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First and foremost, Dublin is a grey and gloomy city. The sun doesn’t often shine and the majority of buildings are made from stone and lack any sort of colour or character. I cannot comprehend that any visitor to Dublin could be blown away by the city. ‘Love at first sight’ seems almost impossible. But then you delve deeper and you start to feel the atmosphere. You learn about its deep history, enjoy a drink or two and meet some locals. Then you will start to feel more comfortable in this slow-burner of a city. Once you begin to look beyond its outer shell, you will start to appreciate Dublin. The beauty is there, you just need to look a bit closer to see it. This Dublin Travel Guide will show you the best the city has to offer and hopefully ensure that you enjoy your time here.

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Getting In

Dublin is served by just one airport which is located to the north of the city center. Apart from taking a taxi, the only way to access the city from Dublin Airport is by bus. The Airlink Express Service will get you to O’Connell Street (the main street in Dublin) in under 40 minutes. This bus costs €7 one way or €12 for a return ticket. A cheaper alternative is the public bus number 41. Make sure you take the number 41 marked for Abbey Street Lower!! This bus is primarily for locals getting around the city, so takes considerably longer. The benefit of choosing this option is that the cost of the bus ticket is half of the Airlink. Tickets can be bought on the bus, but customers must have the exact change.

Where To Stay

Dublin’s small size makes it very easy to find accommodation in a good location. There are very few parts of the city that are not within walking distance of what you will want to see. The city is broken down into postcodes ranging from Dublin 1 to Dublin 24. This is a great indicator of how close you are to the city centre. These numbers also include the suburbs of Dublin. In truth, only Dublin 1 and 2 are part of the city. Any accommodation inside these two will have you in the perfect location for exploring the city. Outside of these two, expect to use public transport on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I have no real advice on hotels or hostels as I rarely stay in the city.

When To Go

If you are coming to Dublin expecting good weather, then there is a high chance you will be disappointed. It just doesn’t happen very often. That is not to say the weather is always bad. Rainfall and wind are very common but once you are prepared for this then you will be fine. It is for this reason that you shouldn’t let the time of the year influence your decision to visit Dublin. Bouts of sunshine can break out at any point in the year, snowfall too. Of course, for a better chance of sunny weather visit from May to August. There is a chance of it being colder from October-January. I would advise avoiding the winter months but outside of that, the weather is too unpredictable to determine your visiting dates.

What To Do

Top Free Things To Do

Chester Beatty Library

To me, this is the most fascinating place to visit in Dublin. Sir Alfred Chester Beatty was a very wealthy mining tycoon who became one of the twentieth century’s greatest collectors. He developed a fascination for Islamic manuscripts on a family trip to Egypt in 1914 and then added Japanese and Chinese artworks to his interests during a trip through Asia in 1917. His eye was drawn to rare, richly illustrated material. During his life, he assembled a collection of manuscripts and artworks, from not only Asian and Islamic origin, but also from Jewish, Christian and Buddhist backgrounds. After his death in 1968, his private library was converted into a museum for public viewing. One of the best museums in Europe, the Chester Beatty Library is a fantastic place for promoting an understanding of the world’s cultures.

Make sure you also take some time to relax in the Dubh Linn garden outside the Chester Beatty Library. This is said to be where Dublin got its name from!

Phoenix Park

Weather permitting, a visit to Phoenix Park is a must. This huge park spread across 1,750 acres is one of the largest urban recreational areas in Europe. As well as having an extensive amount of green areas, the park is home to Dublin Zoo, Áras an Uachtaráin (the residence of the President of Ireland) and the People’s Gardens. There is plenty to see there to keep any visitor busy, but the park itself is at its best during the summer months. Locals gather in their thousands at the first sign of any sunshine to sunbathe, chill with friends and soak in the atmosphere. Also, keep an eye out for the herds of wild deer that call the park home.

National Museum of Ireland

Dublin is packed full of history. One way to get accustomed to this is by visiting the National Museum. The museum is split into three sections across the city. Although all are very well laid out, it is the Museum of Decorative Arts and History that I really recommend. A visit here will teach you all about the history of the Irish people. Exhibitions can be found on the 1916 rising, where Ireland began its fight for independence. There are also many accounts of the Irishmen that went abroad to escape British rule in the country. The Irish at the time were known for joining armies across the world in search of steady pay. The other two sections of the museum are on Natural History and Archaeology, both worth a visit for those interested in these fields.

National Botanic Gardens

I tend to visit Botanic Gardens as a way of escaping busy cities for a period of time. In Dublin, there is no real need to do this. The city is not loud or chaotic enough to ever feel overwhelmed. That being said, when the sun is shining in the city, you should make the most of it and a visit to the Botanic Gardens is a way to do that. Located in Glasnevin, just outside the city centre, the Gardens hold over 15,000 species of plant, including 300 endangered species from around the world. There are also statues and monuments to see as well as a café to grab some tea and a cake. A visit here can be easily tied in with a visit to the Glasnevin Cemetery.

Top Paid Things To Do

Glasnevin Cemetery

I know a tour of a cemetery might sound a bit dark, but Glasnevin Cemetery holds the graves and memorials of several notable Irish figures. More than 1.5 million people are buried at Glasnevin Cemetery and the guided tours that are available will bring you to the graves of the most famous people laid to rest. There is also a museum, the first cemetery museum in the world. This museum will give you an insight into the lives of the deceased and what they did for Ireland during their lifetime. Glasnevin Cemetery has a very interesting history and despite being located outside of the city centre, I highly recommend making the effort to visit.

Jameson Bow Street Experience

Although Jameson Whiskey is no longer brewed on Bow Street, the interactive experience there gives you an insight into the history of the brand. Your forty-minute tour concludes with a comparative whiskey tasting. Each visitor will be given three shots of whiskey, one Jameson, one American bourbon and one Scotch. After this and the step by step guide to making Irish whiskey, you leave with a much deeper knowledge and appreciation of the water of life. To read all about my visit to the Jameson Bow Street Experience, click here.

Trinity College

Although the grounds of the renowned Trinity College are free to visit, to see the famous library, you must pay an entrance fee. The grounds of Ireland’s oldest college are worth the visit alone, but no visit there would be complete without seeing The Old Library and the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is an illuminated, religious manuscript dating back to 800AD. Regarded as Ireland’s finest national treasure, the book contains the four gospels of the new testament as well as several passages from earlier versions of the Bible. The Old Library that it is housed in was built in the 18th century. The main chamber of the library, The Long Room, has over 200,000 books and is one of the most impressive libraries in the world.

Kilmainham Gaol

Entering Kilmainham Gaol (Jail in Irish) is like stepping back into history. This former prison once held some of Ireland’s most famous prisoners. Many Irish revolutionaries were housed here including the leaders of the 1916 Rising. Many of the leaders imprisoned at Kilmainham Gaol were also executed there. Visits to the jail are by guided tour only. These tours will give you a great insight into the history of the prison and its prisoners. It is worth remembering that even though Ireland’s most infamous prisoners were detained here, this jail was open for nearly 130 years and housed many ordinary prisoners too. Many convicts were held here for long periods of time before being transported to Australia. Kilmainham Gaol is one of Dublin’s true must-see attractions.

Guinness Storehouse

Guinness is without a doubt Ireland’s greatest export. There are very few places worldwide that don’t have some sort of Irish bar selling a pint of the black stuff. It is for this reason that many tourists come to Dublin in search of a pint of Guinness straight from the source. St. James Gate Brewery gets more visitors than possibly any other tourist attraction in the city. Truth be told, the tour is not the best. Self-guided and more about the history of Guinness, its advertising, etc than an actual tour of the brewery. Most are here though, for the pint at the end. Each entry comes with a free drink token which can be used in the Gravity Bar, where you can enjoy your pint with a 360° view of Dublin city.

Irish Whiskey Museum

This is a fun, beginner’s crash course in Irish Whiskey. Learn the history behind this nationwide favourite, from how the monks brought it to Ireland right up until its present-day state. Tours last for an hour and are fast-paced, fun and interactive. They are split into four parts with the first three being about the background and brewing process of Irish whiskey and how it differs from its Scottish and American competitors. The final part is a tasting where three Irish whiskeys are given to each visitor, all very different, and you can try and compare the flavours found in each of them.

Where To Eat

The food scene in Dublin is definitely on the up. Quality casual restaurants that are popping up all over the city are loved by both locals and tourists alike. To read all about the best casual eats in Dublin, click here.

What To Avoid

Open Top Buses

I disagree with open top buses in every city that they exist in. They are not for me. Cities need to be walked. Get a feel for the streets and give yourself time to really take in what makes them unique. This can be said for the biggest cities in the world. So as far as Dublin goes, a relatively tiny city compared to others, what is to be achieved by this bus tour? You can walk from one side of Dublin to the other with ease. These bus tours offer you nothing that cannot be achieved yourself. I would also tie in the Viking Splash Tours that seems so popular in Dublin. Avoid them. Not only are they even more pointless than the open top buses, but they are also dangerous.

Temple Bar

This could be purely from a local perspective. Ireland has one of the highest prices for alcohol in Europe. To drink in Dublin, you can expect to pay higher than the average prices across the country. Temple Bar adds a premium on top of that. It is not hard to see why it is so popular with tourists. It is a busy area, full of bars and right in the heart of the city. The atmosphere in the late hours cannot be trumped by anywhere else in the city. I only say to avoid Temple Bar purely for financial reasons. If you are willing to massively overpay for your drink then enjoy, it can be a lot of fun!

It’s hard for me to write about Dublin and not be biased. After all, I live just a short drive from the city and, despite trying, I never feel like a tourist in the city. Sure, I can go there and eat at new restaurants and see some sights I have never seen, but I will never feel like a visitor in the city. It is for this reason that it can be difficult to romanticize about Dublin. Truth be told, I like the city. It will never win awards for its beauty, nor will it ever be an ideal budget destination, but it has a quality that makes it unique. You could possibly say that this Dublin Travel Guide is from a local’s perspective. It includes what I find worthwhile in the city and dismisses what I don’t, something which is easier to do in your home city.

To read more about Dublin, including the best food the city has to offer, click here

About Post Author

The Roaming Irishman

roamingirishman@gmail.com

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