Dublin Travel
Tourist Guide, Republic of Ireland

European cities | Dublin

Dublin's Ha'penny Bridge

Why travel to Dublin?

An architecturally striking city, with a dramatic history full of extraordinary personalities - many of them engraved in stone or bronze and scattered around the streets - Dublin has recently reinvented itself as a chic eurocity. It is this mix of grand old and funky new that makes it such an attractive, lively destination.
The craic is mighty, to be sure.

Dublin weather

Best: May - September but the temperature range is narrow, so it's never over-hot in the summer. They say that the only way to tell if it's winter or summer is by the temperature of the rain!
Worst: January - March, cold, dull, rain, dull, wind, dull, rain, but rarely below freezing.

Current Dublin temperature and time.

Things to Do

The architecture for which the city is most famous is its numerous Georgian squares and streets, including Merrion Square and Fitzwilliam Square.

Trinity College Dublin dates from Elizabeth 1st and is a must for architectural students - don't miss the Book of Kells when you're there - as is the Four Courts and The Custom House.

And when you need a break, head for the best known meeting place in Dublin - Bewley's Café in Grafton Street.

If you need some green, try Phoenix Park, one of the largest city parks in the world, along with its deer, zoo and houses of the rich and famous.

Don't leave Dublin without visiting the cast-iron Ha'penny Bridge (Picture above)over the River Liffey and taking in a tour of the nearby Guinness Brewery.

And if you're interested in history, the Viking Centre is not far away, along with two 11th century cathedrals.

Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells, in Dublin

The Book of Kells: Also known as the Book of Columba this is thought by many to be Ireland's finest treasure. It's an illustrated Christian manuscript that represents the best Western calligraphy ever seen. Created by Celtic monks in AD 800, it comprises the four Gospels of the New Testament in Latin with much elaborate and vivid ornamentation including humans, animals and strange creatures.

Short Trips
- Dublin or Wicklow mountains.
- huge sandy beaches at Howth or Brittas.
- the ancient burial mounds at Dowth, Knowth and Newgrange.
- Dun Laoghaire, a nice little harbour town to the south.

Dublin Cathedral

Festivals
March, St Patrick's Festival
Late May for 4 days, Dublin Soul Festival, a celebration of peace, unity and love!
June, Organ and Choral Festival
June, Music in Great Irish Houses Festival, mostly Dublin, plus counties Wicklow and Kildare. Excellent.
June, the Writer's Festival
June-Aug, Contemporary Arts Festival, Temple Bar.
First 2 weeks of Oct, Theatre Festival.
end Sept - mid Oct, Fringe Theatre Festival

For some precise dates or more information see: European Festivals or Arts Festivals.

Arts and culture

The city is famous for its theatres. The Abbey, the Gate and the Gaity are the best known and show a great variety of modern and classical theatre.

Museums & galleries:
The Natural History Museum will keep the kids happy for hours and the National Museum has wonderful artefacts from Ireland's Celtic past.
The Hugh Lane city Gallery of Modern Art is justly famous.
You must see the extraordinary, illustrated 8th century Book of Kells in Trinity College Dublin.
The Chester Beatty Library houses a great collection of oriental art.
The National Gallery is worth a visit. If you like Turner water colours, it opens its magical, gem-like collection only once a year, on New Year's Day.

Nightclubs:
It's a great place for clubbing and wild weekends. Many people go there for stag and hen nights. There is a thriving pub culture, with attractive pubs everywhere, many of them providing live music and staying open late.

Dublin Castle

Food
More famous for epic drinking, this is not a city renowned for gastronomic delights, but over the last few years Irish chefs returning from abroad have triggered a taste renaissance with modern Irish cuisine, featuring plenty of organic produce and seafood.
Traditional Irish cooking is based on potatoes, cabbage and fat bacon and is best avoided.

Shopping
Grafton Street is a pedestrian shopping street with the usual chain stores; Brown Thomas as the most glamorous.
The Powerscourt Centre at the top of Grafton Street is the best known shopping centre.
Souvenirs:
Irish crystal is expensive but gorgeous, as are Irish woollens.
Wild Irish smoked salmon is delicious and reasonably priced.
Irish whiskey and Irish silver are, of course, world renowned.
You will also find a large number of different items, less well known, sporting tiny green men in pointed hats. You need at least one of these in addition to a hole in your head.

View Larger Map

Map of Dublin | Ireland Map | Ireland Travel Guide | Map of Europe