My blog post this week is a bit self-serving, so please bear with me. My topic this week “10 Things to See and Do in Dublin”, is here in part for research, as we will be going to Ireland and Scotland on a 2-week trip in the very near future, and on that trip we will have over two full days in Dublin. So this post is as much for me to determine what to see on our own trip as it is to pass this information on to you.
It’s fair to say that there are much more than ten things to see and do in Dublin. So, paring this list down to just 10 things is as much personal preference as there are recommendations from other sources. For this top ten list, I relied on on my DK Eyewitness Ireland Travel Guide, and Condé NastTraveler’s “16 Best things to Do in Dublin“.
When I return, I will follow up with several posts about our own travels. It is going to be a new experience for us in a lot of ways. We will be taking an escorted tour with Insight Vacations, so one of my posts afterwards will be a review of our experience with Insight.
Trinity College
Trinity College dates back to 1592, and was originally founded by Queen Elizabeth I. It was originally established as a Protestant college, and Catholics were not allowed to attend there until the late 1700’s.
Of particular interest in the college is the Old Library which contains the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is a medieval illuminated manuscript of the gospels and dates back to the 9th Century
The college is located in the Southeast sector of Dublin, one block south of the River Liffey, bordered by Pearse, College and Nassau Streets.
Grafton Street
Grafton Street runs from the western corner of Trinity College at Nassau Street, south to St. Stephen’s Green Park. It is a pedestrian only area, famous for its shopping opportunities and the street musicians (Buskers) that perform on the street there.
St Stephen's Green
St. Stephen’s Green Park is at the opposite end of Grafton Street from Trinity College and is a large, tranquil park that dates back to the 1880’s.
Merrion Square
Just east of Trinity College is Merrion Square. It is one of Dublin’s largest Georgian squares and was a favorite place of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. The Irish National Gallery and Natural History Museums are near the square.
National Gallery of Ireland
Located south of Trinity College and west of Merrion Square, the National Gallery contains over 16,000 pieces of Irish and European art, sculptures and prints.
The Temple Bar
Although named for this Pub, the Temple Bar area is famous for its galleries, art houses and pubs. Located just south of the river, north of Dublin Castle, and east of Christ Church Cathedral, the area used to be an industrial and tradecraft center for Dublin.
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle was built in the 1200’s and was the seat of English rule in Dublin for over 700 years. Most of the castle has been rebuilt since the original, however, the round Record Tower shown in this picture remains from the original structure.
Dublin Castle is in the Southwest sector of Dublin, 2 blocks south of the Temple Bar area. Dublin Castle is only a 10 minute walk from Trinity College
Christ Church Cathedral
The cathedral is just west of the Temple Bar and Dublin Castle. It is the oldest building in Dublin with manuscripts on site dating back to 1030. The cathedral is only a 5 minute walk from Dublin Castle
St Patrick's Cathedral
Only a 10-minute walk south from Christ Church, St. Patrick’s is the largest building in Dublin and is built on the land where St. Patrick baptized converts in 450 AD. The current stone building dates back to the 1200’s.
Jameson Distillery Bow Street
Located just north of the River Liffey is the famous Jameson Distillery on Bow Street. Although no longer a working distillery, the location provides a tour of how single malt whiskey is made and offers a tasting. Note that Irish Whiskey has an “e” in it, compared to the Scottish spelling of “whisky”.
