Dublin Things To Do

Sightseeing & Museums

Visit 16th century Trinity College, Ireland's oldest and most famous university, and follow in the footsteps of Swift, Beckett and Oscar Wilde. Beautiful grounds, cobbled courtyards, the Book of Kells and a magnificent library. Impressive Dublin Castle has splendid 18th century apartments. The National Museum of Ireland has extraordinary antiquities, medieval church artefacts, ancient jewellery and one of Europe’s outstanding collections of prehistoric gold. St Patrick's Cathedral is the largest in Ireland. Other popular attractions include the National Gallery of Ireland and the fascinating Dublin Writers Museum, which features a fine Georgian town house. Phoenix Park is one of Europe’s largest, with beautiful gardens, lakes, deer and Dublin Zoo.

Temple Bar

Dublin’s most famous street and neighbourhood. A pleasant pedestrian area with cobbled streets and beautifully restored buildings. Temple Bar is the tourist heart of the city practically 24 hours a day. Buskers and street entertainers and a wealth of shops, pubs and restaurants make this one of Dublin’s main attractions. Temple Bar is buzzing at night with a great mix of cinema, theatre, pubs, trendy bars and clubs.

Culture & Nightlife

Dublin has an exceptionally rich cultural heritage and one look at a listings magazine will show that this city still excels in the arts, offering everything from opera and cinema to poetry, comedy and live music. The Temple Bar area is a must. Dublin hosts a superb autumn theatre festival and a reputed film festival in March. Theatres present Irish classics and contemporary writing in superb theatres like the Abbey, the Peacock and the Gaiety. Dublin is now a major European nightlife destination offering a hugely enjoyable, wide-ranging mix that takes in everything from traditional pubs to a booming clubbing scene. The city is also excellent for accessible music, whether traditional folk, live rock and jazz, trendy pre-clubbing venues or spectacular nightclubs with top DJs. There is also has a thriving comedy club scene.

Pubs

Irish literature and cinema have granted Dublin pubs a legendary status coupled with Ireland’s booming, self-confident, late 20th century economy which transformed the city's pub scene. The traditional pubs that feature in the works of Joyce are still around but purists may be disappointed by the ubiquitous, pseudo-traditional decoration and the proliferation of lively theme pubs and super-trendy pre-clubbing bars. Non-purists will have a great time - the pub scene is exciting, sociable and  fun. That said, most central Dublin pubs feel tourist orientated to some extent. For a taste of genuine pub culture it is well worth moving away from the centre towards the suburbs.

Guinness Storehouse

A place of pilgrimage for worshippers of Dublin’s most famous gift to the world and an interesting attraction for everyone else. The Guinness Storehouse is at St James’s Gate, where Arthur Guinness started business in 1759. The Guinness Storehouse offers an entertaining historical tour and a drink in the Gravity Bar, which has superb views of the city.