Hi friends! I hope those of you in the U.S. are making the most of your President’s Day Weekend (check out excellent sitewide sales at J.Crew, One Kings Lane, Williams-Sonoma, and Wisteria). Simon and I are headed to Ireland next weekend to visit friends and I wanted to ask if you had any tips on things to see/do/eat/drink in Dublin…? I haven’t been since college and always adore your suggestions. I also may be headed back to Ireland in May to explore the countryside with my mom and little brother, so ideas beyond Dublin are much appreciated as well. Thanks in advance! xx Katie P.S. I’m also popping over to London early next week for 36 hours…stay tuned!
Hello- I am a fan of Eileen Gray, so when I was last in Dublin, I stopped in and saw the permanent collection of her work at the National Museum. https://www.museum.ie/Decorative-Arts-History/Exhibitions/Current-Exhibitions/Eileen-Gray
My husband loved the Guinness tour. We also took a train to Howth and had fish on the pier- start early and there are lovely walking tours- the train leaves early back.
Enjoy~ Kumi
Kumi – This is so helpful, thank you!
I have so many Ireland tips! I spent two summers living in County Clare in college and loved it. Two of my favorite places to eat are the Queen of Tarts (best bakery ever) and The Farm (there are several restaurants, all farm-to-table and all delicious!). If you’re interested in live Irish music, the Dublin Sessions website lists all live sessions for the week: https://dublinsessions.ie/
I love the National Gallery and IMMA (the modern art museum). Besides visiting Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedrals, I’d recommend Our Lady of Mt Carmel on Whitefriars Street, which is where the relics of Saint Valentine are held. Also, the University Church in Stephen’s Green South is decorated like a Byzantine Church and is just so beautiful.
Don’t neglect to explore the smaller towns outside of Dublin! It’s easy to take the DART to towns like Sandycove, Dun Laoghaire, and Malahide.
I hope you have a lovely trip! I’m looking forward to following along via Instagram :) I hope these tips help!
I’m also headed to London this week!!! Would love to hear your recommendations!!! Xoxo
If you find yourself in Kinsale Ireland you have to eat at the Black Pig.
Everything there is good but the Crab Claws are the BEST,
Hi,
Can you please post a guide for Copenhagen? She is studying there this semester and I will be visiting in May.
Thanks!
I originally visited Dublin during study abroad in 2001 and can’t recommend the day trip to Howth enough! Great call, Kumi! I visited Ireland again in late 2016 as a tag-on for a business trip. Instead of spending the whole time in Dublin, I took a few days in Northern Ireland, which I can’t recommend enough, especially for your spring trip. For the recent Dublin visit, I’d suggest checking out Chapter One for the pre-theater meal. It is a great way to experience the highlights of one of Dublin’s only Michelin spots at a fraction of the price. The G&T menu alone is worth the trip if you are so inclined. After dinner, I went to see Glen Hansard at Vicar Street. If you enjoy live music, Vicar Street is a gem. Seeing a great Irish musician in this small venue was a true trip highlight. One of my favorite Uber drivers insisted that I visit Matt the Thresher for a meal, which I’d also highly recommend. If you are looking for a solid sleep, avoid the entirety of Temple Bar; if I had spent more time planning, I would have opted for The Dean or Merrion Hotel. I also had on my list but did not have time to explore the following restaurants, which I understand require pre-booking: L’Ecrivain Restaurant, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Brasserie Sixty6 Restaurant in Dublin 2, The Greenhouse, and Pearl Brasserie. On a similar bar list: Peruke & Periwig. And finally, the area near The Dean: Bastible, Listons Food Store, Delahunt, and Gerry’s Coffee Shop. Let me know if you need any London recs – have spent a lot of time in the past few years.
You’ll have a great trip! ~Ali ☘️
The view from the top of Guinness is fabulous – worth the tour even if you aren’t interested in beer :) It’s fascinating and well done.
Also, we took the train from Dublin to Wicklow and spent the afternoon walking the coast and seeing the countryside. It was gorgeous. We had asked the tour driver on our bus to Waterford what he would do if he only had 1 day in Dublin and he told us without hesitation that he would go to Wicklow. We ate in a local pub that was painted almost neon hot pink!! How’s that for local color??
We took a DART to Killiney for a day and wandered around the parks and towns. Was a fun local trek. Also took a day trip to Galway via Limerick, taking a tour up the coast and stopping at the Cliffs of Moher and towns. Have fun! It’s such a great place.
I always recommend taking a tour of the Kilmainham Gaol Museum, if you haven’t previously been, and also heartily second the recommendation to visit Wicklow!!! Have a wonderful time!
Powerscourt in the Wicklow Mountains. It is a beautiful old mansion that gives a beautiful view of the mountains and the green of Ireland. Some of my favorite memories and photos are from this visit to Powerscourt!
Staid as is looks, this is a great place to stay if you can (reciprocal membership needed, but it’s pretty wide) https://www.sghc.ie
Couldn’t be more beautifully situated.
Mike
If only in the Dublin area:
Take a day trip to NewGrange – 30 miles north of Dublin. It’s so incredibly special. I grew up nearby in the Boyne Valley.
http://newgrange.com/
Lot’s more to see and do in the area too. Tours arranged from Dublin or rent a car and tour yourself.
OldBridge House/ Battle of the Boyne
also very close by https://www.ireland.com/destinations/republic-of-ireland/meath/oldbridge/
& if time take a nature walk along the Boyne Canal
Also, famous Slane Castle
http://www.slanecastle.ie/tours/castle-tours/
Monasterboice Tower and High Crosses
http://www.megalithicireland.com/High%20Cross%20Monasterboice.htm
And much more, but that’s enough for now.
Enjoy!
Seconding ‘Matt the Thresher” for dinner/bar drinks and nibbles. Was just there a few weeks ago, lovely atmosphere, open hearth, great service and excellent seafood.
In Dublin visit the Chester Beatty Library’s collections of antiquities and its Silk Road Café. I second IMMA and Eileen Grey in Collins Barracks. Iveagh Gardens for a hidden city centre park. Too many good places to eat and drink to mention- explore! Check out dublineventguide.com for free events. Enjoy!
You must stay at Ballymaloe House in Cork! Check out the cooking school grounds as well x
Be sure to visit Brown Thomas on Grafton Street – Joyce (really did!) shop here. There a wonderful linens section on the upper floor called Top Drawer, and the home goods and fashion are excellent. A few doors down, Bewley’s Oriental Cafe just re-opened after a massive renovation that shows off its stained glass windows. It’s a charming space – but go at an off-time, and sit in the back to avoid the tourists, as it has become a popular spot. And I have to put in a word for Trinity College. The Long Room of the library at Trinity also containing the Book of Kells, and it is a MUST – you can’t say you’ve been to Dublin without it!