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We’ve compiled a list of the 10 Most Popular Things to do in Dublin to help you decide what to take in when you Visit!
Dublin is our capital city and one of the most multicultural cities in the world today and a must visit for anyone visiting Ireland. Most international traffic arrives through Dublin airport so most people will enjoy at least a few days in the city and explore all the attractions that it has to offer. Founded by the Vikings in 998AD, the city has a varied and interesting past and quite a few stories to tell. If it is your first trip to Dublin, you might want to tick a few of these famous visitor spots off your list:

Visit Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol is one of the biggest unoccupied prisons in Europe, it is now a museum and access is by guided tour. When it opened in 1796, the prison was one of the most modern of its time. Since then it has housed many political prisoners including those associated with the 1916 Easter Rising. Tours can get very busy and if you plan to visit, do call ahead or book tickets online.

Things to do in Dublin -Kilmainham Gaol exterior - door and flag pole
Kilmainham Gaol exterior – door and flag pole

See Glasnevin Cemetery

The Glasnevin Cemetery opened in 1832 and contains monuments and graves of some of Ireland’s most prominent national figures including Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith, Maude Gonne, Luke Kelly of the Dubliners and many more. Onsite, in the world’s first cemetery museum visitors can learn about the history and the lives of more than 1.5 million people that are buried in the cemetery.

Glasnevin Cemetery

Visit the Museums & Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was built in 1204 and was until 1922 the seat of the United Kingdom government administration in Ireland. Today it houses The Chapel Royal, The Chester Beatty Library which displays artistic treasures from around the world, The Revenue Museum which offers an interesting history of tax collection in Ireland and the State Apartments;  the venue for Ireland’s Presidencies of the European Union, Presidential inaugurations and prestigious functions. The grounds of the site are free to explore, admission to the State Apartments is by guided tour only and tickets can be purchased in the Upper Castle Yard in advance.

Things to do in Dublin -Exterior of Chapel Royale, Dublin Castle
Exterior of Chapel Royale, Dublin Castle

Walk Around Trinity College & See the Book of Kells Exhibition

Things to do in Dublin -Trinity College Old Library
Trinity College Old Library

Trinity College was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, it is Ireland’s oldest university and has had many famous students including Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and Jonathan Swift. Visitors to the College can enjoy guided tours of the magnificent Old Library and Book of Kells Exhibition. Online booking is recommended and you can purchase tickets here. Visitors with pre-booked tickets will be allowed access at their allocated time-slot. For a more enjoyable experience, you are better off purchasing your tickets online.

Have a pint at the Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse is one of Dublin’s busiest attractions and one of the most popular things to do in Dublin. The museum is set out over seven floors which surround a glass atrium in the shape of a pint of Guinness. The exhibition covers the process of making Guinness, right through to the marketing, sales and distribution of the finished product. The seventh floor houses the Gravity Bar with fantastic views of Dublin City.

Guinness Storehouse

Enjoy The (Free Entry) National Museums of Ireland

Three out of our four national museums are located in Dublin; The Museum of Archaeology and the Natural History Museums are located quite close to each other off Kildare Street and the Decorative Arts and History Museum is located at the Old Collins Barracks on Benburn Street. All of these museums are free entry and well worth a visit!

Things to do in Dublin -Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum

Visit Christchurch Cathedral & Dublinia

Christchurch Cathedral is the elder of Dublin’s two cathedrals, the other being St. Patricks. The cathedral famously contains the tomb of Strongbow, a medieval Norman-Welsh warlord who came to Ireland at the invitation of King Diarmuid MacMorrough. The cathedral also contains the largest Crypt in Ireland and amongst the things, you will find there are secular carvings and the mummified corpses of a Cat & a Rat, commonly nicknamed Tom & Jerry! The adjacent Dublinia Exhibition is especially great for kids but enjoyable by most anybody, it covers the period of Dublin’s history from the arrival of the Anglo-Normans to the closure of the monasteries in the 1540s.

Things to do in Dublin -Dublinia
Dublinia

See The GPO & New GPO Museum

The General Post Office (GPO) is the headquarters of the Irish Post Office and one of O’Connell Streets most prominent buildings. During the Easter Rising of 1916, the GPO famously served as the headquarters for the rebellion leaders. The GPO Witness History Museum documents the building’s history and brings the events of the Easter Rising to life.

GPO Witness History Museum

Do Some Shopping on Grafton Street

Grafton Street Performer
Grafton Street Street Performer

 

Characterised by energetic buskers and talented streets artists, Grafton Street and the surrounding streets contains some of the best shopping to be had in Dublin. There are also lots of nice cafes and bars in this area. Nearby at Meeting House Square, there are often theatre and film screenings and on Saturdays, there is an excellent organic food market.

 

Check out the Night Life at Temple Bar

Temple Bar is one of the best places to be in Dublin by night! Home to some of Dublin’s best traditional music bars and restaurants as well as some great art galleries, popular watering holes include The Palace Bar, The Temple Bar Pub, Oliver St. John Gogarty’s and The Auld Dubliner.

Things to do in Dublin -The Temple Bar Pub, Temple Bar
The Temple Bar Pub, Temple Bar

Get in Touch-

The best way to learn about all the things to do in Dublin is to visit yourself. Contact us today for a  free quotation including some or all of these locations today. We can tailor your itinerary on any of our Self Drive or Chauffeured tours.

Contact us today for a quotation including some or all of these locations today –

USA & Canada1877 298 7205

UK FreeFone0800 096 9438

International+353 69 77686

http://www.irishtourism.com/

 

 

 

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