Like almost all of us we are only Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t readily embrace the Irish culture during a recent stop in Dublin. A beautiful city that is easy to navigate and in a day or two you can see many of its historic, cultural and artistic sites. Having said that don’t miss out on time in a pub; listen to traditional Irish music and try the local brew or whiskey. There are numerous options for either evening musical or literary pub tours that are worth looking in to.
We spent a day there as a stop on a British Isles cruise. I had carefully planned my time to include as much as we could in that one day. We did have to miss out on the evening pub tour but were treated to traditional Irish dance and music at the port.
From the cruise port, and depending on if you stop right in Dublin or further afield in Dun Laoghaire, you can take a train, taxi, or if available, a shuttle bus from your ship. On our stop we took advantage of the US$15 per person cruise provided shuttle bus which dropped us off at Merrion Square near the statute of Oscar Wilde. Everything we had planned was an easy walk from there. Returning to our original drop off spot ensured a timely return to the ship before disembarkation.
So, for your consideration, here are our top 5 sites in Dublin.
- Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the Long Library
Even if you are not a bibliophile like I am this is a fascinating piece of history worth a visit. You can tour the college with a student first or just head to the exhibit. The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript dating back to the Dark Ages recovered from the Isle of Iona. The exhibit helps to put its significance into perspective. Then head upstairs to the Long Library for a display of over 200,000 books, and a 15th century Irish harp, the oldest surviving. We purchased our timed visit tickets online before leaving home from https://www.tcd.ie/visitors/book-of-kells/tickets/. Since this is a very popular destination we would recommend you do this first.
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Built in the 13th century this church is open the public for free will donations. Jonathon Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels, was dean here for 32 years and there is a nice display in his honour.
- National Museum of Archeology and History
This museum contains displays from the Stone Age on including Vikings and Medieval Ireland, along with a beautiful display of Irish Gold. One of the prize pieces is the Tara Brooch, eighth century art worn by the Celts.
- National Art Gallery
Although not as large or impressive as the galleries in Scotland and England this national gallery has excellent works by Caravaggio, Rubens, Vermeer, Van Gogh, and Monet as well as a number of works by Irish artists. As much as we enjoy discovering a painting by one of our favourites, it is also good to explore and better understand local art and artists as they best represent the struggles and triumphs of that country’s people.
- A tour of the Guinness Storehouseand / or Jameson’s Whiskey
Whether or not you have a taste for Irish drink it is worth the time to tour either or both of these iconic factories, however I would save them for the end of your visit for obvious reasons. Take the tour, enjoy a tasting, and find out how these businesses helped to build the city of Dublin. Also of interest is to discover why we have the Guinness Book of World Records (and yes it is the same Guinness).
As busy as our day was we had plenty of time to enjoy lunch in a pub. We also used the bus ride in and out of the city to see iconic buildings, landmarks and art. I cannot wait to return.