What you need to know about Dublin Ireland before you go

 

What you need to know about Dublin Ireland before you go

What's New

Teeling Distillery, Dublin

The first new distillery in Dublin for 125 years opened in 2015, but it'll be a few years yet before what it makes is actually whiskey; in the meantime, the visitor centre explains how it's made.

Epic Ireland

Epic Ireland is an engaging, interactive museum telling the story of Irish emigration and the diaspora, which should appeal to the 70-odd million global citizens with Irish ancestry.

Northside Dining

For too long treated as a culinary wasteland, the north side is now a gourmet hotspot thanks to some old favourites like 101 Talbot and Chapter One, and a host of new cafes and restaurants including Cotto, Oxmantown and M&L, the latter the best Chinese restaurant in town.

City Assembly Hall

The first purpose-built art gallery in Dublin is the glorious City Assembly Hall, which has reopened after years of closure thanks to the curative efforts of the Irish Georgian Society, which is based on the ground floor.

National Gallery

A three-year, €20m refurbishment and the National Gallery is gleaming again, with state-of-the-art security and heating systems and new galleries never before open to the public.

Fab Food Trails

Get to grips with the raw ingredients of Dublin's foodie revolution with this excellent new walking tour, which brings you to meet local producers and graze at local markets.

Women's History of Ireland

For far too long the role of women in Irish history was either ignored or written out completely; this weekly tour at the Little Museum of Dublin looks to redress the balance and highlight how central women actually were.

The Dean

The newest addition to the hotelscape borrows heavily from hotels like the Ace in New York and the Hoxton in London – it's not just a place to sleep, but to work and play, in hyper-stylish environs designed to snare creatives and their ilk.

If You Like...

Traditional Pubs

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

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

James Toner’s Flagstone floors and an old-style bar make this a favourite boozer for the local business crowd, who come here to unwind.

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

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

Irish History

Kilmainham Gaol Ireland’s troubled and bloody struggle for independence is revealed in a visit to this historic jail, where rebels were incarcerated and the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising executed.

Glasnevin Cemetery Almost everyone who was anyone in the last two centuries of Irish history is interred at this cemetery, and their stories are brought to life (ahem) by the excellent tours.

1916 Rebellion Walking Tour A detailed and informative walking tour of all the sites and stories associated with the Easter Rising make this one of the best ways to get to grips with this particular episode in history.

Epic Ireland This new interactive museum explores the story of emigration and the diaspora.

Jeanie Johnston An exact replica of a 19th-century Famine ship that gives a first-hand impression of what it was like to sail across the Atlantic.

Admiring Art

Irish Museum of Modern Art Art from the 20th and 21st centuries hangs on its walls, but you’ll soon be distracted by the elegant surroundings and beautiful gardens.

Dublin City Gallery – The Hugh Lane Impressionist masterpieces and Francis Bacon’s actual studio, reconstructed piece by exacting piece, are the highlights of this wonderful gallery.

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 Hall Dublin's original art gallery has started staging exhibitions again in a beautiful room.

Museum Meanders

National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology The country’s most important cultural institution is the repository of its most valuable and sacred historical treasures.

Chester Beatty Library Best small museum in Ireland, with breathtaking collection of sacred books and objets d’art from the Middle East and Asia.

Little Museum of Dublin This museum tells the story of Dublin in the 20th century through items, photographs and objects donated by Dubliners themselves.

Museum of Natural History The Dead Zoo’s collection of two million stuffed beasts has hardly changed since Scottish explorer Dr David Livingstone cut the ribbon in 1857.

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

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, you can get up close and personal at this terrifically intimate venue.

Vicar Street A mid-sized venue that generally hosts soul, folk and foreign 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.

Markets & Shopping

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

George’s St Arcade Beneath the arches of this Victorian arcade you'll find everything from second-hand 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.

Barry Doyle Design Jewellers Fancy a bespoke bit of Celtic jewellery? This lovely shop in the George's St Arcade is the place to go.

With Kids

Kid-friendly? You bet. Dublin loves the little 'uns, and will enthusiastically ooh and aah at the cuteness of your progeny. But alas such admiration hasn't fully translated into child services like widespread and accessible baby-changing facilities.

Hands-On Museums

If your kids are between three and 14, spend an afternoon at Ark Children's Cultural Centre, which runs activities aimed at stimulating participants' interests in science, the environment and the arts – but be sure to book well in advance.

Only five-minutes’ walk from the Stillorgan stop on the Luas is Imaginosity ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.imaginosity.ie; The Plaza, Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford; adult/child €8/7; 9.30am-5.30pm Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun, 1.30-5.30pm Mon), the country’s only designated interactive museum for kids. Over the course of two hours they can learn, have fun and get distracted by the museum’s exhibits and activities.

Viking Adventures

There are loads of ways to discover Dublin's Viking past, but Dublinia, the city’s Viking and medieval museum, has interactive exhibits that are specifically designed to appeal to younger visitors.

Kids of all ages will love a Viking Splash Tour, where you board an amphibious vehicle, put on a plastic Viking hat and roar at passersby as you do a tour of the city before landing in the water at the Grand Canal basin.