Dublin-born imitator of the Lafranchinis, was added in 1765. On the top floor of the latter are a lecture room, done out as in Joyce’s student days (1899–1902), and the bedroom of the English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. Having converted from Anglicanism, Hopkins became a Jesuit priest and then Professor of Classics here in 1884; after five wretched years in Dublin, he died of typhoid and was buried in an unmarked grave in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Book tours and activities at Dublin's historic cemetery .

Running due north from O’Connell Bridge, broader than it is long, to Parnell Square, O’Connell Street is the main artery of Dublin’s Northside. Lined with numerous impressive memorials, as well as the historic GPO and the remarkable four-hundred-foot-high stainless steel “Spike” sculpture, this bustling thoroughfare was originally laid out in the fashion of the grand Parisian boulevards. Poorly redeveloped since the damage caused by the 1916 Easter Rising, nowadays the street is very much a mishmash of modern shop frontages, though glancing at the upper storeys reveals some of its former glory. The streets around, however, represent a consumer’s paradise and, particularly on Liffey Street Lower and in the burgeoning Italian quarter centred on Bloom Lane (the result of a local developer’s fascination with all things Tuscan), you’ll find plenty of stylish bars and cafĂ©s. Notable cultural landmarks east of O’Connell Street include the Abbey Theatre, centre of the twentieth-century revival in Irish theatre, and, along The Quays, the opulent eighteenth-century Custom House.

The "Spike"

By the junction with O’Connell Street and Earl Street North, stands the Northside’s most remarkable landmark on the spot where Nelson’s Pillar stood until it was blown up by Republicans in 1966 – the frankly astonishing Dublin Spire or “Spike” as it’s colloquially known. Designed by Ian Ritchie, this 120m-high stainless-steel needle, surmounted by a beacon, is easily the tallest structure in the city centre. Just over a metre wide at its base, it tapers to a mere fifteen centimetres at its summit. In the early morning or at dusk its surface takes on an ethereal blue colour while at night it seems to loom ominously over the city. What the ghost of James Joyce, whose adjacent and somewhat rakish statue stands just down Earl Street North, would make of it all is open to question.

The General Post Office

Just to the left of the “Spike” stands one of O’Connell Street’s few remaining buildings of major historical importance, the General Post Office, whose significance lies in its role as the rebels’ headquarters during the Easter Rising of 1916. The building was constructed in 1818 but only its Ionic portico survived the fighting – and still bears the marks of gunfire. Following restoration, the GPO reopened in 1929 and inside its marble halls you’ll find Oliver Sheppard’s intricately wrought bronze statue The Death of CĂșchulainn, representing a key moment in the Irish legend TĂĄin BĂł CĂșailnge.

Parnell Square might lack the allure of its Southside Georgian equivalents, but it still has a certain grace. The Square’s north side hosts one of Dublin’s premier galleries, the Hugh Lane, as well as the Dublin Writers Museum, an excellent place to learn about the city’s literary history, while nearby is a centre devoted to the works of the acclaimed writer James Joyce.

Dublin City Gallery – The Hugh Lane

The elegant, Georgian, stone-clad Charlemont House, with its curved outer and inner walls and Neoclassical interior, has provided a permanent home for the Hugh Lane gallery since 1933. Sir Hugh, a nephew of Lady Gregory, wanted Dublin to house a major gallery of Irish and international art. He amassed a considerable collection by persuading native artists to contribute their work and purchasing many other paintings himself, particularly from the French Impressionist school and Italy.

The gallery holds around half of the Lane collection (the rest is in London’s National Gallery) and only a fraction is on display here at any one time, though you’re likely to see works by Renoir, Monet and Degas, as well as Pissarro and the Irish painters Jack B. Yeats, Roderic O’Connor and Louis le Brocquy, as well as stained-glass pieces by Evie Hone and Harry Clarke. Simultaneously, there are usually other temporary exhibitions of more modern artworks.

Part of the gallery is devoted to a recreation of Dublin-born painter Francis Bacon’s studio, transported from its original location at Reece Mews in South Kensington, London, where the artist lived and worked for the last thirty years of his life. After his death in 1992, his studio was donated to the gallery by his heir, John Edwards, and reconstructed here with astonishing precision – more than seven thousand individual items were catalogued and placed here with verisimilitude in the reconstruction. The studio can only be viewed through the window glass but amongst the apparent debris are an old Bush record-player, empty champagne boxes and huge tins of the type of matt vinyl favoured by Bacon, the fumes of which exacerbated his asthma. The surrounding rooms hold displays of memorabilia, such as photographs and correspondence, as well as a detailed database of every item found in the studio (accessible via touchscreen consoles) and large canvases from the painter’s last years.

Dublin Writers Museum

The Dublin Writers Museum aims to illuminate Ireland’s literary history, featuring not just giants such as Wilde, Shaw, Joyce and Beckett, but also lesser-known figures like Sheridan Le Fanu and Oliver St John Gogarty. The ground floor contains a plethora of displays on particular writers or literary schools, and it is well worth picking up the free and entertaining guide-tape to receive background information on the authors.

The hall downstairs, hung with modern paintings of writers, leads to an outdoor Zen garden where you can contemplate works you’ve purchased in the museum’s bookshop or, alternatively, head for the cafĂ© at the rear. On the first floor is the Gallery of Writers, an elegant salon with plasterwork by Michael Stapleton, which features James Joyce’s piano and more paintings, of which the most impressive is John B. Yeats’s portrait of George Moore. Beside this is the Gorham Library, which features numerous rare editions. The museum’s basement houses one of the Northside’s best restaurants, Chapter One.

The James Joyce Centre

The James Joyce Centre occupies a grand eighteenth-century townhouse, restored in the 1980s. The centre aims to illuminate the work of perhaps Ireland’s most imaginative yet most complex writer, who spent part of his life living in the inner Northside, and drew upon his experiences in the creation of his characters and the settings for his works. The building features decorative stucco mouldings by Michael Stapleton. The ground floor houses a small shop full of Joyceiana, such as books and prints, and an airy courtyard which includes the actual period door of 7 Eccles Street, the fictional home of Leopold and Molly Bloom, two of the main protagonists in Ulysses, as well as a somewhat enigmatic, modernist Joyce-inspired sculpture of a cow.

The building’s upper floors house a recreation of the tiny room occupied by Joyce in Trieste, featuring various books, pianola music-rolls and a splendid collection of hats, as well as photographs of people and places associated with Ulysses, and touchscreen consoles tracing the development of the novel’s plot and its variety of characters. Three short documentary films on the writer’s life can also be viewed.

West of Smithfield on Benburb Street is the National Museum’s Decorative Arts Collection, housed in the eighteenth-century Collins Barracks, which surrounds Europe’s largest regimental drilling square. The buildings set around this quadrangle contain a wonderful series of galleries devoted to the fine arts of Ireland and selections from abroad. Unquestionably, the best of these is Curator’s Choice, on the first floor of the west block, which is selected by museum curators from all over Ireland. Among its draws are a medieval oak carving of St Molaise; the extravagant cabinet presented by Oliver Cromwell to his daughter Bridget in 1652; and the remarkable fourteenth-century Chinese porcelain Fonthill Vase. The Out of Storage section is another highlight, bringing together everything from decorative glassware to a seventeenth-century suit of Samurai armour, while others focus on Celtic art, coinage, silverware, period furniture, costumes and scientific instruments, and there are usually plenty of temporary exhibits.

On the ground floor is a chain of thematically interconnected galleries, Soldiers and Chiefs, devoted to almost five hundred years of Irish military history. Apart from an array of helmets and weaponry, there’s the remarkable Stokes tapestry, created by one Stephen of that ilk, a British soldier who devoted his spare time to the depiction of contemporary garrison life and was honoured to have his work shown to Queen Victoria on a royal visit to Ireland in 1849. Other exhibits trace the Irish involvement in the US Civil War and World War I with later examples of tanks and a de Havilland Vampire fighter plane while, contrastingly, there’s the 200-year-old Bantry Boat, captured from the French frigate La RĂ©solue during the abortive invasion of 1796.

West of Dublin's Center

Unless you’re a keen walker, you’ll want to take a bus or LUAS tram to reach some of the city’s western attractions. Highlights on the north side of the river include the vast grounds of Phoenix Park, with the dazzling interiors of Farmleigh mansion lying just beyond. Across the Liffey, the area west of the old city is dominated by the mammoth Guinness Brewery, whose wares are celebrated by the Guinness Storehouse. Further west lies the suburb of Kilmainham, home to the impressive Irish Museum of Modern Art and the forbidding Kilmainham Gaol, where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed.

The Guinness Storehouse

South of the Liffey, much of James Street, west of the old city, is centred around the colossal complex of the Guinness Brewery. Founded by Arthur Guinness in 1759, the Guinness Brewery initially manufactured ale, but in the 1770s started making porter, a drink so named because of its popularity with the porters of London’s markets. Arthur’s new brew, whose distinctive black colouring derived from the addition of roasted barley to the brewing process, found such favour that by 1796 it was being exported to London, and three years later ale production ceased altogether. From that point, Guinness and his successors never looked back and, at its peak in the middle of the twentieth century, their brewery produced some 2,500,000 pints of their now eponymous product a day.

Book Guinness Storehouse tickets and tours .

The brewery is sadly not open to the public, but instead you can visit the seven-storey Guinness Storehouse, signposted from Crane Street, a high-tech temple to the black stuff. Its self-guided tour kicks off with the brewing process – a whirl of water (not from the Liffey, despite the myth) and a reek of barley, hops and malt – before progressing to the storage and transportation areas. A huge barrel dominates the section on the lost art of coopering, and nearby there’s an engine from the brewery’s old railway system. The remainder of the tour consists of an array of marketing memorabilia, supported by plenty of facts and figures about the Guinness empire, and there’s a gallery on John Gilroy, an esteemed painter who designed many of the company’s advertisements. Right at the top of the tower is the Gravity Bar, where you can savour your complimentary pint of perhaps the best Guinness in Dublin while absorbing the superb panorama of the city and the countryside beyond.

Dublin's Northern Suburbs

You’ll want fine weather for a trip north to the beautiful Botanic Gardens and the adjacent Glasnevin Cemetery, last resting-place for the major figures in Irish history since 1832, which is best appreciated on a guided tour. To the east lie Croke Park, a major sports arena and home to the innovative GAA Museum, the exquisite Georgian Casino at Marino and, at the end of the DART line, Howth, an attractive seaside village with a fine cliff walk.

The National Botanic Gardens

The National Botanic Gardens on the south bank of the River Tolka in Glasnevin are a great place to wander on a fine day, while their magnificent Victorian wrought-iron glasshouses offer diversion and shelter whatever the weather. Laid out between 1795 and 1825 with a grant from the Irish parliament, the gardens were, in 1844, the first in the world to germinate orchids from seed successfully, and in August of the following year, the first to notice the potato blight that brought on the Great Famine. Nowadays, a total of around twenty thousand species and cultivated varieties flourish here, including an internationally important collection of cycads, primitive fern-like trees. Highlights include the rose garden, collections of heather and rhododendrons, the Chinese shrubbery and the arboretum.

Glasnevin Cemetery

Founded as a burial place for Catholics by the nationalist political leader Daniel O’Connell in 1832, Glasnevin Cemetery is now the national cemetery, open to all denominations and groaning with Celtic crosses, harps and other patriotic emblems. It’s well worth timing your visit to coincide with one of the fascinating ninety-minute guided tours, which includes access to the newly renovated crypt of O’Connell.

O’Connell himself is commemorated near the entrance by a fifty-metre-high round tower, which managed to survive a Loyalist bomb in the 1970s. His corpse was interred in the tower’s crypt in 1869, having been brought home from Genoa where he died (in fact, not all of his body is here: his heart was buried in Rome).

To the left of the round tower, O’Connell’s political descendant, Charles Stewart Parnell, who asked to be buried in a mass grave among the people of Ireland, is commemorated by a huge granite boulder from his estate at Avondale, County Wicklow. Other notable figures among the 1.2 million dead at Glasnevin – most of them gathered around O’Connell’s tower – include Countess Markiewicz, Éamon de Valera, prime minister, president and architect of modern Ireland, and his old rival Michael Collins, the most charismatic leader of the successful independence struggle; from the arts, there’s Gerard Manley Hopkins (unmarked, in the Jesuit plot), W.B. Yeats’s muse Maud Gonne MacBride, writer, drinker and Republican Brendan Behan, and Alfred Chester Beatty. To the right of the tower is the Republican plot, with a memorial to hunger strikers, from Thomas Ashe who died in 1917 to Bobby Sands in 1981, while in front of the tower lie the recent graves of 18-year-old Kevin Barry and eight other Volunteers hanged by the British during the War of Independence; originally buried in Mountjoy Prison, their bodies were moved here with the full honours of a state funeral in October 2001. For refreshment after your visit, call in at nearby Kavanagh’s (aka The Gravediggers), a particularly atmospheric old pub.

Croke Park and the GAA Museum

Three kilometres northeast of O’Connell Street, Croke Park is the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), a magnificent, much redeveloped and now very modern stadium whose capacity of 82,000-plus puts it amongst the largest in Europe. Situated under the Cusack Stand is one of Dublin’s finest museums, the GAA Museum, whose creatively designed exhibits provide an enthralling account of not only the sports of hurling and Gaelic football, but also lesser known games such as camogie (the women’s version of hurling) and handball. Historical and political contexts are explored in a thoroughly engaging manner – since its foundation in 1884 the GAA has always been irrevocably linked with Irish Nationalism. Thus the museum does not shirk from recounting key, politically sensitive events such as the first Bloody Sunday, when British troops fired on the crowd attending a match in 1920, killing twelve people in the process. On a lighter note, upstairs you can have a go at whacking a hurling ball or test your balance and reactions via various simulations.

The Casino at Marino

Sited in the now unpromising suburb of Marino, the Casino is probably the finest piece of Neoclassical architecture in Ireland. It’s located on Cherrymount Crescent, just off the Malahide Road. The building was commissioned by James Caulfield, the first Earl of Charlemont, shortly after returning from eight years on the Grand Tour. Seeking to recreate an Italianate park with a casino (“little house” in Italian) as its focus, emphasizing the fine views of Dublin Bay that his estate then enjoyed, Charlemont turned to Sir William Chambers, the architect of Somerset House in London (Chambers also designed the earl’s new townhouse at around the same time, now the Hugh Lane Gallery). Started in 1757, construction of the Casino lasted nearly twenty years and cost £20,000 sterling (equivalent to about €5 million today), depleting the estate to such a degree that the second Earl was obliged to sell off his father’s precious library and collection of art and antiquities.

Dalkey and Killiney hills

A walk up adjoining Dalkey and Killiney hills, before descending to Killiney DART station, offers panoramic views of the city and its environs, and can all be done in an hour and a half from Dalkey DART station at a moderate pace. From Dalkey, head southeast on Sorrento Road, and then either take the easier route to the right up Knocknacree and Torca roads, or continue along cliffside Vico Road, from where steps and a path ascend steeply. On Torca Road, Shaw fans might want to track down privately owned Torca Cottage, where GBS lived for several years as a boy and where he occasionally returned to write in later years. On the way to Dalkey Hill’s summit, with its crenellated former telegraph station and fine views over Dublin Bay, you’ll pass Dalkey quarry, which provided the granite blocks for the massive piers of DĂșn Laoghaire harbour below.

From here, follow the partly wooded ridge up to Killiney Hill, where a stone obelisk, built to provide work during the severe winter of 1741, enjoys even more glorious views, north to Howth and south to Killiney Bay and the Wicklow Mountains. From the obelisk, you can quickly descend to the park gate on Killiney Hill Road and refreshment at the cosy Druid’s Chair pub directly opposite; from here it’s a fifteen-minute walk down Victoria Road and Vico Road through the leafy and exclusive borough of Killiney, to the DART station by the beach.

A ride on a DART train south along the coast, as well as giving access to Sandycove’s James Joyce Museum and the charming, historic neighbourhood of Dalkey, is a scenic attraction in itself, displaying the great sweep of Dublin Bay before dramatically skirting Dalkey and Killiney hills and arrowing off towards Bray and Greystones. Now a pretty seaside suburb set against the tree-clad slopes of Dalkey Hill, in medieval times Dalkey prospered as a fortified settlement and the main port of Dublin, until the dredging of the River Liffey in the sixteenth century took away its business. Nowadays, with the building of the railway, Dalkey’s characterful old houses and villas are much sought after by well-to-do commuters, as well as celebrities seeking privacy.

  • Temple Bar Trad Festival t01/677 2397, www.templebartrad.com . Five days and nights of traditional-music pub sessions, concerts, instrument workshops and more in the heart of the city.
  • Jameson Dublin International Film Festival t01/687 7974, www.dubliniff.com . Held at cinemas and other venues across the city centre for eleven days in mid-February. While screening the latest in new Irish cinema, the festival also has a decidedly international flavour and its hundred or so films include special themes and retrospectives.
  • Easter Rising Commemorations take place on Easter Sunday, featuring speeches and a march from the General Post Office to Glasnevin Cemetery.
  • St Patrick’s Festival t01/676 3205, www.stpatricksfestival.ie . Running for six days on and around St Patrick’s Day (March 17), this city-wide festival includes a parade, light shows, concerts, funfair, films, exhibitions and a cĂ©ilĂ­ mĂłr (thousands of locals and visitors fill the streets in a traditional danceathon).
  • Poetry Now Festival t01/231 2929, www.poetrynow.ie . A major four-day event, held over the last weekend in March at The Pavilion Theatre, DĂșn Laoghaire, the festival features readings by well-known Irish and international poets, master classes, exhibitions and children’s events.
  • Absolut Gay Theatre Festival t01/677 8511, www.absolutgaytheatre.ie . A fortnight of LGBT-focused drama, comedy, cabaret and musical theatre with international and Irish casts taking place at a variety of city-centre locations.
  • Dublin Writers Festival t01/222 7848, www.dublinwritersfestival.com . Major Irish and international writers and poets take part in six days of readings, discussions and other events around the city centre in early June.
  • Docklands Maritime Festival t01/818 3300, www.dublindocklands.ie . Tall ships open their decks to visitors over the first weekend in June at North Wall Quay, plus there’s a market, street theatre, trips along the Liffey and a variety of events for children.
  • Bloomsday t01/878 8547, www.jamesjoyce.ie . The James Joyce Centre organizes a week of events in mid-June, culminating in Bloomsday itself (June 16), the day on which Joyce’s Ulysses is set.
  • Dublin Pride www.dublinpride.ie . A week of celebration by the city’s gay, lesbian, bi-and transsexual communities, featuring all manner of events, culminating in a vibrant and entertaining street parade.
  • The Summer Sensation www.templebar.ie . Five days of film, music, street theatre and other events in Temple Bar early in the month.
  • DĂșn Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures t01/231 2929. Late July sees three days of (mostly free) events spread over various venues around the town, featuring major international acts and a host of lively outdoor activities.
  • Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival www.gaze.ie . A strong bill of Irish and international films screened over five days towards the end of the month at the Light House Cinema in Smithfield.
  • Dublin Horse Show t01/485 8010, www.dublinhorseshow.com . Five-day festival of equestrian events in early August at the RDS arena in Ballsbridge, featuring major international showjumpers participating in the Nations’ Cup.
  • Dublin Viking Festival t01/222 2242. The last weekend in August sees a recreated Viking village established off Wood Quay, featuring plenty of wandering inhabitants and the chance to watch reenacted combats.

September/October

  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling and Gaelic Football finals Two of Ireland’s major sporting events are staged at Croke Park in September: The hurling final on the first or second Sunday and the football final on the third or fourth.
  • Dublin Fringe Festival t1850374643, www.fringefest.com . Ireland’s biggest performing-arts festival takes place over more than two weeks from mid-September and features all manner of music, dance, street theatre, comedy and children’s events.
  • Dublin Theatre Festival t01/677 8899, www.dublintheatrefestival.com . A major celebration of theatre, held during the last few days of September and the first two weeks in October, this includes performances of new and classic drama at various city-centre venues.
  • Dublin City Marathon t01/623 2250, www.dublinmarathon.ie . Featuring 10,000 entrants, the race takes place on the last Monday in October and involves a roughly circular course starting from Fitzwilliam Street Upper, heads north across O’Connell Bridge, and takes in Phoenix Park and some southern suburbs before terminating at Merrion Square North.

The Easter Rising

The initial impact of some historical events often runs counter to their long-term effects and such was the case with the Easter Rising of 1916. Truth be told, this inherently idealistic rebellion was a bungled affair from start to finish, and it was only the repressive response of the British Army, whose political overlords were unsurprisingly sidetracked by the seemingly more pressing affairs taking place in the fields of Flanders, that gave the event its pivotal role in attaining Ireland’s independence.

The Rising was organized by the Irish Republican Brethren (IRB), a Republican grouping that had been founded in 1858, and was now led by educationalist and Gaelic cultural revivalist Patrick Pearse and Scots-born socialist and trades union activist James Connolly. Impelled by the continuing failure of democratic means to achieve the goal of independence, they concocted a plan to take over by force, aided by the much larger Irish Volunteers, a Nationalist corps founded in 1913, and using arms acquired from Germany. The armaments were however intercepted by the British, and though the Volunteers’ leader withdrew his support, the rising still went ahead.

On the morning of Easter Monday, the rebels took control of a number of key buildings in the city centre and further afield. They made the General Post Office on O’Connell Street their base, and it was from here that Pearse emerged to make his Proclamation of the Irish Republic. The British response was initially guarded, but a full-scale battle soon ensued, destroying much of the surrounding area and heavily damaging rebel-held buildings elsewhere in the city.

It took five days for the rebellion to be suppressed and its leaders captured. Dubliners decried the uprising at its outset, dismayed by the devastation ravaged upon their city by the fighting. Had the British simply imprisoned the IRB’s leaders, it’s extremely unlikely later political developments would have occurred as quickly as they did, but the draconian decision was made to execute all of them (with the exception of Éamon de Valera, who had US citizenship). In the process, the British created national martyrs, transforming the situation irrevocably and ultimately leading to a bitter war of independence.

Top image © massimofusaro/Shutterstock

Perhaps no other writer has so encapsulated the life, lore and mores of his native city as James Joyce so successfully achieved in his remarkable novels, most notably Ulysses (1922). So precise are the author’s descriptions of the locales visited by the book’s protagonists on the date of the book’s setting, June 16, that it is possible to follow literally in their footsteps. This annual pilgrimage undertaken by Joycean aficionados across the city has become known as Bloomsday. Though you can undertake to cover the Bloomsday route independently (a Ulysses map is available from the Dublin Tourism Centre), guided walks are organized by the James Joyce Centre. There are plenty of other associated events, including recreations by actors of some of the book’s central passages and concerts devoted to music referenced in the novel.

Strangely, for someone who documented his native city’s life with such pride, Joyce came to loathe Dublin, once describing the place in a letter as a “city of failure, of rancour and of unhappiness”, and concluding “I long to be out of it.” Though his early works, such as the short-story collection Dubliners and the semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, draw heavily upon his upbringing, Catholic education and Dublin experiences, by the time of the latter’s publication in 1916, Joyce had long abandoned Ireland. Not long after meeting a Connemara-born chambermaid, Nora Barnacle, having first dated her on June 16, 1904, the pair eloped to Europe. Other than two brief visits to Ireland, Joyce spent the rest of his life in exile living in cities across Europe – in Pola (now Pula) in Istria, Trieste, Zurich and, notably, Paris, where Ulysses was published in 1922 and he finally wed Nora in 1931. Joyce’s only subsequent published work was the convoluted Finnegans Wake (1939). When he died in 1941, Ulysses was still unavailable in Ireland (though it never officially fell foul of Ireland’s censorship laws, booksellers were loath to stock copies), and was not published in the country until the 1960s.

On a ridge above the Liffey, where previously the Vikings had established themselves, the Anglo-Norman invaders rebuilt Dublin in the thirteenth century around a doughty castle. You’re free to walk around the courtyards, an architectural mishmash that’s home to police and tax offices. The castle was the seat of British power in Ireland for seven hundred years, after its establishment by the Anglo-Normans in the early thirteenth century as the main element of their walled city, and successfully withstood all attempts to take it by force. It did, however, succumb to a major fire in 1684 and was rebuilt during the eighteenth century as a complex of residential and administrative buildings over two quadrangles, giving a sedate collegiate appearance. The outline of the medieval castle is traced by the Upper Yard; above its original main gate, the Cork Hill State Entrance, stands a statue of Justice, wearing no blindfold and turning her back on the city – a fitting symbol of British rule, locals reckon.

Built as the residence of the English viceroy and entered from the Upper Yard, the State Apartments are accessible on regular guided tours (dublincastle.ie). It’s advisable to ring ahead, however, as the apartments are sometimes closed for state occasions, when the tour will take in only the Chapel Royal and the Undercroft. Inside the apartments, the Grand Staircase leads up to the east wing of bedrooms and drawing rooms, refurbished to their eighteenth- and nineteenth-century style after a major fire in 1941. The brass chandelier in the Throne Room, with its shamrock, rose and thistle emblems, commemorates the 1801 Act of Union, while the Picture Gallery beyond is lined with viceroys, including – hiding ignominiously behind the door – the First Marquis of Cornwallis, who not only lost the American colonies, but also faced rebellions as viceroy, first of India, then of Ireland (1798). St Patrick’s Hall, formerly a ballroom that hosted investitures of the Knights of St Patrick, is now used for the inaugurations and funerals of Irish presidents. Its overblown, late eighteenth-century ceiling paintings show St Patrick converting the Irish, Henry II receiving the submission of the Irish chieftains, and George III’s coronation.

The tour also includes the Chapel Royal in the Lower Yard, an ornate Gothic Revival gem, and the excavations of the Undercroft, which have revealed the base of the gunpowder tower of the medieval castle and steps leading down to the moat, fed by the old River Poddle on its way down to the Liffey, as well as part of the original Viking ramparts.

Several other remnants of British hegemony are still dotted around the castle: the beautifully restored rotunda of City Hall; Christ Church Cathedral, with its huge crypt and photogenic covered bridge; and St Patrick’s Cathedral, sheltering an intriguing array of memorials. The main highlight for visitors in this area, however, is the Chester Beatty Library, a world-class collection of books and objets d’art from around the globe, in the castle gardens.

Opposite Christ Church cathedral on Fishamble Street once stood Neal’s Music Hall, where Handel conducted the combined choirs of Christ Church and St Patrick’s cathedrals in the first performance of his Messiah in 1742. As the takings were going to charity, ladies were requested not to wear hoops in their crinolines, to get more bums on seats. Jonathan Swift exclaimed, “Oh, a German, a genius, a prodigy.” In a private garden on the site, the composer’s reward is a statue of himself conducting in the nude, perched on a set of organ pipes. Every April 13, on the anniversary of the first performance, Our Lady’s Choral Society gives a singalong performance of excerpts from the Messiah here.

Overlooking the pretty castle garden from the renovated eighteenth-century Clock Tower Building, the Chester Beatty Library preserves a dazzling collection of books, manuscripts, prints and objets d’art from around the world. Superlatives come thick and fast here: as well as one of the finest Islamic collections in existence, containing some of the earliest manuscripts from the ninth and tenth centuries, the library holds important Biblical papyri, including the earliest surviving examples in any language of Mark’s and Luke’s Gospels, St Paul’s Letters and the Book of Revelations. Elegantly displayed in high-tech galleries, the artefacts are used to tell the story of religious and artistic traditions across the world with great ingenuity. It’s well worth timing your visit to coincide with lunch at the excellent Silk Road CafĂ©.

Though occupying the highest point of the old city, Christ Church Cathedral is now hemmed in by buildings and traffic and appears as an unexceptional Gothic Revival edifice. Inside, however, you’ll find some fascinating remnants from its long history as the seat of the (now Anglican) Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. From as early as the seventh century, there may have been a small Celtic church on these grounds, and in about 1030, the recently converted Viking king of Dublin, Sitric Silkenbeard, built a wooden cathedral here. This in turn was replaced by the Normans, who between 1186 and 1240 erected a magnificent stone structure to mark their accession to power. Of this, the crypt, the transept (which retains a few eroded Romanesque carvings), the west end of the choir and the remarkable leaning north wall can still be seen – as the church had been built over a bog, the roof collapsed in 1562, bringing down the south wall and pulling the north side of the nave half a metre out of the perpendicular. In the 1870s, distiller Henry Roe lavished the equivalent of €30 million on the heavy-handed restoration you can see today, and bankrupted himself.

Near the main entrance at the southwest corner you’ll come across the strange tomb of Strongbow, the Norman leader who captured Dublin in 1170 and was buried here six years later. The original, around which the landlords of Dublin had gathered to collect rents, was destroyed by the sixteenth-century roof collapse, and had to be replaced with a fourteenth-century effigy of one of the earls of Drogheda so that business could proceed as usual. The small half-figure alongside is probably a fragment of the original tomb, though legend maintains that it’s an effigy of Strongbow’s son, hacked in two by his own father for cowardice in battle.

The chapels off the choir show the Anglo-Normans celebrating their dual nationality. To the left stands the Chapel of St Edmund, the ninth-century king of East Anglia who was martyred by the Vikings, while on the right is the Chapel of St Laud, the sixth-century bishop of Coutances in Normandy. The floor tiles here are original – those in the rest of the cathedral are 1870s replicas – while on the wall you can see an iron box containing the embalmed heart of twelfth-century St Laurence O’Toole, Dublin’s only canonized archbishop.

If you descend the stairs by the south transept, you’ll reach the crypt, the least changed remnant of the twelfth-century cathedral; formerly a storehouse for the trade in alcohol and tobacco, it’s one of the largest crypts in Britain and Ireland, extending under the entire cathedral for 55m. Here you’ll find the Treasures of Christ Church exhibition, which includes an interesting twenty-minute audiovisual on the history of the cathedral, as well as a miscellany of manuscripts and church crockery, and a mummified cat and rat, which were frozen in hot pursuit in an organ pipe in the 1860s. Look out also for a ropey tabernacle and pair of candlesticks made for James II on his flight from England in 1689, when, for three months only, Latin Mass was again celebrated at Christ Church (the existing cathedral paraphernalia was hidden by quick-thinking Anglican officials under a bishop’s coffin). In extravagant contrast is a chunky silver-gilt plate, around a metre wide, presented by King William III in thanksgiving for his victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

The history of St Patrick’s Cathedral is remarkably similar to that of its fellow-Anglican rival Christ Church up the road. It was built between 1220 and 1270 in Gothic style, but its roof collapsed in 1544, leading to a decline that included its use as a stable by Cromwell’s army in 1649. Its Victorian restoration, however, by Sir Benjamin Guinness in the 1860s, was more sensitive than at Christ Church, and it has a more appealing, lived-in feel, thanks largely to its clutter of quirky funerary monuments. Dublin has two Church of Ireland cathedrals because, in the 1190s, Archbishop John Comyn left the clergy of Christ Church and built his own palace and church here outside the city walls, and therefore beyond the jurisdiction of the city provosts.

To the right of the entrance in the harmoniously proportioned nave are diverse memorials to Jonathan Swift, the cathedral’s dean for 32 years, including his and his long-term partner Stella’s graves, his pulpit and table, and a cast of his skull – both his and Stella’s bodies were dug up by Victorian phrenologists, studying the skulls of the famous. The Door of Reconciliation by the north transept recalls a quarrel between the earls of Kildare and Ormond in 1492. Ormond fled and sought sanctuary in the cathedral’s chapterhouse, but Kildare, eager to make peace, cut a hole in the door and stretched his arm through to shake Ormond’s hand – so giving us the phrase “chancing your arm”. Nearby in the north aisle of the choir, a simple black slab commemorates Duke Frederick Schomberg, who advised William of Orange to come to Ireland in 1686 but had the misfortune to be slain at the ensuing Battle of the Boyne. His family didn’t bother to erect a memorial for him, so it was left to Dean Swift to do the honours here in 1731; in Swift’s words, “The renown of his valour had greater power among strangers than had the ties of blood among his kith and kin.”

In the northwest corner of the nave you’ll find a slab carved with a Celtic cross that once marked the site of a well next to the cathedral, where St Patrick baptized converts in the fifth century. Back near the entrance, you can’t miss the extravagant Boyle monument, which Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, erected in 1632 in memory of his wife Katherine who had borne him fifteen children, including the famous chemist Robert Boyle (shown in the bottom-centre niche). Viceroy Wentworth, objecting to being forced to kneel before a Corkman, had the monument moved here from beside the altar, but Boyle exacted revenge in later years by engineering Wentworth’s execution.

Running south from popular meeting point College Green to St Stephen’s Green is the city’s main commercial drag, Grafton Street. This pedestrianized street gets off to an inauspicious start with “the tart with the cart”, a gaggingly kitsch bronze, complete with wheelbarrow of cockles and mussels, of Molly Malone, who was immortalized – though it’s unlikely that she ever existed – in the popular nineteenth-century song. For those who hate crowds, Grafton Street won’t get any better; for people-watchers, however, it’s a must, noted especially for its buskers, who range from string quartets to street poets. Shoppers will be drawn here, too, in particular to the city’s flagship department store, Brown Thomas. The street’s other major landmark, Bewley’s Oriental CafĂ©, was founded by the Quaker Bewley family as a teetotal bulwark against the demon drink, and owes its beautiful mosaic facade to the mania for all things Egyptian that followed the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.

West of the Guinness Brewery lies the rather more salubrious area of Kilmainham where you'll find Kilmainham Gaol. The jail has an iconic position in the history of Ireland’s struggle for independence and came to symbolize both Irish political martyrdom and British oppression. Opened in 1796, it became the place of incarceration for captured revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, who were also executed here. Even after the War of Independence, Republicans continued to be imprisoned here, though it closed in July 1924 after the release of its last inmate, Éamon de Valera – later to become Ireland’s Taoiseach and president. Tours of the jail provide a chilling impression of the prisoners’ living conditions and spartan regime. Its single cells ensured that they were forced into solitary contemplation, and since the building was constructed on top of limestone, their health was often sorely affected by damp and severe cold in winter. Before embarking on the tour, it’s well worth visiting the exhibition galleries. The ground floor display includes a mock-up of a cell and an early mug-shot camera, and there is a small side gallery showing paintings by Civil War internees and a huge self-portrait of Constance Gore-Booth (better known as the Countess Markiewicz) as the Good Shepherd. The upstairs gallery provides an enthralling account of the struggle for independence with numerous mementos, old cinematic footage of Michael Collins and the letter ordering the release of Charles Stewart Parnell.

North of the River Liffey are the buildings of the Old Jameson Distillery, where John Jameson set up his whiskey company. They have long been turned over to a somewhat touristy shrine to “the hard stuff”. Guided tours whirl visitors through the process itself, from milling and mashing to the essential distillation element; while the separation of water from alcohol only occurs once in bourbon and twice in Scotch, the production of uisce beatha (Irish for “water of life”, anglicized to “whiskey”) involves a three-stage process. The resulting liquid is diluted via the addition of water and then left in imported oak casks, formerly used for sherry, port or brandy, to mature for five to seven years, though some rare whiskeys are left 25 years before bottling. The tour ends with a tasting exercise in which testers are requested to sample four brands of whiskey, plus a bourbon and Scotch, before plumping for their favourite – if you want to take part, make sure to volunteer at the start of the tour, or you’ll only receive the complimentary tot of Jameson’s from the bar.

Adjacent to the distillery is an area christened Smithfield Village by developers. More an ongoing process of urban renewal than an identifiable community, its centrepiece is also the city’s largest civic open space, cobbled Smithfield itself. Surrounded by rising blocks of executive flats, shops and restaurants, Smithfield still manages to host one of the city’s major sights – the 300-year-old Dublin Horse Fair, which takes place from around 9am or so until noon on the first Sunday of each month and draws a fair number of traders and other horse-lovers from the city and outlying rural areas.

Europe’s largest urban walled park, Phoenix Park’s undulating landscape sprawls across some 1750 acres. Originally intended as a deer park for Charles II (a small herd still ranges across its fields), the park takes its name from Phoenix House, the original residence of the British viceroys, whose title derived from the Irish fionn uisce (“clear water”). Much of the park is open space, sparsely dotted with trees, shrubs and wild flowers, though there are also areas of woodland and hawthorn. Overall it’s an ideal place to escape the city’s bustle, a popular venue for sports, and offers plenty of spots for a picnic.

Sandwiched between the busy thoroughfare of Dame Street and the Liffey, Temple Bar is marketed, with a fair dose of artistic licence, as Dublin’s “Left Bank” (inconveniently, it’s on the right bank as you face downstream). Its transformation into the city’s main cultural and entertainment district came about after a 1960s plan for a new central bus terminal here was abandoned after much procrastination. Instead, the area’s narrow cobbled streets and old warehouses, by now occupied by short-lease studios, workshops and boutiques, began to be sensitively redeveloped as an artistic quarter in the 1980s. Nowadays, as well as more galleries and arts centres than you can shake a paintbrush at – even the helpful Temple Bar Information Centre on Essex Street East houses a small exhibition space for independent, “no-grants” artists – Temple Bar shelters a huge number of restaurants, pubs and clubs, engendering a notoriously raucous nightlife scene that attracts more outsiders than Dubliners.

An imposing and surprisingly extensive architectural set-piece right at the heart of the city, Trinity College was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I to prevent the Irish from being “infected with popery and other ill qualities” at French, Spanish and Italian universities. Catholics were duly admitted until 1637, when restrictions were imposed that lasted until the Catholic Relief Act of 1793; the Catholic Church, however, banned its flock from studying here until 1970 because of the college’s Anglican orientation. Famous alumni range from politicians Edward Carson and Douglas Hyde, through philosopher George Berkeley and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ernest Walton, to writers such as Swift, Wilde and Beckett. Today seventy percent of the students are Catholic, and Trinity, though it also calls itself Dublin University, is actually just one of three universities in the capital: its main rival, University College Dublin (UCD), part of the National University of Ireland, is based at Belfield in the southern suburbs; while Dublin City University is in Glasnevin.

The main gates give onto eighteenth-century Front Square, flanked, with appealing symmetry, by the Chapel and the Examination Hall, which is the elegant, stuccoed setting for occasional concerts. On the east side of adjoining Library Square is the college’s oldest surviving building, the Rubrics, a red-brick student dormitory dating from around 1701, though much altered in the nineteenth century. In New Square beyond, the School of Engineering occupies the old Museum Building (1852), designed in extravagant Venetian Gothic style by Benjamin Woodward under the influence of his friend, John Ruskin, and awash with decorative stone-carving of animals and floral patterns. Further on, in the northeastern corner of the college at the Pearse Street entrance, is the excellent, new Science Gallery. Both thoughtful and thought-provoking, it hosts high-tech and interactive temporary exhibitions on all aspects of science, as well as an Italian cafĂ© and interesting one-off events.

Other useful entrances to the college are at Lincoln Place (handy for the National Gallery) and Nassau Street. By the latter, in Fellows’ Square, on the south side of Library Square, the modern Arts Block is home to the Douglas Hyde Gallery, one of Ireland’s most important galleries of modern art, hosting top-notch temporary shows by Irish and international artists.

Trinity’s most compelling tourist attraction is the Book of Kells, kept in the eighteenth-century Old Library on Fellows’ Square. On the library’s ground floor, beautiful pages are displayed not just from the Book of Kells (around 800 AD), but from other works such as the Book of Armagh (early ninth century) and the Book of Mulling (late eighth century). The books themselves are preceded by a fascinating exhibition, Turning Darkness into Light, which sets Irish illuminated manuscripts in context – ranging from ogham (the earlier, Celtic writing system of lines carved on standing stones) to Ethiopian books of devotions.

Pre-eminent for the scale, variety and colour of its decoration, the Book of Kells probably originated at the monastery on Iona off the west coast of Scotland, which had been founded around 561 by the great Irish scholar, bard and ruler St Colmcille (St Columba in English). After a Viking raid in 806 the Columbines moved to the monastery of Kells in County Meath, which in its turn was raided four times between 920 and 1019. Although they looted the book’s cumdach or metal shrine cover, the pagan Norsemen did not value the book itself, however, and despite spending some time buried underground and losing thirty folios, it survived at Kells up to the seventeenth century when it was taken to Dublin for safekeeping during the Cromwellian Wars. The 340 calfskin folios of the Book of Kells contain the four New Testament gospels along with preliminary texts, all in Latin. It’s thought that three artists created the book’s lavish decoration, which shows Pictish, Germanic and Mediterranean, as well as Celtic influences. Not only are there full-page illustrations of Christ and the Virgin and Child, but an elaborate decorative scheme of animals and spiral, roundel and interlace patterns is employed throughout the text, on the initials at the beginning of each Gospel and on full-length “carpet pages”.

Upstairs is the library’s magnificent Long Room, built by Thomas Burgh between 1712 and 1732 and enlarged, with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, in 1860. As a copyright library, Trinity has had the right to claim a free copy of all British and Irish publications since 1801; of its current stock of four million titles, 200,000 of the oldest are stored in the Long Room’s oak bookcases. Besides interesting temporary exhibitions of books and prints from the library’s collection, the Long Room also displays a gnarled fifteenth-century harp, the oldest to survive from Ireland, and a rare original printing of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, made on Easter Sunday in Dublin’s Liberty Hall.

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Ireland Travel Books | The Best Guidebooks to Plan your Irish Adventure

Looking for the best guidebooks to plan your trip to Ireland? I went browsing the travel section at my favourite Dublin bookstore for well illustrated guidebooks full of practical tips. After some research, I found the best Ireland travel books out there for you (and me!).

In this list, I have included some of the obvious bestsellers that have inspired my Irish travels for the last 10 years. But my knowledge of Ireland has grown, and I sometimes feel the need of more specialised travel guidebooks in topics I’m more interested in. I have therefore included lesser known, niche travel books for those of you with more specific interest, such as Irish heritage or Irish whiskey.

From top sellers to pocket-size travel books, I hope you’ll find in this list something that will suit your needs and help shape your own unique trip to Ireland. Because there isn’t just one way to discover Ireland but your own way.

Ireland Travel Books

Disclaimer This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, I earn a little money at no extra cost to you.

A Pocket Guide to Irish Castles

The rough guide to ireland, rick steves snapshot dublin, from barley to blarney : a whiskey lover’s guide to ireland, exploring ireland’s wild atlantic way, ireland’s best trips | 34 amazing road trips, ireland’s ancient east | a guide to its historic treasures, lonely planet’s ireland, ireland’s best walks | a walking guide.

There was a time when thousands of castles dotted the Irish landscape. Some are still proudly standing while some lay now in ruins. But they all have fascinating stories to tell and nuggets of Irish history to share.

This is exactly what A Pocket Guide to Irish Castles does. County after county (Northern Ireland included), the book introduces its readers to more than 70 beautifully illustrated castles. This pocket guide provides the reader with enough information, so you can understand their historical significance without feeling overwhelmed by too many details.

A Pocket Guide to Irish Castles - One of the best Ireland Travel Guidebooks

For those with a love of castles or interest in Irish History, this little guide will take you to some of Ireland’s most interesting historical sights. Thanks to its compact size, you can take it on the road and look up information whenever you need. No Wi-Fi needed.

You might also be interested in: – 20 Real Money Saving Tips to Visit Dublin on a Budget – Where to Stay in Dublin | A Guide of the Best Neighbourhoods – How to Get Around Dublin by Public Transport – Irish Pub Etiquette | How to Avoid a Cultural Faux Pas

Probably one of the most complete travel books out there, this very detailed guide will suit independent travellers who want to wander on their own. With more than 600 pages of information, you’ll find anything you need to meticulously prepare your very own trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Rough Guide to Ireland starts with answering your most basic questions from how to get there to public holidays, from travelling by train to attending a festival. Then comes a wealth of information (I mean a LOT of info) on just about anywhere on the island of Ireland.

The Rough Guide to Ireland, one of the best guidebooks to Ireland

The book covers everything from accommodation, entertainment, shopping, eating to all the sights you shouldn’t miss along the way. From Dublin to Co. Kerry, from Cork to Belfast, the Rough Guide has crammed into a single book tons of tips and up-to-date information. This guide also comes with useful maps and inspiring photographs.

If you like planning your holidays in detail, the Rough Guide to Ireland won’t disappoint. But if you’re finding the amount of information overwhelming, do not worry. The Rough Guide has also prepared a list of its favourite highlights and a selection of handy itineraries to help you decide where to go and what to see.

Rick Steves is a famous American travel writer and TV personality that knows his stuff about Europe. If you’re planning a trip to Dublin , his compact travel guide is for you.

The book covers every sight you might stumble upon during your visit. From the more confidential GAA museum in Croke Park to the famous Book of Kells in Trinity College, you’ll find useful information about everything you might want to see in Dublin.

dublin travel guide book

Rick Steves’s guide also comes with heaps of recommendations about where to eat, sleep and find entertainment in the city, from live music to good old pubs. Historical snapshots and handy maps of different parts of Dublin are also included.

Rick Steves finally covers destinations for great day trips near Dublin. The author focuses on Dun Laoghaire and Howth, two popular coastal towns in Dublin Bay. He has also included in his guide the ancient sites of the Boyne Valley and the great fortress of Trim. The book concludes with some of the best sites in the Wicklow Mountains, not forgetting to mention the monastic settlement of Glendalough too.

This well illustrated book is the perfect introduction to Irish whiskey and to all the distilleries that dot the Irish countryside. If you like mixing whiskey and travel, this “whiskey lover’s guide to Ireland” is for you. It is my definite go-to on the subject.

From Barley to Blarney takes the travellers on the road, from one distillery to the next. The book features Ireland’s historic distilleries such as Midleton and Bushmills, but also the latest to open in the wake of the Irish whiskey revival .

From Barley to Blarney, Ireland's best travel guidebooks for Whiskey Lovers

Covering the island’s four provinces, the book offers historic, insightful snapshots of each distillery visited by its authors, alongside beautiful photographs on glossy paper. As if exploring dozens of distilleries was not enough to experience Irish whiskey, the book’s authors also paid a visit to some of the most iconic pubs in the country. If you were wondering where to have your mandatory glass of Irish whiskey during your trip, you’ll find great recommendations in this book.

As a bonus, the book concludes with a series of delicious cocktail recipes so you can enjoy Irish whiskey at home and impress friends and families with your mixing skills. SlĂĄinte!

Planning to travel the Wild Atlantic Way extensively? Then this book is for you. Exploring Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is the much detailed guide you need to visit the epic west coast of Ireland.

Taking visitors from south to north, the book’s authors have meticulously recorded everything you need to see along the famous 2500 km touring route. From Kinsale in Co. Cork to the shores of Lough Foyle in Co. Donegal, this book will tell you where to go for the most inspiring sea views and formidable beaches. And thanks to plenty of detailed maps, you shouldn’t get lost on the way!

Exploring Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way

Because the Wild Atlantic Way is not just about seeing but also about doing, this guidebook is a great inspiration for coastal walks and other outdoors activities. From surfing in Lahinch to pony trekking, from riding Ireland’s only cable car to puffin watching, this book tells you all about experiencing the Irish west coast to the fullest.

Furthermore, the book comes with spectacular and dramatic pictures that will send any readers packing for their next Irish adventure. Also, this guide will easily find its place in your suitcase thanks to its handy A5 format.

Going on a road trip across Ireland is one of the best ways to discover the country’s most remote and picturesque locations. Whether you are planning a two-day or two-week road trip, you’ll enjoy this travel guide by trusted publisher Lonely Planet.

Coming with a handy pull-out map in case your GPS lets you down, Ireland’s Best Trips lists 34 incredible road trips to discover Ireland on your own terms. From cross-country itineraries to back roads circling around lakes and peninsulas, this guide takes road hungry drivers to Ireland’s best locations.

Ireland's Best Trips | Ireland Travel Guidebook

Each trip comes with a road map and a list of highlights to explore along the way. Quick detours have also been included if you feel like exploring more. Feeling famished behind the wheel? Don’t worry, this guide book comes with recommended restaurants to keep your energy levels high. Places to stay along the way have also been included.

For road trippers who don’t feel like following the book’s suggested itineraries from start to finish, or simply want to see more of beautiful Ireland, Lonely Planet has cleverly interlinked all its road trips. You loved the Ring of Kerry? Head north where Dingle Peninsula’s blue waters await. Or drive south to county Cork’s stunning coastline. The choice is yours.

Following the success of the Wild Atlantic Way, the Irish tourism board came up with a new concept to promote the other side of the country. In 2016 it launched Ireland’s Ancient East, a marketing campaign of sorts to shed a light on heritage sites loosely located in the east of Ireland. The history nerd in me was immediately hooked.

With thousands of historical sites to choose from, the author of this Ireland’s Ancient East guidebook had the excruciating mission to only feature a few. From county Monaghan in the North to east county Cork in the South, a hundred historical sites made the list nonetheless. Enough to keep the visitor busy, that is certain.

dublin travel guide book

If you love a good old castle, a lush botanic garden, an eerie ruined abbey or a mysterious Megalithic tomb, this travel guidebook is for you. Inside, the author has included not-to-be-missed sites such as the Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle. He has also made the choice to feature his favourite hidden gems like Gaulstown Dolmen.

Each chosen site has an insightful description explaining its history and providing key facts to allow visitors to better understand the place they are visiting. Each of the 100 sites comes with its own photographs and a flash card with useful information such as opening times, entry fee, directions and even facilities on site.

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Lonely Planet’s travel guide to Ireland . Lonely Planet’s guide books have been a trusted resource of mine for a decade and thanks to consistent updates over the years, their guide to Ireland remains one of my go-to’s.

This book has over 700 pages of information from must-sees to itineraries, outdoor activities to local specialities. You’ll find detailed information on what to see, where to eat, sleep and shop about almost everywhere in Ireland, the northern counties included. The short, to the point but still evocative descriptions written in Lonely Planet’s unique style are a constant invitation to travel.

Lonely Planet Travel Guide to Ireland

To help you navigate the country, the book features handy local maps, including a pull-out map of Dublin at the back. Each and every place listed by the authors has also its own “Getting There and Away” section containing useful info if you are planning to make your way around Ireland by public transport. Together with The Rough Guide to Ireland , Lonely Planet guide to Ireland is one of the most exhaustive guidebooks on the market.

If dramatic scenery is what you are hoping to find in Ireland, then Helen Fairbairn, an accomplished hiker and author of Ireland’s Best Walks , will tell you exactly where to go to find it.

Helen Fairbairn has selected more than 60 routes from easy coastal paths to more arduous mountain walks to help you discover Ireland’s most panoramic and inspiring views. She will take outdoor enthusiasts to sea cliffs, horseshoes, deserted islands, the country’s highest summits and more.

Ireland's Best Walk - A Walking Guide

All featured routes have been carefully categorized according to their level of difficulty. Distance, ascent and time to accomplish each of them have been included so you can easily choose a walk depending on your level of fitness. The author gives each time detailed directions so you can follow along, book in hand. A small map provides a general view of each route with its start and finish points. Finally, the guidebook comes with dramatic photographs that would entice anyone to head to the outdoors.

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Things to Do in Dublin

Dublin is an ancient city with a young soul.  Its grey stone walls and towers follow the curves of the old River Liffey, as they always have. And yet, the Irish capital is one of Europe’s most youthful cities, with a large population of university students and young workers. It feels alive—it’s vibrant and energetic, and constantly looking for the latest food, cocktail, dance, or music craze. This is by far the island’s most cosmopolitan city, and its most diverse. Busy nightclubs and posh restaurants buzz alongside traditional pubs that have stood their ground for centuries. Chic boutiques fill medieval streets beneath historic castle walls. It’s yours to discover—and even if you think you know what to expect, you’re almost certain to be surprised by what you find.

Things to Do

From the National Museum and its ancient caches of polished gold, stroll along Georgian terraces around Merrion Square, past the homes of literary luminaries like Yeats, Wilde, and Beckett. Nearby is Dublin Castle , which houses the Chester Beatty Library . You'll find plenty of Dubliners welcoming sunny days on the flower-strewn St. Stephen's Green . Take a walk north over the River Liffey and up statue-lined O'Connell Street to the Dublin City Gallery for Francis Bacon's chaotic studio.

On weekends in Temple Bar, you can find markets filling its cobbled squares, where stalls are piled high with farmhouse cheeses. Splash out on your favorite Kevin Sharkey abstract painting or Georgian furniture along Francis Street 's arts and antique stores. Inside the Powerscourt Centre , local young designers sell reworked vintage clothes and delicate silver jewelry. Edge past the buskers on pedestrianized Grafton Street, where a top-hatted doorman welcomes you into the elegant, 160-year-old Brown Thomas department store.

Nightlife & Entertainment

From the storied Abbey Theatre to the Daniel Libeskind-designed Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin's theater scene is thriving. Settle down in a wood-paneled booth at a pub for a traditional music session with fiddles and pipes, or perch up at the bar where it won't take long for the locals to start a conversation. For sports lovers, you can't beat cheering on the "Dubs" at the mammoth Croke Park stadium at a high-octane hurling match.

Restaurants & Dining

Dublin's horizons are widening, from Goan fish curries to top sushi. Stylish seafood restaurants dot the neighborhoods near the Grand Canal. Locals favor fresh Dublin Bay oysters or a hearty lamb-and-Guinness pie at a pub in the city center. On the Liffey's north bank, tucked-away trattorias offer homemade pasta with crusty bread.

The Best of Dublin

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DUBLIN TRAVEL GUIDE BOOK 2023: Your Ultimate Updated Travel Companion in Unlocking the Beauty of DUBLIN IN 2024 And Beyond

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DUBLIN TRAVEL GUIDE BOOK 2023: Your Ultimate Updated Travel Companion in Unlocking the Beauty of DUBLIN IN 2024 And Beyond [Print Replica] Kindle Edition

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📱 Get ready to embark on an incredible adventure! Order your "Dublin Travel Guide Book 2023" now and start planning the trip of a lifetime. Your Dublin adventure awaits! 📱

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  • Publication date November 9, 2023
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CLKYSPQC
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 9, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2270 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
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  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • #400 in Dublin Travel Guides
  • #589 in Irish Travel
  • #1,619 in Family Travel

About the author

dublin travel guide book

Billie Schwartz

Billie Schwartz is an American woman who loves to travel and explore the world. She is highly educated, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from a prestigious university. In her free time, Billie loves to read books, cook, and spend time with her friends. She also loves to explore the outdoors, going on camping trips and taking long hikes. Billie has a passion for learning and tries to see the world from different perspectives. She is an active member of her community, volunteering her time to help those in need. Billie is a passionate and ambitious woman who is always striving for excellence.

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Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

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The 7 Best Hotels in Dublin

The famous and towering St Patrick's cathedral in sunny Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is a moody, literary city. It’s a great city for history buffs and book lovers as it is home to lots of authors and poets. Here, you’ll find castles, traditional pubs, and countless opportunities to experience live music.

Dublin is fairly compact, making all the sights, activities, and walking tours easy to do. You can get pretty much anywhere on foot.

Therefore, when you’re thinking of a hotel, don’t worry too much about where it is located (unless it’s far from the center). The city’s tram system makes it easy to get around too.

Here’s my list of the best hotels in Dublin:

1. Harcourt Hotel

Large, comfy beds at the Harcourt Hotel in Dublin, Ireland

2. Clarence Hotel

A cool bar with funky art and chairs at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin, Ireland

Downstairs, there’s a luxurious cocktail bar and a fantastic restaurant serving elevated Irish fare, including daily breakfast and a bottomless brunch on Sundays.

3. Maldron Hotel Kevin Street

A large and airy double hotel room in beautiful Dublin, Ireland

4. The Dean

A cozy blue hotel room with lots of natural light at The Dean hotel in Dublin, Ireland

I also love the chill rooftop bar/restaurant with it’s view of the city. There’s also a sauna and a heated outdoor pool. Overall, you really get a lot of value here, considering the amenities and central location.

5. The Alex

A small, minimalist hotel room at The Alex hotel in Dublin, Ireland

The staff here really go out of their way to help and keep things clean (the property is always spotless). The hotel also has a fitness center and a few excellent in-house eateries. The buffet breakfast (which can be included in your stay) has a ton of options too.

6. The Spencer Hotel

A huge apartment hotel room with a large bed and lots of space at The Spencer Hotel in Dublin, Ireland

Rooms here are spacious and minimally designed in a soft, pastel color palate. They have lots of natural light too, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The bathrooms are also large, with a shower/tub combo and complimentary Rituals bath products. Rooms also have a mini-fridge and a coffee/tea maker. It’s a classy property that offers excellent value for your money.

7. The Hendrick Smithfield

Bunk beds in a cozy hotel room at The Hendrick in Dublin, Ireland

I always love visiting Dublin. Brimming with cozy pubs, world-class whiskey, and home to an impressive literary history, Dublin , it’s a city with character and one of my favorite places to visit in Europe . Stay at one of the hotels above to super charge your visit.  

Book Your Trip to Dublin: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

  • Safety Wing (best for everyone)
  • Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
  • Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Want More Information on Dublin? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Dublin for even more planning tips!

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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The iconic Temple Bar in downtown Dublin, Ireland

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