7 Great Things to See and Do While in Dublin

The Sights of Dublin

There are so many things to see in Dublin City that I’m not sure where to even start! I feel like I learn something new each and every time that I visit this city but this time I feel that I’ve learned more than ever before.

I’ve compiled a list below of some of the top sights to see when visiting Dublin. Considering Dublin is a very walkable city, it should be no problem to cover a lot of these sights in less than two days.

Dublin City Hall

Built between 1769 and 1779, the Dublin City Hall is located exactly next to another famous sight in the city; Dublin Castle. The architecture in this place is amazing, and it’s one of the finest buildings in the city.

Tours of Dublin’s City Hall are available FREE of charge to groups who arrange in advance. If a tour isn’t your thing, then just walk through the open doors and head up the half spiral stair case until you arrive at the top floor. Be sure to bring your camera along in order to capture some of the beautiful art work, paintings and tile mosaics that are displayed here.

St. Stephen’s Green

This beautiful public park was built as a gift to the people of Dublin from the Guinness family in the 19th century. Adjacent to one of Dublin’s most popular shopping streets (Grafton St), St. Stephen’s Green is a place that you could easily spend the better half of your day. On a sunny day during the summer months you’ll find that St. Stephen’s Green is packed with all of the Dubliners that are trying to take advantage of a day without rain! Most tend to either walk the park, lay out in the sun or bring a lunch and have a nice picnic while being surrounded by a plethora of flowers, trees and lush green grass. St. Stephen’s Green also has a pond that you can bring the kids to feed the ducks.

Guinness Storehouse

The St. James’s Gate Brewery opened up on December 31, 1759 after its founder Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on the four-acre property for a laughable annual rent of £45 (approx. $70 USD).

Although the tour of the Guinness Storehouse is a little pricey for the budget minded traveler ($18.25 USD) it’s definitely a MUST see in my book. In fact, the Guinness Storehouse is the No. 1 most visited attraction in all of Ireland since opening in 2000.

Inside the Guinness Storehouse is seven whole floors full of history, facts about the ingredients, and information on how Guinness is made. You’ll even get to learn about the man they call the “fifth ingredient”, Arthur Guinness himself .

Once you’ve had enough of the history and you’ve explored all to be seen in the Storehouse, the tour points you to it’s seventh and final floor. The Gravity Bar.

Conveniently located at the top of the Guinness Storehouse with a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city of Dublin. That’s not all! It’s now time for all of you Guinness lovers to sit back, relax and sip on your complimentary pint of Guinness as you ponder what your favorite part of your visit to Ireland has been so far… Hmm? I wonder?

Temple Bar

Not so much the pub itself, but the area around it. Just a short walk over the Hay’penny bridge, through an alley of sorts and there lies Temple Bar. An area known for it’s late night revelers, and overly crowded pubs, but to me Temple Bar is much more than that.

When in Dublin I enjoy spending a part of my day strolling through some of Temple Bar’s seemingly endless amount of cobblestone streets that are lined with shops, galleries, restaurants, cafes, beggars and street musicians with dreams of one day becoming as famous as Dublin’s most celebrated rock band, U2. The Temple Bar area is also a great place to people watch. If that’s your thing, you’ll probably end up spending the better half of your day here.

If you want to check out the Temple Bar nightlife, feel free! Just know that you’ll need two things before you head out for your night on the town. Common sense, and MONEY! You’ll be home early if you think that you’ll only spend $50USD. Nightlife in Dublin can be VERY EXPENSIVE!

You can always count on some great traditional Irish music being played in Temple Bar. Be aware, the Temple Bar Pub and the area itself is very touristy so you’ll need to keep your eye out for pickpockets. Otherwise, enjoy yourself!

Trinity College

Opposite of the former Irish House of Parliament lies Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest university. It was founded in 1592 and is recognized as number 43 of the Top 100 world universities. Trinity College also houses the Book of Kells,  a world famous manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament.  The Book of Kells is housed in the old library building which requires an admission price. See below.

Kilmainham Gaol

Ireland’s most infamous former prison now turned museum. Kilmainham operated as a prison for over 130 years as it was built in 1796, and was abandoned in 1926. It stands today as one of the largest unoccupied Gaols in Europe. Kilmainham Gaol consisted of 112 prison cells built to hold 1 inmate each. At Kilmainham’s worst the 112 cells held over 9,000 inmates!

“The Hand” at the Department of Education and Science

The Hand Statue is located on the grounds of the Department of Education and Science. This has been a secret spot of mine for a few years now. Every time I come to Dublin, I always make my way over to the Hand for a quick photo or two. At one point I showed a photo of this statue here on PTM and I asked if anybody could tell me where this was taken in Dublin. Nobody ever answered!

In my opinion, this is one of the coolest photo opportunities in Dublin and I’ve decided to reveal the location of this statue for my readers that plan on visiting Dublin in the near future.

Details: Believe it or not, it’s only one block from O’Connell street yet nobody seems to know about this place. If you look at the map above you’ll notice that Marlborough Street runs parallel with O’Connell, so you can easily access Marlborough street by many of the side streets along O’Connell street. Hint: Take the side street called Sackville Pl. It will take you directly to the entrance of the grounds. Sometimes the gates to the entrance of the Dept. of Education & Science are locked. If so, I’m sorry to say you’re out of luck. I’m not sure what days and times the courtyard opens and closes but be sure to stop by a few times during your visit to see if you’re lucky enough to get a photo in my top secret spot in Dublin known as “The Hand”! All I ask is that you remember where you read this FIRST!