Dublin travel tips

[theAlaskanBear]

I'm just getting started with a 2 week sojourn in Dublin and its environs. I've been here three days and am settling in. The next two days I'm going to hit a lot of the famous city attractions. Later next week I will hit the cliffs of moher. Maybe I will take the ferry to wales for a day or two.

Does anyone have any must see or check this out or travel tips for the area, but dublin city in particular?

[weezie]

Lucky duck!
Food: The Winding Stair. Skip the Guinness Brewery and just drink it instead.
For chuckles, The Dawson Lounge (St. Stephen's Green), Dublin's tiniest pub.

If you're going over to Moher, The Burren is pretty neato. Also the Giant's Causeway up near Belfast.
Wales sounds cool, too!

Check out any of the Anthony Bourdain shows for other dining, etc.

[Wander]

Lucky duck!
Skip the Guinness Brewery and just drink it instead.

No way! Sure it's a bit touristy, but I like the go-at-your-own-pace exhibits in place of the tours at most breweries, and the two bars inside either give you that silly certificate to hang on your wall at home saying you learned how to pour a Guinness or a nice view of the city.

I liked Kilmainham Gaol, which is a prison that's an important historical site, and if you're like me who basically didn't know anything about Irish history, the tour there is a nice intro to that.

[weezie]

...I liked Kilmainham Gaol, which is a prison that's an important historical site

Yes, indeed. It is very important and educational.

[Reisen]

We skipped Dublin on our last trip to Ireland (in 2010), and opted for the west and south coasts instead. Places we liked included the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Galway, the Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Cork, and the Rock of Cashel. One regret was that I never played golf. We were there about this time of year, and saw a lot of people playing (albeit in windbreakers).

[snowdenscold]

We did one of the walking tours where a college student takes a group of you all around the city for about 4-6 hours. It was awesome, but unfortunately we did not dress properly (had wind breakers when it was about 40 degrees).

If you have a car, I would also get down to Glendalough (south of Dublin), and go through the whole Wicklow mountains area. And then Newgrange is about 30 mins north of the city on the River Boyne.

And if you're over at the Cliffs of Moher, I thought downtown Galway was really cool and wish we had more time there.


(we did 1 night Kilkenny, 2 nights Killarney, 2 nights Galways and 2 nights Dublin, so everything was go-go-go)

[mattman91]

Drink LOTS of beer.

[sagegrouse]

"Orange" you sorry that you're making me "green" with envy?

[FerryFor50]

Moher is a good spot.

If you are driving, there are some cool castles on the way, such as this one:

kilkenny.jpg

There's also Trinity College that's worth seeing.

And the Sam Beckett Bridge:

sambeckett.jpg

There's also a fishing village that's a short train ride from Dublin called Howth.

I also hear N. Ireland is worth checking out.

[theAlaskanBear]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. I'll drink an extra pint or twelve in honor of DBR, as well as a report of my trip once finished.

[burnspbesq]

If you end up overnighting in Galway, the Crane Bar is one of the best joints in the entire country for traditional Irish music--and they also book pretty adventurously in the upstairs room. I saw Eleanor McEvoy do a solo performance when I was there in 2010, and it was pretty magical.

It's well away from downtown, and there are no good restaurants anywhere near (at least there weren't four years ago), so plan accordingly.

[NSDukeFan]

If you end up overnighting in Galway, the Crane Bar is one of the best joints in the entire country for traditional Irish music--and they also book pretty adventurously in the upstairs room. I saw Eleanor McEvoy do a solo performance when I was there in 2010, and it was pretty magical.

It's well away from downtown, and there are no good restaurants anywhere near (at least there weren't four years ago), so plan accordingly.

Depending on how much time you have, you could do worse than spending time on an Aran Island or in Doolin, if you will be in the Galway, Cliffs of Moher (magical if you get there on a clear day). Pubs in Doolin are pretty good.

[fidel]

Whatever you do, don't leave the road. No wait, that's London.

Best I did was hiking in the Wicklow Mtns just outside Dublin. Nothing exciting, but absolutely non-tourist and beautiful.