“Even a short stay in Dublin is like walking into literary history, accompanied by music.”
Recently I came across last minute £25 return Ryanair flights from Southend Airport to Dublin – bargain! The Irish capital was always on my (extensive) list of city break destinations and I’m a firm believer that should an unexpected opportunity come along to book a trip you should (in the immortal words of Shia Lebouf): JUST DO IT.
And despite not knowing a great deal about what to expect from the city, I was keen to discover more having being intrigued by what I HAD seen and heard from various recommendations from friends and TV.
It certainly didn’t take me long for me to fall in love with Dublin.
What I didn’t see coming was just how much Dublin was going to exceed my expectations. From it’s emerging gastronomical scene and vibrant history, to its entirely uncontrived authenticity and laid-back vibe, it’s fair to say that this city has a lot more than a pint of the black stuff going for it!
With that being said, here are just some of my Dublin highlights collected over 3 action-packed days!
The Skyview Tower / Smithfield Chimney
Do you love a panoramic city view as much as I do? Then this is definitely a must!
We stumbled across the Smithfield Chimney by accident when roaming around Smithfield Village and found ourselves being drawn to what we now know to be one of Dublin’s tallest landmarks, once used to distill the famous Jameson Whiskey.
I must warn you however that the impressive views from the tower come at a price, and that is having to march up 244 steps to the top… painful but worth it.
And don’t be fooled- while it may look shut to the untrained eye, it is in fact open! To gain access you need to go inside The Generator Hostel (located next to the tower) and pay a small €5 entrance fee.
Address: Smithfield Village, Dublin 1, Ireland
The Guinness Storehouse
I’ve always been really fascinated with learning about how things are made, especially when it comes to food and drinks, so I’m always open to visiting any kind of factory or brewery. Guinness has to be one of the most talked about/ touristy destination in the city so it was only fitting that we made our way there as one of our first stops.
It has to be said, I have never really enjoyed drinking Guinness (or any beer for that matter!), but there is something about the whole experience that compelled me to give Guiness another go on the day. And I bloody loved it. We took our free drinks (you get one free pint with every ticket) on the factory’s rooftop bar and I really appreciated how lovingly the drink was poured and left to stand before being handed over to us.
Tickets for the entry came in at a tidy €25 which includes a complimentary pint of Guinness, although I believe you can save yourself some money by booking in advance. Going on a Saturday did mean it was VERY busy so there was a lot of queuing throughout our visit, so perhaps keep that in mind when planning your own visit.
Would I come again? No, probably not. But I would have been embarrassed to come to Dublin not having been at least once!
Address: St James’s Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland
The Spire Of Dublin
I found that very few blogs mentioned The Spire (also referred to as The Monument of Light) when doing my pre-travel research, yet it’s something quite hard to miss on Dublin’s skyline. I also couldn’t locate any sort of plaque explaining what The Spire is when we actually paid the monument a visit, which is why I thought I’d inform you all on here instead!
The 121 metre tall spire was constructed between December 2002 and January 2003 after the design won a competition to replace Nelson’s Pillar which was destroyed in 1966.
Make your way to O’Connell Street (the most central Dublin location there is) to pay a visit! The street itself is bustling with life and there’s lots to see in terms of architecture, shopping etc., so it’s well worth taking the time to explore.
Ha’penny Bridge
There’s no way of missing the Ha’penny bridge if you spend your day wandering around Dublin on foot for a couple of days, particularly when you will be wanting to cross the River Liffey to get from one side of the city to the other.
But where did it’s quaint name come from you ask?
Before the bridge was built in 1816, Dubliners had to use a ferry service to get from one side of the city to the other. Once the ferries began to age and fall into disrepair a decision was made to construct a bridge rather than renovate the ferries, with the toll to cross being set at a ha’penny! CUTE.
Grafton Street
More often than not you can hear yourself approaching Grafton Street before actually see it’s street sign!
There’s never a dull moment here – from its incredible array of high-street and high-end shops, to flower stalls perched on every corner and musicians entertaining you as you go – it’s well worth a visit.
Saint Stephen’s Green Park
If you continue walking down Grafton Street you will eventually find yourself at Saint Stephen’s Green Park. This lovely little gem is the perfect place to rest your weary feet after traipsing around the shops!
The Victorian park is immaculately well maintained and has lots of birds and plantlife to enjoy. We found ourselves here midday on a Monday so there was a great mix of locals on their lunch break and tourists like us – such a great opportunity to people watch!
Saint Stephen’s Shopping Centre
We stumbled upon Saint Stephen’s Shopping Centre by pure accident while I was on the hunt for a replacement chapstick (TMI?), but I’m so glad we did!
As shopping centre’s go, this one is beautiful and is just a stone’s throw away from Saint Stephen’s Green Park, hence the name. The indoor shopping centre has over 100 outlets (housing everything from Boots to boutique brands) but, most impressive of all is the centre’s interior design. Think Victorian greenhouse cum Emerald City from the Wizard Of Oz… I love it!
Address: The Management Suite, St Stephen’s Green, West, Dublin, D02 HX65, Ireland
Pubs, Pubs, Pubs
I don’t know about you, but I love a good pub, and Dublin certainly had plenty of them!
Here are a couple of my favourites…
Bad Ass Cafe
We found ourselves wandering in here after hearing a familiar song being played by a local musician (later identified as Ger Furlong). What was meant to be just a quick nosey ended up being with us staying for multiple Guinnesses – we regret nothing!
Address: 9-11 Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland
Temple Bar Pub
What is undeniably the most famous pub in Dublin, it seems only fitting that Temple Bar Pub was included on my this list! I love everything about it; its walls crammed in with artwork and mementos from travellers past, how much time the barmen take for your Guinness to rest before its handed over, how incredibly potent their Irish coffee is… I could go on!
We popped in here on multiple occasions over our few days in the city and loved it on a Saturday night when it was packed with people dancing along next to its famous stage to a band who’s name I could barely hear over people singing alongside them. We also loved in on a quiet Monday at midday when it was quieter and we were able to enjoy a more intimate musical performance in its cozy, dimly lit interior.
Did you know that Temple Bar has a live webcam? Watch a live feed from both inside and outside the pub by clicking this link. I think it’s such a fun idea as it means your family and friends can tune in and see you.
Address: 47-48 Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 N725, Ireland
Trinity College & Book Of Kells/ Old Library
I was fascinated by Trinity College after seeing photographs of its incredibly grand library while scrolling through Instagram. Without any prior knowledge about the history of the College or the Book of Kells I made sure to pay this place a visit and learn more, and I’m so glad I did.
It was certainly an interesting experience to see the book (a religious manuscript dating back to the 9th century), but the limelight was very much stolen by the Long Room – the college’s magnificent library which houses 200,000 ancient texts. History buffs and fellow bookworms will be able to appreciate this place!
I would highly recommend that you book your visit online and in advance as the exhibit is known to sell out on the day (and to bag yourself discounted entry too!).
Oscar Wilde Memorial on Merrion Square Park
Any fan of literature will be able to appreciate my need to visit the Oscar Wilde memorial sculpture commemorating the brilliant playwright and poet. The sculpture was commissioned by the Guinness Ireland group and constructed in 1997 by Irish sculptor Danny Ocbourne.
I thought the memorial piece was pretty impressive and a really fitting homage to someone who wrote some of my favourite pieces of classic literature. Merrion Square Park itself is also beautiful and well worth checking out in its own right.
Address: 12 Merrion Square N, Dublin 4, Ireland
Take A Day Trip to Howth
Should you find yourself having a day to spare while visiting Dublin, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend making your way to the seaside village of Howth, situated just 30 mins from Dublin city centre. The best way to do this is to take a train from one of Dublin’s various stations, although we also saw that local busses can get you there too (albeit with a longer journey time).
Howth Summit Walk
For some pretty incredible views of the cliffs and peninsula, this walk is a must! The trail is pretty straightforward but mostly uphill on rocky terrain, so be sure to bring sensible shoes! Alternatively you can take the easy way out and save yourself the hike by taking the bus to the summit – speak to the super friendly staff at the tourist office located along the promenade (5 min walk from the DART station).
As well as the gorgeous views of the sea, we also spotted a seal and lots of different sea birds along the way so this trail is ideal for nature lovers like us!
Seafood Feast
Once you’ve conquered the summit hike, be sure to check out King Sitric for some incredible seafood! We found their food to be delicious and their service was super fast too.
If you’re not feeling a sit down meal then why not check out the fabulous Leo Burdocks Fish and Chips instead and take your lunch al fresco by the waters edge?
Address: E Pier, Howth, Dublin, Ireland
Howth Market
A stone’s throw away from the DART train station you will find Howth’s market square selling everything from homemade bread and cakes to souvenirs and all manner of snacks – well worth passing through!
Open from 10am to 6pm on weekends/public holidays.
Hotel
I’m definitely the sort of person who loves to save on flights and then splurge on a great hotel to act as a comfortable base for anywhere I travel to. With that being said, the Grand Canal Hotel was the perfect choice for my boyfriend and I in terms of being in close proximity to a train station for easy access to the city centre while also being affordable and really comfortable. We also found that the hotel offered tonnes of day trip options which is something we would definitely want to revisit in the future.
Address: Grand Canal Street Upper, Dublin, D04 X5X7, Ireland
Public Transport
From the airport
Now for the practical bits. Getting to Dublin city centre is really easy from the Airport. You can either opt for the Airlink Bus (I would pre-book tickets as the queue at the airport was crazy!) which costs less than €10 return or take a taxi which costs between €20-€40, depending where your accommodation is situated in the city.
Around the city
While we pretty much always walk everywhere on a city break, it was so handy to have Dart (local train) stations dotted in throughout the city when we wanted to get somewhere quickly.
Something I would also recommend looking into is purchasing a Leap Card if you’re planning to use public transport a lot, as while its super cheap to get around overall, this card allows you unlimited travel via Luas (tram), DART and buses etc. which is pretty reasonable and means you won’t have to buy individual tickets everywhere you go.
Final Thoughts
Whether you enjoy great food, art, drinking, nightlife, history etc, Dublin will see you are well catered to.
The only downside I would argue is that it’s a pretty expensive city if you’re looking to eat out every day. Oh and that it will undoubtedly rain on you at some point no matter what season you’re visiting – so be sure to pack a mac!
But that’s just my take on things – I want to know yours! Let me know if I’ve missed anything off my itinerary as I would love to go back someday.
Until next time….
