Dublin

Understand

History Dublin is in a low-lying, fertile area, not boggy by Irish standards, and with good sea access. It became the core of the Gaelic kingdom of Leinster, and the Vikings established a large settlement by what is now Dublin castle, until ejected by Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. This set a pattern that Dublin was fought for, not fought in. The Normans colonised the southwest and Leinster from the 12th century, and further out they battled with the Gaels, but Dublin sat snug within the "Pale" — the defensive palisade. Similarly with the Tudor conquests; then the city fell swiftly to Cromwell so his atrocities were elsewhere, and King William marched in unopposed after the Battle of the Boyne. 18th century Dublin was the second largest city in the British Isles, with a tight little Protestant clique ruling the place to London's liking. Industry and culture flourished, and the city acquired its graceful Georgian streets and squares, but Ireland was ruled as a colony. Britain's other colonies watched with great interest as the independence movement gathered pace. "The Troubles" of the late 19th and early 20th century involved ethnic conflicts, paramilitary gangs, and savage reprisals by the authorities. The outbreak of the First World War seemed to put a brake on this, with tens of thousands of Irishmen marching away to France and Flanders. Surely one big push on the Somme would win this war - but while the generals were planning this, armed insurrection broke out at Easter 1916. The rebels seized the central Post Office on O'Connell Street, read their proclamation of independence, then were bombarded until they surrendered. Initially they attracted little sympathy or support, especially as they were backed by arch-foe Germany, but the authorities snatched defeat from a quick win by the subsequent court-martials and executions by firing squad. Hundreds were arrested and 15 were shot. This and atrocities such as the Croke Park massacre were fatal to the legitimacy of British rule. By 1921, the Irish tricolour fluttered over a Dublin that was capital of a separate state. In contemporary times, Dublin is a city of paradoxes. A sizable immigrant population has moved in, seeking a better life. But, the city has at the same time been somewhat terraformed by transnational firms seeking tax benefits and an English speaking EU jurisdiction, with offices for Google or Deloitte looming over the city. At the same time, the city has built very little new housing, leading to skyrocketing rents for locals. Dublin is at once somewhere that everyone wants

Getting there

By plane

1 Dublin Airport (DUB IATA) (10 km north of city centre). Dublin Airport has an extensive short and medium haul network, and is the base for Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus Regional, and Ryanair. Terminal 2 handles wide-bodied jets and is used by Aer Lingus (& Regional), American Airlines, Delta, Emirates, Norwegian and United. All others use the older Terminal 1, some 300 m north with a walkway between. Together they offer direct flights from most major cities in the UK (serving all London airports, but most frequently Heathrow) and Europe (including Keflavík, Moscow and Istanbul). North American flights arrive from New York, Newark, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington (with pre-clearance of US customs & immigration westbound) and Toronto. Middle East flights include Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Domestic flights are from Kerry and Donegal; there are none from Belfast, Shannon or Cork. All the main car hire companies have kiosks in Arrivals. There's a better choice here than in the city centre, but book ahead for the best deals. The airport has car parking short-term on-site, long-term off-site, and "meet & greet" services. The currency kiosks are run by ICE with a 10% buy/sell spread, decent value. Radisson Blu and Maldron hotels are at the airport, with a few more at the M1/M50 junction just south and in Swords to the north. (updated Jun 2024) Between airport and city: bus and taxi are the options, there's no rail / metro link.

Aircoach. Aircoach 700 runs to the city centre from T1 then T2, every 15-30 minutes, taking 30 minutes. The fare in 2024 is €10 single or €15 return. The last bus to the city is 1:30AM then the next is 6AM. See below for Aircoach 701, 702 and 703 for south side of Dublin. They also run to other cities such as Cork and Belfast. Taxi drivers routinely try to pick up passengers waiting at the Aircoach stop: they're forbidden to do so, but offer a similar rate and get many takers, so they persist. (updated Jul 2024) Dublin Express runs to city centre and Heuston Station every 10 minutes or so. The last bus to the city is 11PM then the next is 5:30AM. The cost in September 2024 was €8 single. €10 return if purchased online.

Local buses by Dublin Bus are much slower — allow an hour — but much cheaper at €2.60 in coins, or €2 if paying with a Leap Card (see "Get around"), and may be more convenient for the suburbs. The two routes are: Bus 16 via Drumcondra railway station, O'Connell St, George's St and out to the southern suburbs of Rathmines and Ballanteer / Kingstown. It runs from morning

Getting around

You can see much of the city on foot.

By public transport Public transport in Dublin consists of trains, trams and buses. Unlike many other European capitals, the rail network in Dublin is quite limited, so buses are by far the main mode of public transport. Public transport is not run by a single agency, but by a number of state-contracted operators, and most information is provided separately on each operator's website. Trains are run by Irish Rail and trams by Luas, while most buses are run by Dublin Bus, except some local buses in suburban areas which are run by Go-Ahead Ireland. Transport for Ireland (TFI) is the umbrella brand for public transport in Ireland, although its website primarily just directs you to the individual operators websites for information. However, the TFI Journey Planner is a good way to plan your journey across different modes, and the Live Departures provides real time information for all rail and bus stops. TFI also provides a number of smartphone apps including a journey planner and real time departures. Note that the journey planner app also provides real time departures, so you don't need to download both. The TFI Journey Planner and Live Departures are also integrated into Google Transit and are available within Google Maps.

Tickets and Leap Card On trains and trams, tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines at the station or stop prior to boarding. Train tickets are valid for the day of purchase and are needed to get through the entry and exit turnstiles at stations. Tram tickets do not have to be validated prior to boarding, but must be used within 90 minutes of purchase. On buses, you can pay the fare to the driver when boarding, but you must have the exact amount in coins. Banknotes cannot be taken, and if you overpay in coins, no change is given. If you plan to use public transport a lot, consider getting a TFI Leap Card, which you can top up with credit and use to pay fares on all public transport in the city, at a 30% discount. Leap Cards can be purchased from most convenience shops at just €5 for adults and €3 for children (this is actually not a charge but a deposit, and if you register your card online, it can later be refunded to an EU bank account or a number of charities). You can check your credit and top up the card at most convenience shops, at train or tram ticket vending machines, and on your phone with the Leap Top-Up App. To use your Leap Card on trains or trams, you need to tag-on by holding your card against the turnstile or validator before boarding, and then tag-off again at the

See

Dublin's top attractions sell out in summer. Buy tickets online in advance if you know you want to see something, especially for the Book of Kells where even early arrivals may find all the day's slots are filled. The Dublin Pass gives you free and fast track entry to thirty-some attractions in Dublin. Adult prices in 2024 are €79 for one day, €109 for two, €129 for three, €154 for four and €164 for five, child prices about half, and days must run consecutively. You'll struggle to break even on this deal as only the Hop-on Hop-off bus tour and the Jameson Distillery and Guinness tours charge over €25; most are way cheaper. The Pass doesn't include the National Museum sites (free anyhow), the Library and Book of Kells at Trinity College, or any public transport.

North of the river 1 GPO Museum, O'Connell St Lower D01 F5P2, ☏ +353 1 872 1916. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. The GPO is the headquarters of the Post Office in Ireland, built in Neo-Classical style 1814-1818. In 1916 it was occupied by Irish rebels led by PH Pearse, who read the Proclamation of the Republic outside the front door of the building. The interior was burnt out by shelling from government forces against the rebels, but the exterior survived. Subsequently the GPO was restored, reopening in 1929, and remains a busy working post office. The museum within it is a multimedia exploration of the Easter Rising. Adult €17, conc €15, child €8.50. (updated Jun 2024) O'Connell Street is the broad thoroughfare running north from the river, and the main district for budget accommodation. It was smashed up in the 1916 uprising and subsequent civil war, but rebuilt; then in the 1970s the developers made one sorry mess of it. And their assistants: All along O'Connell Street the pieces flew, up went Nelson, and the pillar too... was the ditty commemorating the 1966 IRA bombing of Nelson's Column. Where it stood, next to the GPO, is now the 121-m pin of the Spire of Dublin; close by on North Earl St is the James Joyce Statue. Northbound trams glide up the street: go a block east for the southbound track. The city council are doing their best to further improve the place but it's a work in progress: pleasant enough by day, but tacky by night. 2 St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, 83 Marlborough Place D01 DX9, ☏ +353 1 874 5441. Daily 9AM-5PM. Dublin's Catholic cathedral, built in 1825. Catholicism was always the majority religion in Ireland, but its practice was forbidden until the 19th century. The official cathedral is Christ Church, so designated by the Pope in 1300, but taken over by the Protestants in the 16th century. Wh

Do

So Padraig comes for a job in construction, and the hiring boss says "So can you tell me, what's the difference between a joist and a girder?" "Sure, everyone knows that. Joist wrote Ulysses and Girder wrote Faust."

Tours 1 Guinness Storehouse, St James's Gate D08 VF8H (Bus 13, 40 or 123, or tram to Heuston), ☏ +353 1 408 4800. Su-Th 9:30AM-5PM, F Sa 9:30AM-6PM. Guinness is brewed in 49 countries and Ireland just happens to be one of them. The St James Gate brewery is still in production, now part of Diageo, and this vast storehouse has become an exhibition (self-guided) on the drink and the Guinness family. Price of entry includes a pint at the seventh floor Gravity Bar, which forms the head of the giant pint of stout formed by the atrium. Outside, touristy-trappy horse-drawn carriages ply for hire, but a stretch limo for the 2 km ride back to city centre might be cheaper. Adult €26, child €10. (updated Jun 2024) 2 Teeling Distillery, 13-17 Newmarket D08 KD91, ☏ +353 1 531 0888. Daily 11AM-PM. Distillery opened in 2015, primarily for whiskey but with small amounts of poitín. Tasting tour €25 (pointless going for the cheaper "cocktail" tour). (updated Jun 2024) 3 Jameson Distillery, Bow Street, Smithfield D07 N9VH, ☏ +353 1 807 2355. M-Sa 10AM-PM, Su noon-PM. Jameson whiskey was produced in Dublin from 1780 to 1976, when the business relocated to Midleton near Cork. So the old Bow St distillery no longer makes whiskey but has been converted into a museum about the process and industry. Adult €26. (updated Jun 2024) The Lazy Bike Tour Company, Drury Street multi-story car park, ☏ +353 1 443 3671, [email protected]. Daily 9:30AM-5:30PM. Two-hour bike tours of the major sights and off the beaten track, with informative guides. e-bike €40, push-bike €35. (updated Jun 2024) Walking Tours. Dublin city is famous for its characters. A great way to experience and live the city is by learning about it from people who are characters themselves - Dublin Tour Guides. Tours can vary from one to four hours in length and include, as well as the standard sightseeing tour, tours on topics like the paranormal and ghosts, music and song, literature, historical, 1916 Rising, and even Irish mythology. There are various walking tour companies and freelance tour guides available in Dublin. Anyone interested in geeky history should try the Ingenious Dublin tours, that cover history of medicine, Irish inventions (yes, there are lots!), great Irish scientists (lots of those too). They have walking tours and self-guided MP3 tours. Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, 'The Duke P

Buy

Dublin is not cheap, but visitors from outside the European Union can obtain a refund of VAT on some goods, which in 2024 is 23%. Ask the shop for details: the refund is usually applied at point of sale, or you may be issued a voucher to claim it on leaving the country. Visitors from Great Britain are eligible, but not those from Northern Ireland. More on VAT refunds can be found on the Irish Government website.

South side

Grafton Street is the principal shopping street. It courses south from Trinity College (junction with Temple Bar) for a block to the corner of Nassau St, and beyond it's pedestrianised to St Stephen's Green. Brown Thomas, 88-95 Grafton Street D02 VF65, ☏ +353 1 605 6666. M Tu 10AM-7PM, W-F 9AM-8PM, Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 11AM-7PM. Dublin's best-known and expensive department store. (updated Jun 2024) Nassau Street branches east from Grafton St to form the south boundary of Trinity College. It retails giftware such as Waterford Crystal, Belleek Pottery, Aran sweaters, and other craft items. Easons at #24 is a well-stocked bookstore. 1 Kilkenny Design, 6 Nassau Street D02 W865, ☏ +353 1 677 7066. Daily 9:30AM-6PM. Clothing, jewellery and giftware. (updated Jun 2024) Dawson Street branches off Nassau St to run south parallel to Grafton St. It has clothes, music and book shops, restaurants and Mansion House the Lord Mayor's residence. Hodges Figgis, 56 Dawson Street D02 XE81, ☏ +353 1 677 4754. M-F 9AM-7PM, Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 10:30AM-6PM. Well-stocked large bookshop, part of the Waterstones chain. (updated Jun 2024) 2 Powerscourt Centre, 59 South William Street D02 HF95, ☏ +353 1 679 4144. M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-6PM. Attractive shopping centre in a beautifully restored 18th-century townhouse, with clothes, cafes, galleries and jewellers. You're paying premium prices for the elegant location. (updated Jun 2024) George's Street Arcade (Market Arcade), South Great George's St (block west of Powerscourt Centre). M-Sa 9AM-PM, Su 11AM-PM. A covered red-brick shopping arcade, with vintage clothing, fabrics, unusual accessories, vinyl and club wear. It also has some small cafes. (updated Jun 2024) Fresh is a gourmet grocery chain with nine city outlets. The most central south-side are on Grand Canal Square and on Lower Camden St. Temple Bar has small independent shops along Temple Lane, Crow Street and Fownes Street. Markets are held on Saturday on Temple Bar Square and Meetinghouse Square, mostly food items. Cow's Lane Design Market is held on the street on Saturday. It's west edge of Temple Bar approaching Christ Church.

North side

Shopping nort

Eat

Dublin has a wide range of eating places in all price brackets, though visitors may consider them overpriced by European standards – one factor is VAT of 23%. Cuisines such as Indian and Chinese were slow to appear as Dublin only had small ethnic communities, but they now have a good presence especially north of the river. Indian food is generally North Indian. Chinese food in Ireland has become something of its own thing, with the omnipresent "Spice Bag" an idiosyncratic new food of 21st century Ireland. Vegetarian, vegan and GF options are also now readily available.

Budget 1 Bewley's Café, 78 Grafton St D02 K033, ☏ +353 1 564 0900. M–F 8AM–6:30PM, Sa–Su 9AM–6:30PM. Grand stylish coffee shop, a Dublin institution. It's had some famous regular customers, from Joyce to Geldof, but they'll make you feel just as important. (updated Jun 2024) 2 Butlers Chocolate Café, 24 Wicklow Street D02 R981, ☏ +353 1 671 0591. M–Sa 7:30AM–7PM, Su 10AM–7PM. Chain of chocolate-themed cafes, Wicklow Street is the original outlet. There are three others in city centre, plus airside in T1 and T2 at the airport. They also ship orders. (updated Jun 2024) Lemon Crèpe & Coffee Company, 66 South William St D02 FT51 (next to Butlers), ☏ +353 1 672 9044. M–Sa 8AM–5PM, Su 9:30AM–5PM. Good value filled crèpes, they also do waffles and sandwiches. (updated Jun 2024) Govinda's, 83 Middle Abbey St D01 EV91, ☏ +353 89 962 1787. M–Th noon–7PM, F–Sa noon–8PM. Hare Krishna-run vegetarian restaurant. Filling portions, only order their Special if you're really hungry. (updated Jun 2024) Leo Burdock is a chain of fish & chips takeaways. Central outlets are Crown Alley off Temple Green and Werburgh St by Christ Church Cathedral, open daily 12:30-10:30PM. 3 Pablo Picante, 131 Lower Baggot St D02 Y237, ☏ +353 1 662 9773. M–Sa noon–8PM. Small friendly Mexican eatery, eat in or take away to nearby St Stephen's Green. They also have outlets at Clarendon Market and Dawson St. (updated Jun 2024) 4 Zaytoon, 44 Lower Camden St D02 YR71, ☏ +353 1 400 5006. Su–W noon–midnight, Th–Sa noon–4:30AM. Casual Persian restaurant. They also have a fast-food cafe in Temple Bar (corner of Parliament St and Essex St). (updated Jun 2024)

Mid-range 5 Bad Ass Café, 9 Crown Alley D02 ED77, ☏ +353 1 675 3005. M–Th noon–11:30PM, F noon–1:30AM, Sa–Su 9AM–1:30AM. Modern pub and entertainment venue for US-themed food, plus trad Irish beer and live music. (updated Jul 2025) 6 Balfes, 2 Balfe Street (within Westbury Mall), ☏ +353 1 646 3353, [email protected]. M–F 8AM–9:30PM, Sa–Su 10AM–9:30PM. Lively seafood restaurant

Drink & nightlife

Water in Dublin is fresh and clean from the Wicklow Mountains. The water of Vartry reservoir at Roundwood is commended in Joyce's Ulysses but the characters go boozing instead. Poulaphouca at Blessington was built later, and Sally Gap is the scenic road between the two catchments. Pubs: it's reckoned that Dublin has over 600. You can but make a start. In 2021 you might pay €6 for a pint, glass of wine or measure of spirits, somewhat more in Temple Bar. Pubs are generally open Su-Th to 23:00 and F Sa to 01:00 or later. Hours were curtailed during covid, the plus (which will likely remain) was that pubs increased their food offering, which meant they were "restaurants" and permitted to stay open - "You must try our pizza!" became a legally enforceable invitation. Smoking is illegal within all Irish pubs but many have a beer garden or similar outdoor smoking area. Temple Bar was named for the sand bar and mud flats along the south bank of the Liffey, reclaimed for building in the 17th century. "Temple" was both the name of the landowners, and of the Temple Bar district in London, with Essex St and Fleet St in the same respective positions. It's nowadays a tourist strip of cobbled alleys, drinking places, restaurants, more drinking places, shops, even more drinking places . . . it's very central so those stag and hen parties are probably just in for a quick one before heading to the Book of Kells or the big museums. Take care, but the sheer number of people on the streets gives you a measure of safety.

Traditional Irish 1 Peadar Kearney's, 64 Dame St D02 RT72 (Temple Bar), ☏ +353 1 670 6457. M-Th 11AM-11:30PM, F Sa 11AM-12:30AM, Su noon-11:30PM. Named for Peadar Ó Cearnaígh (1883-1942) who penned Amhráin na bhFiann, Ireland's national anthem, and was uncle to the three Behans, authors and prolific drinkers all. The pub is a great spot for pre- and post-gig drinks next to Olympia Theatre, with a young crowd and live music from up and coming Irish trad bands. Mostly tourists here but a nice spot to talk to other visitors. (updated Jun 2024) 2 The Cobblestone, 77 North King St D07 TP22 (Smithfield Square), ☏ +353 1 872 1799. M-Sa 2-11:30PM, Su 1-11:30PM. They describe themselves as "a drinking pub with a music problem" and have nightly trad sessions. (updated Jun 2024) 3 Frank Ryans, 5 Queen St D07 D227, ☏ +353 89 217 3073. M-Sa 4-11:30PM, Su 6-11PM. This pub and pizzeria has friendly bar staff and a mixed crowd of students, law types, trendies and locals. Expect weekly trad nights interspersed with Rockabilly, Country and Soul on the jukebox. (updated Ju

Sleep

Camping Dublin is not well-served for camping or caravaning. The nearest to the city centre is beyond the M50 to the southwest. 1 Camac Valley Caravan and Camping Park, Naas Rd, Clondalkin D022 DR60 (10 km west of city on N7 Naas Rd), ☏ +353 1 464 0644, [email protected]. Friendly well-run site on bus route to city. Tent €12, hook-up €40. (updated Jun 2024)

Budget There are a huge number of youth hostels, bed & breakfasts and hotels. Cheaper accommodation is north of the river, around the Busáras bus station; south of the river is more expensive. Abbey Court Hostel, 29 Bachelors Walk D01 AX90, ☏ +353 1 878 0700, [email protected]. Clean well-run hostel just off O'Connell St. Bunk €35 ppn. (updated Jun 2024) 2 Ashling House, 168 Drumcondra Rd D09 XH90, ☏ +353 1 837 5432. Basic accommodation in leafy Drumcondra. Decent rooms but it's not a B&B. Double (room only) €140. (updated Jun 2024) DCU Summer Rooms, ☏ +353 1 700 5736. Dublin City University offer spare accommodation to the public all year, with most availability June - September. Their three campuses are Glasnevin, All Hallows in Drumcondra, and St Patrick's in city centre. (updated Jun 2024) 3 Latroupe Jacobs Inn, 21-28 Talbot St D01 W5P8 (100 m north of bus station), ☏ +353 1 855 5660. Nice, clean budget hostel with keycard security. Ensuite shower and bathroom as well as an additional washroom at the end of each hall. The bunks are pods so there's extra privacy. Pod €35 ppn. (updated Jul 2025) Lyndon House, 26 Gardiner Place D01 Y103, ☏ +353 1 878 6555. Basic but clean B&B near the James Joyce Museum and the Custom House. B&B double €130. (updated Jun 2024) Travelodge Dublin City Centre, 44 Townsend St D02 DY01, ☏ +353 1 525 9500. Reliable chain 3-star, clean and efficient. There are three other Travelodges in the city and one at the airport. B&B double €200. (updated Jun 2024) Premier Inn Gloucester Street South, 29 Gloucester St South D02 WC98, ☏ +353 1 636 9060. Value-for-money chain hotel. There are three other Premier Inns in the city and one at the airport. B&B double €150. (updated Jun 2024) Trinity College, TCD Campus, ☏ +353 1 896 1177. TCD accommodation is available May-Sep in single, double or apartment rooms, some en suite. There is limited access to the campus after midnight, which can result in a long walk from the main gate to some of the residences. (updated Jun 2024) Generator Dublin, Smithfield Square D07 F2VF (by distillery), ☏ +353 1 901 0222, [email protected]. Smart hostel. Open social spaces but also a bar and a café to its guests. There are male

Go next

Almost all of Ireland is within 2-3 hours travel from Dublin, and the transport routes converge on the city. People even make day-trips to the Aran Islands out west or Giant's Causeway in the north, a mad way to experience them. Those listed here are all within an hour of the city.

County Dublin: - Dun Laoghaire is the city's former harbour, and Dalkey is a prosperous seaside suburb with Riveria architecture. - Howth is a scenic peninsula. Boat trips sail to Ireland's Eye, teeming with bird life. - Malahide has a fine castle. A walk along the coast brings you to Portmarnock beach. County Meath: - Brú Na Bóinne Archaeological Park has the megalithic tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. County Wicklow: - Enniskerry has the gardens of Powerscourt and the highest waterfall in Ireland. - Glendalough is a remarkable monastic village in a scenic mountain valley.