What to See In and Around Dublin

If you're anything like me you incessantly Google "things to do while in [insert name of city/state/country here]" before leaving for any trip. You may or may not have noticed that most of these lists are exactly the same! They list the same three-four major things to do in any city and just leave it at that. I personally don't think these are very helpful. So, I thought I would just publish my own list of a couple things to do in Dublin that (may or) may not be on other lists.

Dublin, as many of you know, is the capital of Ireland but what you may not know that Dublin covers an area that is approximately 44 sq. mi. This leaves so much space to explore, and more than enough to do in two weeks!

If it is your first time in Dublin, I 100% recommend going to some of the very touristy places including The Chester Beatty Library and Trinity College.

The Chester Beatty Library is the collection of one man--Sir Alfred Chester Beatty. It houses some of the most culturally important manuscripts in the world including some of the oldest Christian, Hebrew, and Islamic texts (We can discuss the colonial undertones of this later). Admission is free, and the collection is well curated and thoroughly fascinating. Oh, and if you see Jessie, tell him I said hi!

If and when you go to Trinity College, take one of the student led tour. Yes they are 14 euro, but the price also includes access to the Book of Kells and the Long Room.The tour itself is informational and, depending on which guide you get, quite entertaining. I myself have taken it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.

Since you're probably still in that area, its worth wandering down Grafton street at least once.

Grafton Street is a pedestrian street lined with any kind of shop you can imagine with buskers every 100 ft and thousands of people. I'm being dramatic, but it is really busy! While you're in the area, why not check out one of the many wonderful restaurants/coffee shops?

If ridiculous amounts of people and noise are not really your thing, you should consider leaving the city center and heading toward The National Botanical Gardens in Glasnevin.

Now, full disclosure, I love any sort of garden. Anywhere I can just stare at plants and wander around outside for a couple of hours is the ideal place in my book. I can understand, however, that not everyone enjoys these things. That being said, please allow me to make a case for these botanical gardens.

They're stunning! (See photo above)
There is excellent people watching.
This particular garden has 48 acres of green space to wander around in. It's a wonderful place to take your family for a day. When we were there, there was a large group of children collecting rose petals to make perfume. It was adorable!
It's also very romantic, and a wonderful place to take engagement photos. Or Instagram photos. Whatever floats your boat.
Finally, the architecture of the buildings is just incredible. I am always in awe of people who can design and execute buildings made entirely of glass.

If you're still not convinced, here are several photos of the place.

By now I'm sure you're thinking, "gardens are great and all, but doesn't it rain like 90% of the time in Ireland?" Yes, it does rain quite a lot, and I don't know about you, but when it is rainy and dismal outside all I want to do is hide out in a museum. Enter, Hugh Lane Gallery.

Hugh Lane Gallery is located in central Dublin, about a 10 minute walk from the River Liffey. It is a contemporary art gallery that features the work of many famous Irish-born artists including Francis Bacon, Sean Scully, and Frank O'Meara. They even have Francis Bacon's studio on display. When I say his studio, I mean the entirety of it in the state it was in when he died. It's kind of incredible.

It is also an excellent place for people watching. Oh, and its free!

While you're in the Dublin area, why not explore some of the adorable coastal towns--all of which can be accessed by the DART in under 1.5 hours from the city center.

Howth is an adorable seaside town located at the end of the DART line on the north shore. I recommend that you set aside a whole day to explore and wander through the steep and winding streets of Howth. There is, however, one place you absolutely must visit while in town: The Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio.

Okay, hear me out. I know that vintage radios may not be your thing, but this museum is so much more than that. It is really a communication museum. They have everything from morse code and telegraph machines to the first tvs, all of which still work, and you are welcome to touch them! Oh, and did I mention that it is only 5 euro?!

If that still hasn't convinced you, they have some amazing views of the harbor.

Not far from Howth is the town of Malahide. The main attraction in Malahide is the castle and its gardens.

Full disclosure, I didn't go inside the castle. It costs 7 euro more than just seeing the grounds and gardens and I, personally, think all castles/manor houses look about the same. But the grounds were stunning!

There is also an amazing garden on site that has a butterfly house. And let me tell you, it was worth the 9 euro entrance fee!

Finally, If you're up for something outdoors and a little athletic, I recommend doing the Greystones to Bray cliff walk.

It's just a short hike (2.25 mi), but the views are fantastic! If you start in Greystones, I would recommend getting brunch at The Happy Pear or The Baker's Table before you head out. The trail ends in Bray right by the DART station which is perfect if you're staying in Dublin.