Dublin in the Republic of Ireland is increasingly popular for weekends away and longer stays to soak up the Irish charm of the place. There is plenty to keep yourself busy while on a visit to Dublin.
Here we explore some cool and interesting things that you can do when taking a holiday there.
Getting to Dublin
The easiest way to get to Dublin is to fly there. It cuts out a lot of the hassle of travelling any other way. A convenient airport to use is Luton Airport because it avoids much of the congestion when dealing with London-based airports and saves time if you live outside of London anyway.
When using Luton airport, take advantage of the Luton airport parking to save time trying to find a parking spot outside the airport. That way you won’t miss your flight trying to find a spot to park your car before you fly over to Dublin. There are longer duration stays when using parking at Luton airport, which avoids a meter running out, so it’s safer to use than other parking when out of England for a spell. Certainly, you can find options at lutonparking.com to book the right space for the dates you’ll need to reserve it for.
Guinness Storehouse Factory
A trip to Dublin really isn’t going to be complete without drinking a few pints of Guinness and visiting the Guinness Storehouse Factory. After all, when you get home, that’s what people will be asking about, and you don’t want to have to admit you forgot to include it. They’ll never let you in an Irish pub again!
The Storehouse is found in the St. James’ Gate Brewery. The interior design is interesting, as it resembles a traditional pint of Guinness beer. Billed as the #1 attraction in all of Dublin – and who can dispute that – adult prices start at just €18.50. Bargain!
The tour takes you through multiple floors that cover a potted history of beer brewing in Ireland. It also covers the history of Guinness beer making with the Guinness family, along with how the beer is created step by step. The tour concludes at the Gravity Bar, where you can enjoy a pint of cold Guinness while looking out over the modern Dublin skyline. Perfect.
Kilmainham Gaol
The Kilmainham Gaol harks back to the history of prison life and how challenging it was for the inmates. It was one of the largest prisons in Europe and it ran for hundreds of years.
It now operates as a tour, as well as a movie location from time to time too. It also houses St. Audeon’s, which is the singular parish church to be found in Dublin.
Dublin Food and Drink at Its Finest
Dublin is steadily making a name for itself as the culinary centre for Ireland. While some Irish people would dispute the claim, a tour of some of the better eateries might just have them eating their words.
If you visit the Bison Bar, you get top nosh like brisket and ribs. Meat lovers positively rejoice at the place. It’s not such a fun place for stern vegetarians though – don’t say we didn’t warn you. There’s some local drink to wash the grub down with too.
The Workman’s is an interesting club to try out. It’s a great after-hours place to while away a few hours when the clock strikes midnight and you’re not ready to go home yet. They’ll kick you out at 4 am but it’ll be well worth it.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Two cathedrals were designed and constructed in Dublin, but St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest. Construction began in 1191 and attracts many tourists who come to see the impressive structure. The cathedral has more than 800 years of documented history now, so it surely has some interesting stories to tell if the walls could only talk.
Dublin Castle
The Dublin Castle casts an imposing figure even after its 800 years of existence. That’s pretty impressive in its own right. The walls are still holding up while its history traces back through centuries of changes to Ireland over time.
The property covers around 11 acres, so it’ll take you time to walk it all if you’re feeling energetic after a good feed. It is poised on the highest ridge overlooking its domain below. The castle itself has numerous rooms to explore. There are also several museums set up there, including the Revenue Museum, the Chester Beatty Library, and the Chapel Royal.
You have the choice of taking a self-guided tour or paying for a guided one with commentary providing historical insights. The guided tour is well worth it if you’re interested in learning titbits that aren’t in the Irish history books.
Relax on Stephen’s Green
Where is the best place to go on a perfect sunny day in spring or summer? We’d suggest heading over to Stephen’s Green, that’s where. It’s a lovely spot to laze around on the grass, walk the green or try your hand at feeding the ducks.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then try Murphy’s nearby to get a cone filled with delicious ice cream. That is going to hit the spot just right.
Get in the Escape Boats
Now for something quite different. The Escape Rooms is a creative mystery to join in with others and see if you can solve it. It’s situated at the Waterways Ireland at the Grand Canal Dock. The players will try to figure out the mysteries, crack the puzzles in time, and decipher secret codes with clues to what to do next.
The fun takes place on the Zorg Ella boat sitting at the Waterways. Each game is played with several players (from 2-6 people), which begins at the engine room and progresses from there. There’s only an hour to work through the game to complete it before your time is up.
Do you think you can handle the suspense, the drama, and the mental brain teaser to finish the game?
Eat Lunch at Phoenix Park
Spanning around 1,700 acres, the Phoenix Park is expansive. It is conveniently located just a couple of miles out of the centre of Dublin, so it’s an easy trip to get out there. There are plenty of lawns to walk and paths to follow to get some exercise while there.
Dublin Zoo is also in the park too, so a visit can combine lunch in the park followed by some time spent at the zoo. The animals are spread out over several acres and visitors are provided with a map to locate them more easily. The habitats are more spacious than you find in most zoos; the management clearly cares about the animals there. If you’re visiting the zoo in the morning and you didn’t get a chance to have breakfast, then the Meerkat Café offers a view of the meerkats while grabbing a snack and a coffee to get some quick energy.
Dublin is a vibrant city that has plenty to offer any visitor. There’s such a wealth of different attractions and things to do, it’s difficult to narrow the list down. But narrow it down you must because there’s just not enough time to see everything.
