Dublin: What to See, What to Skip, and How to Spend Your Days

Dublin is a compact capital of about 1.4 million people, sitting at the mouth of the Liffey River on Dublin Bay, and you can see most of the significant sites on foot in two or three focused days. The city divides on either side of the Liffey: the Southside (Trinity College, St Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street, most expensive restaurants) and the Northside (O’Connell Street, the markets, the local residential neighbourhoods where the city actually operates). Most tourists spend most of their time on the Southside. The Northside is where Dublin lives.

Trinity College and the Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript gospel book created by Insular monks around 800 AD. It is one of the finest examples of early medieval calligraphy and illumination in Western art. Two pages are shown at a time; the pages are turned periodically. Getting a position near the case requires arriving when morning slots are less crowded, which is why you book online in advance. The Long Room above the exhibition holds 200,000 of the library’s oldest books in dark oak cases running 65 metres. Entry €16 adults.

Kilmainham Gaol

The leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed in this prison’s yard. The last prisoner to leave was Eamon de Valera in 1924, who went on to serve as Taoiseach and President of Ireland. The Victorian east wing, designed on the panopticon principle with a vaulted central hall and cellular balconies, is architecturally extraordinary and was genuinely terrifying as a place of imprisonment. The guided tour (the only access, book at kilmainhamgaol.ie) covers the building’s history without sentiment. Entry €9; book well ahead.

Guinness Storehouse

Dublin’s most visited tourist attraction is a seven-floor exhibition in a former fermentation building. The exhibition is primarily advertising and the crowds are constant. The rooftop Gravity Bar pint of Guinness and the 360-degree view across the city are worth having. Book online for cheaper entry (around €25-28) and skip the queue.

Where to Eat

Chapter One on Parnell Square (Northside, Michelin-starred, in the basement of the Dublin Writers Museum building) is one of Dublin’s most consistent fine-dining rooms. Pre-theatre menu from 18:00 at around €65 is the best value entry point. Book weeks ahead for weekends.

The Woollen Mills on the Northside quays does reliable lunch, chowder, good bread, open sandwiches, for €12-18.

The Temple Bar district has pubs calibrated entirely for tourists at prices reflecting this. The Brazen Head claims establishment in 1198 (the current building is 18th century). Mulligan’s on Poolbeg Street or The Long Hall on South Great George’s Street pour better Guinness with less performance and no claim to antiquity that isn’t documented.

Where to Stay

The Shelbourne on St Stephen’s Green (established 1824) is Dublin’s grand hotel; the Irish Constitution was drafted in Suite 112 in 1922. Doubles from €250-400. For mid-range, The Alex Hotel on D’Olier Street is well-positioned from around €130-200 per night.

Getting Around

The Luas tram (Red and Green lines) covers most visitor destinations; a day travel card (€8) works if you’re making more than three journeys. From Dublin Airport: Aircoach express bus to city centre (€8 single, 25-40 minutes); taxi approximately €25-35. The DART coastal rail runs south to Dun Laoghaire with ferry connections to Wales.