Lonely Planet Dublin

Dublin

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Dublin

Dublin’s Top 10

What’s New

Need to Know

First Time Dublin

Top Itineraries

If You Like…

Month By Month

Travel With Kids

Like a Local

For Free

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

Explore Dublin

Grafton Street & St Stephen’s Green

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

Merrion Square & Around

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

Temple Bar

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

Kilmainham & the Liberties

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

North of the Liffey

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

Docklands

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

The Southside

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Day Trips from Dublin

Howth

Enniskerry & Powerscourt Estate

Castletown House & Around

Dalkey

Malahide

Sleeping

Understand Dublin

Understand Dublin

Dublin Today

History

Literary Dublin

Musical Dublin

Architecture

The Irish Way of Life

Survival Guide

Transport

Arriving in Dublin

Getting Around

Tours

Directory A–Z

Accessible Travel

Customs Regulations

Discount Cards

Electricity

Embassies & Consulates

Emergency & Important Numbers

Health

Internet Access

Legal Matters

LGBT+ Travellers

Medical Services

Money

Opening Hours

Post

Public Holidays

Safe Travel

Taxes & Refunds

Telephone

Time

Toilets

Tourist Information

Visas

Women Travellers

Language

Dublin Maps

Temple Bar

Grafton Street

Grafton St & St Stephen’s Green

Merrion Square & Around

Kilmainham & the Liberties

North of the Liffey

Docklands

The Southside

Table of Contents

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

Welcome to Dublin

A small capital with a huge reputation, Dublin has a mix of heritage and hedonism that will not disappoint. All you have to do is show up.

Layers of History

Dublin has been in the news since the 9th century, and while traces of its Viking past have been largely washed away, the city is a living museum of its history since then, with medieval castles and cathedrals on display alongside the architectural splendours of its 18th-century heyday, when Dublin was the most handsome Georgian city of the British Empire and a fine reflection of the aspirations of its most privileged citizens. How power was wrested from their hands is another story, and you’ll learn that one in its museums and on its walking tours.

Personality goes a Long Way

Dubliners will admit theirs isn’t the prettiest city, but will remind you that pretty things are as easy to like as they are to forget…before showing you the showstopper Georgian bits to prove that Dublin has a fine line in sophisticated elegance. True love is demonstrated with brutal unsentimentality round here, but they’ll go soft at the knees when talking about the character and personality of the ‘greatest city in the world, if you ignore all the others’. Garrulous, amiable and witty, Dubliners at their ease are the greatest hosts of all, a charismatic bunch with compelling soul and sociability.

A Few Scoops

Even in these times of green juices and heart-monitoring apps, the pub remains the alpha and omega of social interaction in Dublin. The city’s relationship with alcohol is complex and conflicted but, at its very best, a night out in the pub is the perfect social lubricant and one of the highlights of a visit to Dublin. Every Dubliner has their favourite haunt, from the never-changing traditional pub to whatever new opening is bringing in the beautiful people. With more than 1000 of them spread about the city, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

All the World Is Dublin

For as long as it’s been around, Dublin has looked beyond Irish shores for inspiration. Once the second city of the (British) Empire, Dublin has always maintained a pretty cosmopolitan outlook and in the last three decades has conspicuously embraced diversity and multiculturalism. You’ll hear languages and eat foods from all four corners of the globe, and while it used to be said that ‘real’ Dubs had to be born within the canals like their parents and grandparents before them, these days you’re just as likely to meet a Dub whose parents were born in Warsaw, Lagos, Cairo or Beijing.

Georgian-style house on Mountjoy Square | ANDREW MONTGOMERY/LONELY PLANET ©

Why I Love Dublin

By Fionn Davenport, Writer

At Dublin Airport I get into a taxi. Within 10 minutes the driver and I know everything about each other. Where we were born, where we grew up, which football team we support. He gives me his potted view of why Irish politics is a waste of space, and I tell him what I liked about whatever destination I’ve just been to. That’s Dublin for you, a city that dispenses with formalities and gets down to the nitty-gritty of everyday existence. We may never see each other again, but in that moment we are friends.

For more see, Our Writers

Dublin’s Top 10

A Dublin Pub

1‘A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub’, mused Leopold Bloom in James Joyce’s Ulysses . A conundrum, given there’s at least one on every street, but the answer is simple: go into each one you find. Over a hundred years later, the centre of all social life in Dublin remains the bar. There are more than 700, from traditional boozers, such as John Mulligan’s , to the trendiest watering holes. It’s where you’ll meet Dubliners at their convivial, easy-going best and get a sense of what makes this city tick.

DERICK HUDSON/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dublin’s Top 10

Trinity College

2Since its foundation in 1592, Trinity College has become one of the world’s most famous universities; it’s the alma mater of Swift, Wilde and Beckett; it’s where you’ll find the most beautiful library in the whole country and the home of the world’s most famous illuminated Gospel, the Book of Kells . Its 16 hectares are an oasis of aesthetic elegance, its cobbled quadrangles lined with handsome neo-classical buildings that lend an air of magisterial calm to the campus, evident as soon as you walk through Front Arch.

SERGEY-73/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dublin’s Top 10

National Museum of Ireland

3The artefacts of a nation are to be found in this eminent institution, which opened in 1890 with a fine collection of coins, medals and Irish antiquities. The collection has grown significantly since then, and now numbers in excess of four million objects split across three separate museum buildings, including prehistoric archaeological finds and Celtic and medieval treasures, an extensive folklore collection, and the stuffed beasts and skeletons of the natural history section.

ANTON_IVANOV/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dublin’s Top 10

Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin

4Hanging on the walls of a magnificent Georgian pile is arguably the city’s finest collection of modern and contemporary art, which runs the gamut from impressionist masterpieces (Degas, Monet, Manet et al) to Irish artists such as Dorothy Cross and Sean Scully. The gallery’s extra-special treat is Dublin-born Francis Bacon’s actual London studio, brought over piece by piece and painstakingly reassembled in all its glorious mess – you can’t step inside it but you can observe exactly how the artist lived and worked, down to the minute details.

FRANCIS BACON STUDIO, 7 REECE MEWS (1998). PHOTOGRAPH: PERRY OGDEN. COLLECTION & IMAGE © HUGH LANE GALLERY, DUBLIN. © THE ESTATE OF FRANCIS BACON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, DACS.

Dublin’s Top 10

Dining Scene

5It was unthinkable less than two decades ago, but Dublin’s foodie scene is now one of the city’s major highlights. There are restaurants to suit every taste and budget, but the most exciting ones are the places – such as Richmond – that have led the way in defining Modern Irish cuisine, a catholic style that uses the basic ingredients and recipes of Irish cuisine and infuses them with influences from virtually every other cuisine in the world.

PLATED DISH FROM RESTAURANT PATRICK GUILBAUD. | STRIKING IMAGES - INDUSTRY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Dublin’s Top 10

Kilmainham Gaol

6Ireland’s struggle for independence was a bloody and tempestuous journey, and this forbidding prison on the western edge of the city played a role in it for nearly 150 years, as the forced temporary home of many a rebel and revolutionary. Unoccupied since 1924, it is now a museum with an enthralling exhibit on the history of Irish nationalism. The guided tour of its grim cells and corridors is highly memorable and it finishes in the yard where the leaders of the failed 1916 Easter Rising were executed.

SALVADOR MANIQUIZ/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dublin’s Top 10

Guinness Storehouse

7One of the world’s most famous beer brands is Guinness, as inextricably linked with Dublin as James Joyce and…no, we can’t think of anything else. An old fermentation plant in the St James’s Gate Brewery has been converted into a seven-storey museum devoted to the beer, the company’s history, how the beer is made and how it became the brand it is today. The top floor is an atrium bar, where you put the theory to the test and drink a pint; just below it is an excellent spot for lunch.

COURTESY DIAGEO ©

Dublin’s Top 10

Chester Beatty Library

8Alfred Chester Beatty was a mining magnate with exceedingly good taste, and the fruit of his aesthetic sensibility is gathered in this remarkable museum. Books, manuscripts and scrolls were his particular love, and his collection includes one of the world’s finest gatherings of Qu’rans, the finest collection of Chinese jade books in existence, and some of the earliest biblical parchments ever found. The remainder of the collection is fleshed out with tablets, paintings, furniture and other beautiful objets d’art.

BARRY MASON/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Dublin’s Top 10

St Stephen’s Green

9Dublin is blessed with green spaces, but none is so popular or so beloved by its citizens as St Stephen’s Green, whose main entrance is through an arch at the southern end of Grafton St. When the sun burns through the cloud cover, virtually every blade of grass is occupied, by students, lovers and workers on a break. Many a business meeting is conducted along its pathways, which run by flower gardens, playgrounds and old Victorian bandstands.

ROLF G WACKENBERG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dublin’s Top 10

National Gallery

10 The State’s art collection is an impressive one, a history of art spread across six centuries and 54 separate galleries, which have just reopened after a major refurbishment. The marquee names include Goya, Caravaggio and Van Gogh, but no less impressive are the paintings by luminaries such as Orpen, Reynolds and Van Dongen. Don’t miss the paintings by Jack B Yeats, or the seasonal exhibit of watercolours by JMW Turner; as you find your way there, you’ll pass the odd Rembrandt, Velázquez and Vermeer.

SALVADOR MANIQUIZ/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

What’s New

5000 New Beds

After more than a decade of stagnation, Dublin is building hotels. More than 5000 new beds are scheduled to be available by 2020. Already open are Aloft Dublin City and the Iveagh Garden Hotel, with a bunch more to come.

14 Henrietta Street

Dublin’s most complete Georgian street is home to this refurbished townhouse, now a museum showcasing the history of the dwelling, from its construction in the 1740s as an elegant family home to its dereliction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Museum of Literature Ireland

Newman House is now home to this museum, an interactive exploration of the country’s rich literary heritage; the new museum includes Joyce’s notes for Ulysses.

Vaults Live

This permanent theatre attraction in the Liberties tells tales of Dublin’s more gruesome history.

Bottomless Brunch

The bottomless brunch has arrived in Dublin, with a bunch of places offering limitless drinks (usually mimosas or Bellinis) for a fixed price – try Bow Lane, Cleaver East or Thundercut Alley.

Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again

This exhibition dedicated to the poet is in situ in the new Bank of Ireland Cultural & Heritage Centre until 2021.

Luke Kelly Sculptures

The 35th anniversary of the beloved folk singer’s death in January 2019 saw the addition of two sculptures to the cityscape – the first on South King St and another on Sheriff St on the northside, where Kelly was born in 1940.

Distillery District

In Dublin, whiskey is what gin is virtually everywhere else, with a handful of new distilleries opening up in the city’s very own whiskey quarter, the Liberties. Teeling Distillery was the trailblazer, but has been followed by the Pearse Lyons Distillery, the Dublin Liberties Distillery and Roe & Co.

Perfect Pizza

Dublin has rediscovered the pleasure of the perfect pizza – with a handful of spots vying for the title of the city’s very best, including newcomers Pi Pizza, Boco and Manifesto, who join stalwarts Paulie’s Pizza.

The Ivy

The first Irish outpost of the Soho landmark restaurant branched out and landed in Dublin in 2018 to much chi-chi fanfare, though tales of staff disaffection have tempered the enthusiasm somewhat – but not quite enough to shorten the booking queues.

For more recommendations and reviews, see lonelyplanet.com/ireland/dublin

Need to Know

For more information, see Survival Guide

Currency

euro (€)

Language

English

Visas

Not required for citizens of Australia, New Zealand, the USA or Canada, or citizens of European nations that belong to the European Economic Area (EEA).

Money

ATMs are widespread. Credit cards (with PIN) are widely accepted in restaurants, hotels and shops.

Mobile Phones

All European and Australasian mobile phones work in Dublin, as do North American phones not locked to a local network. Check with your provider. Prepaid SIM cards start from €20.

Time

Western European Time (UTC/GMT November to March; plus one hour April to October)

Tourist Information

Visit Dublin Centre (gall city centre) General visitor information on Dublin and Ireland, as well as an accommodation and booking service.

Daily Costs

Budget under €150

A Dorm bed: €16–28

A Cheap meal in cafe or pub: €15–25

A Bus ticket: up to €2.85

A Some museums: free

A Pint: €5.50–7

Midrange €150–250

A Budget hotel double: €100–150

A Midrange hotel or townhouse double: €130–250

A Lunch or dinner in midrange restaurant: €30–40

A Guided tours and admission to paid attractions: €20

Top End over €250

A Double in top-end hotel: from €250

A Dinner in top-end restaurant: €60–120

Advance Planning

Two months before Book accommodation, especially for summer. Purchase tickets for major live gigs, especially big-name touring musicians and comedians.

Two weeks before Secure accommodation in low season. Book weekend performances for main theatres, and Friday or Saturday night reservations at top-end restaurants.

One week before Book weekend tables at the trendiest or most popular restaurants.

Useful Websites

A All The Food ( www.allthefood.ie ) Up-to-date restaurant reviews for Dublin.

A Dublin Tourism ( www.visitdublin.com ) Official website of Dublin Tourism.

A Dublintown ( www.dublintown.ie ) Comprehensive list of events and goings-on.

A Failte Ireland ( www.discoverireland.ie ) Official tourist-board website.

A Lonely Planet ( www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/dublin ) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveller forum and more.

A Old Dublin Town ( www.olddublintown.com ) Haphazard-looking website that’s an excellent info resource for this city in flux.

WHEN TO GO

The weather in Dublin is at its best from June to August, September can be warm and sunny. November to February are cold, but dry; May sees rain and sun.

Arriving in Dublin

Dublin Airport Buses to the city centre run every 10 to 15 minutes between around 6am and 12.30am; taxis (€25) take around 45 minutes.

Dublin Port Terminal Buses (adult/child €3.50/2, 20 minutes) are timed to coincide with arrivals and departures.

Busáras All Bus Éireann services arrive at Busáras; private operators have arrival points in different parts of the city.

Heuston and Connolly Stations Main-line trains from all over Ireland arrive at Heuston or Connolly Stations. Connolly Station is a stop on the DART line into town; the Luas Red Line serves both Connolly and Heuston stations.

For more, see Transport

Getting Around

Walking Dublin’s city centre is compact, flat and eminently walkable – it’s less than 2km from one end of the city centre to the other.

Bicycle The city’s rent-and-ride Dublinbikes scheme is the ideal way to cover ground quickly.

Bus Useful for getting to the west side of the city and the suburbs.

Luas A two-line light-rail transport system that links the city centre with the southern suburbs.

Taxi Easily recognised by light-green-and-blue ‘Taxi’ signs on the doors, they can be hailed or picked up at ranks in the city centre.

DART Suburban rail network that runs along the eastern edge of the city along Dublin Bay.

For more, see Getting Around

Sleeping

A surge in tourist numbers and a relative lack of beds means hotel prices can skyrocket, particularly at weekends and during the high season (May to September). There are good midrange options north of the Liffey, but the biggest spread of accommodation is south of the river, from midrange Georgian townhouses to the city’s top hotels. Budget travellers rely on the selection of decent hostels, many of which have private rooms as well as dorms.

For more, see Sleeping

First Time Dublin

For more information, see Survival Guide

Checklist

A Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months past your arrival date.

A Check airline baggage restrictions (for liquids and fresh products in particular).

A Arrange travel insurance and, if you’re from the EU, a European Health Insurance Card.

A Inform your debit-/credit-card company of your travel plans.

A Check if you can use your mobile phone abroad.

What to Pack

A Raincoat – yes, it will most likely rain at some point

A Good walking shoes – Dublin is best explored on foot

A UK/Ireland electrical adaptor

A A few extra layers – it can get cool, even in summer

A A small day pack

A A hollow leg – that beer needs to go somewhere

Top Tips for Your Trip

A The city centre is small enough to be easily walkable, but make sure you have comfortable shoes.

A If you’re going to use public transport, be sure to get a Leap card (from most convenience stores): it’s cheaper and much easier than cash.

A With over 100 public bicycle-rental stations spread throughout the city, Dublinbikes is a convenient way to get around, and the first 30 minutes are free.

A Book tables at popular restaurants at least a few days in advance if you want to avoid disappointment or dodge the 5.30pm seating nobody else wants.

A Lunch deals and pre-theatre menus are the best way to enjoy fine dining, even in the very best restaurants in town.

A If you’re looking for an authentic traditional-music session, get away from the pubs of Temple Bar and look for one removed from those cobbled, touristy streets.

What to Wear

You can wear pretty much whatever you want: smart casual is the most you’ll need for fancy dinners, the theatre or the concert hall.

Irish summers are warm but rarely hot, so you’ll want an extra layer for when the temperatures cool, especially in the evening.

Ultimately, the ever-changeable weather will determine your outfits, but a light waterproof jacket and waterproof shoes should never be beyond reach, for the almost inevitable rain.

Be Forewarned

Dublin is a safe city by any standards, except maybe those set by the Swiss. Basically, act as you would at home. See here for more information.

Best Blogs about Dublin

A All The Food ( www.allthefood.ie ) Reliable restaurant reviews and lots more, such as the best cafes to work from.

A Come Here To Me! ( www.comeheretome.com ) A practical guide to Dublin’s history, full of fascinating detail and interesting facts about places and people.

A Totally Dublin ( www.totallydublin.ie ) Comprehensive listings guide for the city.

Taxes & Refunds

A standard value-added tax (VAT) rate of 23% is applied to all goods sold in Dublin excluding books, children’s clothing and educational items. Non-EU residents can claim the VAT back so long as the store operates either the Cashback or Taxback refund programme. You’ll get a voucher with your purchase that must be stamped at the last point of exit from the EU.

Tipping

You’re not obliged to tip if the service or food was unsatisfactory.

A Hotels Only for bellhops who carry luggage, then €1 per bag.

A Pubs Not expected unless table service is provided, then €1 for a round of drinks.

A Restaurants Tip 10% for decent service, up to 15% in more expensive places.

A Taxis Tip 10% or round up to the nearest euro.

A Toilet attendants Tip €0.50.

Bicycle-rental station | KEITH DONEGAN/ GETTY IMAGES ©

Etiquette

A Greetings Shake hands with both men and women when meeting for the first time. Female friends are greeted with a single kiss on the cheek.

A Queues Dubliners can be a little lax about proper queuing etiquette, but are not shy about confronting queue-skippers who jump in front of them.

A Polite requests Dubliners often use ‘Sorry’ instead of ‘Excuse me’ when asking for something; they’re not really apologising for anything.

Language

Irish (Gaeilge) is the country’s official language. The Official Languages Act, introduced by the government in 2003, determines that all official documents, street signs and official titles must be either in Irish or in both Irish and English. Despite its official status, Irish is really only spoken in pockets of rural Ireland known as the Gaeltacht, the main ones being Cork (Corcaigh), Donegal (Dún na nGall), Galway (Gaillimh), Kerry (Ciarraí) and Mayo (Maigh Eo).

For more on the Irish Language and key phrases see here.

Top Itineraries

Day One

Grafton Street & St Stephen’s Green

MStart with a stroll through the grounds of Trinity College, visiting the Long Room and the Book of Kells before ambling up Grafton St to St Stephen’s Green. For more beautiful books and artefacts, drop into the Chester Beatty Library. On your way, you can do a spot of retailing in Powerscourt Townhouse shopping centre or the many boutiques west of Grafton St.

5

Lunch The lunch bento at Sisu Izakaya is great value and delicious.

Merrion Square & Around

RPick your heavyweight institution, or visit all three: the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology (if only for the Ardagh Chalice and Tara Brooch), the National Gallery (be sure to check out the Jack B Yeats room) and the Museum of Natural History, which the kids will surely enjoy.

5

Dinner Etto is one of the best Italian restaurants in town.

Temple Bar

NDublin’s one-time party zone still likes to have a good time, and is definitely at its most animated in the evenings, where you have the choice of a traditional-music session, some decent clubbing at Mother (Saturdays only) or just straight up drinking at any of the district’s many pubs.

Top Itineraries

Day Two

Kilmainham & the Liberties

MBegin with a little penance at either (or both) of Dublin’s medieval cathedrals, St Patrick’s and Christ Church, before pursuing pleasure at Dublin’s most popular tourist attraction, the Guinness Storehouse. Along the way, you have your choice of distillery experiences, but Teeling is at least now selling whiskey produced on its own premises.

5

Lunch Fumbally has great soups, sandwiches and coffee.

Kilmainham & the Liberties

RGo further west to Kilmainham, visiting first the fine collection at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (don’t forget to visit the gardens too) before going out the back entrance and stepping into Kilmainham Gaol, the tour of which offers one of the most illuminating and interesting insights into Ireland’s struggle for independence. If the weather is good, a stroll in the War Memorial Gardens is also recommended.

5

Dinner Super seafood at Fish Shop, in Stoneybatter.

North of the Liffey

NWalshs of Stoneybatter is a superb traditional bar, full of interesting locals and hipster blow-ins looking for a ‘real’ Dublin experience. Alternatively, you could take in a play at either the Gate Theatre or Ireland’s national theatre, the Abbey. Use the Luas to get you from Stoneybatter (get on at the Museum stop) to Abbey St.

Whiskeys at Teeling Distillery | REMIZOV/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Itineraries

Day Three

North of the Liffey

MAfter walking the length of O’Connell St, and pausing to inspect the bullet holes in the General Post Office, explore the collection of the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin, including Francis Bacon’s reconstructed studio. At 14 Henrietta St you’ll discover the story of a Georgian townhouse; at Jameson Distillery Bow Street you can uncover the secrets of Irish whiskey.

5

Lunch Get a sandwich or healthy salad at the wonderful Fegan’s 1924.

North of the Liffey

RThe collection of the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History is excellent, but you’ll be distracted by the stunning 18th-century barracks that is its home. The nearby Arbour Hill Cemetery is where the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising are buried, while further west again is the broad expanse of Phoenix Park, Europe’s largest city park.

5

Dinner Chapter One is ideal for a special occasion. Book ahead.

Grafton Street & St Stephen’s Green

NThe biggest choice of nightlife is in the streets around Grafton St: there are traditional pubs, trendy new bars and music venues. You can drink, chat and dance the night away, or see a show at the Gaiety Theatre. Whatever you choose, everything is easily reached in what is a pretty compact district.

Museum of Natural History | BOULENGER XAVIER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Itineraries

Day Four

North of the Liffey

MYou’ll get a particularly interesting insight into the vagaries of Irish history with a visit to Glasnevin Cemetery, the final resting place of so many Irish notables – be sure to take the brilliant tour. The National Botanic Gardens are just around the corner, and well worth an amble. Sporting fans will enjoy the tour of Croke Park, Ireland’s biggest stadium and the HQ of the Gaelic Athletic Association.

5

Lunch Oxmantown has a great range of lunch options.

Howth

RHop on a DART and head northwards to Howth, a nice fishing village at the foot of a bulbous headland overlooking Dublin Bay. There are great walks around the headland itself, but if you prefer something a little more sedate, there’s a fine selection of pubs in the village and some excellent seafood restaurants along the pier. There’s also a terrific farmers market at weekends.

5

Dinner Mr Fox is one of the best restaurants in town for Irish cuisine.

Merrion Square & Around

NA visit to O’Donoghue’s on Merrion Row is guaranteed to be memorable. This beautiful traditional bar is always full of revellers, and there’s a good chance there’ll be a trad-music session on.

If You Like…

Traditional Pubs

Kehoe’s Beautiful traditional pub with elegant Victorian bar beloved of locals and visitors alike.

John Mulligan’s This historic place has featured in films and is synonymous with the quiet, ticking-clock style of the Dublin pub.

Fallon’s Great neighbourhood bar at the edge of the Liberties frequented by locals and hipsters in the know.

John Kavanagh’s It’s worth the trek to the north Dublin suburb of Glasnevin for this traditional classic.

Stag’s Head The most picturesque of Dublin’s traditional bars hasn’t changed a jot since it was remodelled in 1895.

Toner’s Flagstone floors and an old-style bar make this a favourite boozer for the local business crowd.

Old Royal Oak Traditional pub in the western suburb of Kilmainham beloved of aficionados of the classic pub experience.

Walshs Wonderful local pub frequented by old men in flat caps and young arty types in…flat caps.

Modern Bars

Bow Lane Late-night cocktail lounge with an industrial art deco design but the dark, moody atmosphere of a ‘50s Vegas bar.

Farrier & Draper Prohibition-era cool in the decadent surroundings of an 18th-century Georgian mansion.

Vintage Cocktail Club A little oasis in the madness of Temple Bar, serving expert cocktails in cosy, 1920s-inspired rooms.

House A beautiful bar in a gorgeous Georgian home, with a garden in the middle of it.

Square Ball Craft beers, a vintage arcade, board games and sports – this cool bar has something for everyone.

Liquor Rooms Basement boozer with an impressive cocktail menu, lots of nooks and crannies and excellent music.

The Oak A 1920s-style bar that oozes elegance from its handsome leather booths and high-backed blue velvet chairs.

Traditional Music

Cobblestone The best pub in Dublin for hearing good traditional music, both old-style and contemporary.

O’Donoghue’s Folk music’s unofficial HQ during the 1960s, O’Donoghue’s still hosts regular sessions of traditional music.

Ha’Penny Bridge Inn A regular session of ballads, folk and traditional music takes place on Sunday nights.

Devitt’s This buzzy pub has open sessions in which anyone can play – so long as you’re really good at playing traditional music.

Oliver St John Gogarty Sessions here may be strictly for tourists, but they’re performed by some excellent musicians.

Irish History

Kilmainham Gaol Ireland’s troubled and bloody struggle for independence is revealed in a visit to this historic jail.

Glasnevin Cemetery Almost everyone who was anyone in the last two centuries of Irish history is interred at this cemetery.

1916 Rebellion Walking Tour A detailed and informative walking tour of all the sites and stories associated with the Easter Rising.

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum This interactive museum explores the story of emigration and the diaspora.

Irish Family History Centre The ideal place to begin – or further – your exploration of your own Irish family history.

14 Henrietta Street The history of Dublin as told through the story of one of its Georgian houses.

Jeanie Johnston An exact replica of a 19th-century Famine ship that sailed across the Atlantic.

Admiring Art

Irish Museum of Modern Art Art from the 20th and 21st centuries on its walls, amid elegant surroundings and beautiful gardens.

Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin Impressionist masterpieces and Francis Bacon’s actual studio, reconstructed piece by exacting piece.

National Gallery Home of the Irish State’s art collection, including a Caravaggio and a whole room dedicated to Jack B Yeats.

Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) Gallagher Gallery Privately run gallery where installations, sound pieces and other treats complement the contemporary paintings.

City Assembly House Dublin’s original art gallery stages occasional exhibitions in its beautiful main room.

For more top Dublin spots, see the following:

A Eating

A Drinking & Nightlife

A Entertainment

A Shopping

A Sports & Activities

Museum Meanders

National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology The country’s most important cultural institution, with sacred historical treasures.

Chester Beatty Library Breathtaking collection of sacred books and objets d’art from the Middle East and Asia.

Little Museum of Dublin Tells the story of Dublin in the 20th century through photographs and objects.

Museum of Natural History The Dead Zoo’s collection has hardly changed since 1857.

National Print Museum May sound dull, but is anything but – if you’ve any interest in the printed word then it’s a memorable visit.

Little Museum of Dublin | MARTIN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Live Gigs

Workman’s Club A great spot for left-of-centre stuff, from electronica to alt rock and beardy folk music.

Whelan’s The spiritual home of the singer-songwriter, this terrifically intimate venue allows you to get up close and personal.

Vicar Street A midsized venue that generally hosts soul, folk and world music.

3 Arena The place to see your favourite touring international superstar, along with 23,000 others.

Wigwam First-class DJs do their thing in the basement bar.

Button Factory A good mix of live music and DJs at this Temple Bar venue.

Markets & Shopping

Powerscourt Townhouse The city’s most elegant shopping centre, selling everything from hand-crafted leather bags to hats by Irish designers.

George’s Street Arcade Beneath the arches of this Victorian arcade you’ll find everything from secondhand LPs to patchouli oil.

Temple Bar Food Market The best gourmet food market in town is the place to sample all kinds of goodies.

Ulysses Rare Books Rare books, maps and first editions are found in this beautiful bookshop, which specialises in Irish titles.

Irish Design Shop Irish crafts, from jewellery to kitchenware, that make for excellent local mementos or gifts.

Article Imaginative and elegant collection of homewares and gift ideas, from egg cups to posters.

Eating Out

Chapter One Michelin-starred and beloved by its regulars, this is one of the best restaurants in town.

Banyi Japanese Dining If you want authentic Japanese cuisine, look no further than this sensational restaurant in Temple Bar.

Greenhouse One Michelin star hardly does justice to the superb Scandi-Irish cuisine of this wonderful restaurant.

Clanbrassil House A cosy neighbourhood restaurant turning out some of the city’s finest food.

Etto Superb, modern interpretations of Italian fare.

Fish Shop The best seafood restaurant in town works only with the freshest catch.

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud For the ultimate splash-out meal, this is arguably the best restaurant in Ireland.

Literary Locations

Marsh’s Library Founded in 1701, Ireland’s oldest library is home to more than 25,000 books and manuscripts dating back to the 1400s.

Old Library Trinity College is home to the world’s most famous illuminated Gospels and the breathtaking Long Room library.

Dublin Writers Museum Dublin’s literary heritage is explored through writers’ personal possessions, scribblings and memorabilia.

Bloomsday Edwardian gear is de rigueur on 16 June if you want to celebrate Dublin’s unique tribute to James Joyce.

James Joyce Cultural Centre A fascinating flavour of Joyce’s Edwardian heyday intermingled with some excellent films on the author’s life and work.

Marsh’s Library | OLIVIER CIRENDINI/LONELY PLANET ©

Green Spaces

St Stephen’s Green The city’s favourite sun trap, with every blade of its manicured lawns occupied by lounge lizards and