Dublin
Discover Dublin
Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath, "Town of the Hurdled Ford") is the capital city of Ireland. Its vibrancy, nightlife and tourist attractions are world renowned and it's the most popular entry point for international visitors to Ireland. As a city, it is disproportionately large for the size of the country with a population of over 2 million in the Greater Dublin Region (2022); nearly half of the Republic's population lives in this metropolitan area. The central sights can be navigated by foot, with a few outlying sights, and suburbs sprawling out for miles.
What to Experience in Dublin
Taste of Dublin...
Dublin has a wide range of eating places in all price brackets, though visitors may consider them overpriced by European standards – one factor is VAT of 23%. Cuisines such as Indian and Chinese were slow to appear as Dublin only had small ethnic communities, but they now have a good presence especially north of the river. Indian food is generally North Indian. Chinese food in Ireland has become something of its own thing, with the omnipresent "Spice Bag" an idiosyncratic new food of 21st century Ireland. Vegetarian, vegan and GF options are also now readily available. Water in Dublin is fresh and clean from the Wicklow Mountains. The water of Vartry reservoir at Roundwood is commended in Joyce's Ulysses but the characters go boozing instead. Poulaphouca at Blessington was built later, and Sally Gap is the scenic road between the two catchments. Pubs: it's reckoned that Dublin has over 600. You can but make a start. In 2021 you might pay €6 for a pint, glass of wine or measure of spirits, somewhat more in Temple Bar. Pubs are generally open Su-Th to 23:00 and F Sa to 01:00 or later. Hours were curtailed during covid, the plus (which will likely remain) was that pubs increased their food offering, which meant they were "restaurants" and permitted to stay open - "You must try our pizza!" became a legally enforceable invitation. Smoking is illegal within all Irish pubs but many have a beer garden or similar outdoor smoking area.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Dublin into what it is today.
Dublin is in a low-lying, fertile area, not boggy by Irish standards, and with good sea access. It became the core of the Gaelic kingdom of Leinster, and the Vikings established a large settlement by what is now Dublin castle, until ejected by Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. This set a pattern that Dublin was fought for, not fought in. The Normans colonised the southwest and Leinster from the 12th century, and further out they battled with the Gaels, but Dublin sat snug within the "Pale" — the defensive palisade. Similarly with the Tudor conquests; then the city fell swiftly to Cromwell so his atrocities were elsewhere, and King William marched in unopposed after the Battle of the Boyne. 18th century Dublin was the second largest city in the British Isles, with a tight little Protestant clique ruling the place to London's liking. Industry and culture flourished, and the city acquired its graceful Georgian streets and squares, but Ireland was ruled as a colony. Britain's other colonies watched with great interest as the independence movement gathered pace. "The Troubles" of the late 19th and early 20th century involved ethnic conflicts, paramilitary gangs, and savage reprisals by the authorities. The outbreak of the First World War seemed to put a brake on this, with tens of thousands of Irishmen marching away to France and Flanders....
Climate
Dublin has a mild climate moderated by the Atlantic, so it is a year-round destination. It seldom snows or freezes hard; summers are cool, around 20 °C (68 °F) in July and August. The area is not particularly wet - its average annual rainfall of 732.7 mm (28.8 in) is less than London - but light showers are frequent. It's glorious when the sun shines but unless at some point in your trip you've spent 15 minutes sheltering under a shop awning on Grafton Street with cold rain dripping down your neck, wondering if it's too early to go the pub, you haven't really experienced Dublin. 53.4273-6.24421 Dublin Airport (DUB) (10 km north of city centre). Dublin Airport has an extensive short and medium haul network, and is the base for Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus Regional, and Ryanair. Terminal 2 handles wide-bodied jets and is used by Aer Lingus (& Regional), American Airlines, Delta, Emirates, Norwegian and United. All others use the older Terminal 1, some 300 m north with a walkway between.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options53.4273-6.24421 Dublin Airport (DUB) (10 km north of city centre). Dublin Airport has an extensive short and medium haul network, and is the base for Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus Regional, and Ryanair. Terminal 2 handles wide-bodied jets and is used by Aer Lingus (& Regional), American Airlines, Delta, Emirates, Norwegian and United. All others use the older Terminal 1, some 300 m north with a walkway between. Together they offer direct flights from most major cities in the UK (serving all London airports, but most frequently Heathrow) and Europe (including Keflavík, Moscow and Istanbul). North American flights arrive from New York, Newark, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington (with pre-clearance of US customs & immigration westbound) and Toronto. Middle East flights include Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Domestic flights are from Kerry and Donegal; there are none from Belfast, Shannon or Cork. All the main car hire companies have kiosks in Arrivals....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Public transport in Dublin consists of trains, trams and buses. Unlike many other European capitals, the rail network in Dublin is quite limited, so buses are by far the main mode of public transport. Public transport is not run by a single agency, but by a number of state-contracted operators, and most information is provided separately on each operator's website. Trains are run by Irish Rail and trams by Luas, while most buses are run by Dublin Bus, except some local buses in suburban areas which are run by Go-Ahead Ireland. Transport for Ireland (TFI) is the umbrella brand for public transport in Ireland, although its website primarily just directs you to the individual operators websites for information. However, the TFI Journey Planner is a good way to plan your journey across different modes, and the Live Departures provides real time information for all rail and bus stops. TFI also provides a number of smartphone apps including a journey planner and real time departures.
Where to Stay
You should only go to the hospital if you're too ill to get there, so to speak. For immediate treatment of minor ailments try one of the Walk-in Medical Centres. The most central are Dame Street Medical at 16 Dame St in Temple Bar, Abbey Street Centre at 71 Middle Abbey St, and 24Doc at North Wall behind the Customs House. They're private so an EHIC / GHIC card won't help. Expect to pay €60 for a consultation, plus the cost of any prescription or other treatment. As of July 2024, all of the city and its approach roads have 5G from all Irish carriers. Dublin has over 20 public libraries. These have free wifi and internet access, but you need to register as a user to access. This may be possible for non-residents with extended stays. Almost all of Ireland is within 2-3 hours travel from Dublin, and the transport routes converge on the city. People even make day-trips to the Aran Islands out west or Giant's Causeway in the north, a mad way to experience them.
Money & Budget
Dublin is not cheap, but visitors from outside the European Union can obtain a refund of VAT on some goods, which in 2024 is 23%. Ask the shop for details: the refund is usually applied at point of sale, or you may be issued a voucher to claim it on leaving the country. Visitors from Great Britain are eligible, but not those from Northern Ireland. More on VAT refunds can be found on the Irish Government website. Shopping north of the river is focussed in the quarter bounded by O'Connell Street to the east (for green line trams), Parnell St to the north, Jervis St to the west and Abbey St to the south (for red line trams). Henry Street runs east-west through the quarter, and off it is Moore Street, with a fruit, vegetable and fish market.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
You should only go to the hospital if you're too ill to get there, so to speak. For immediate treatment of minor ailments try one of the Walk-in Medical Centres. The most central are Dame Street Medical at 16 Dame St in Temple Bar, Abbey Street Centre at 71 Middle Abbey St, and 24Doc at North Wall behind the Customs House. They're private so an EHIC / GHIC card won't help. Expect to pay €60 for a consultation, plus the cost of any prescription or other treatment. As of July 2024, all of the city and its approach roads have 5G from all Irish carriers. Dublin has over 20 public libraries. These have free wifi and internet access, but you need to register as a user to access. This may be possible for non-residents with extended stays. Almost all of Ireland is within 2-3 hours travel from Dublin, and the transport routes converge on the city. People even make day-trips to the Aran Islands out west or Giant's Causeway in the north, a mad way to experience them.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Dublin
red telephone booth in front of brown concrete building
Home since 2015. Please tag @gregda if featuring the image.
city skyline during night time
a city street with a clock tower in the middle of it
Temple Bar, Dublin
a red building with a bunch of plants on top of it
gray concrete bridge
The Long Room at Trinity College is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. I took dozens of photos, but this one captured everything I love about the library: you see the old books (larger on the bottom and smaller on top), the beautiful columns standing guard in front of the shelves, and the graceful soaring of the rounded ceiling. I’m proud of this photo because they don’t allow tripods or flashes - this is the natural beauty of the room. My only wish is that we had smell-o-vision, because the smell of old books that permeates the Long Room is intoxicating.
a bridge over a body of water with buildings in the background
a group of people walking down a street next to tall buildings
red telephone booth in front of brown concrete building
Home since 2015. Please tag @gregda if featuring the image.
city skyline during night time