DUBLIN DELIGHTS
We are travelling to Ireland on June 18 and will stay in Dublin for three days. Please recommend a hotel close to the must-see places that is not too expensive, but with good food and accommodation. I would also appreciate a list of must-see places in the
When it comes to accommodation, check TripAdvisor, which is a rough guide. Location is as important as price as you want to be central so that you can walk the city or go out at night. You can book a hotel online at
booking.com and hotels.com. London’s Telegraph lists Jurys Inn Christchurch (jurysinns.com) as one of the best cheap hotels at £102 a night, but prices depend on days of the week and occupancy. It is opposite Christchurch cathedral and a two-minute walk from Temple Bar, the epicentre of Dublin’s nightlife.
You can easily walk much of central Dublin, but you should also book a Hop-On Hop-Off Tour 72-Hour Freedom Ticket
(getyourguide.com/dublin), which will get you familiarised with the city and all its major attractions. It also gives you full access to Dublin’s public transport system of buses and Airlink 747 airport bus links for 72 hours. It includes a free walking tour of the city and a cruise on the River Liffey. You also get discounts, including at the Guinness brewery.
For many, a visit to the home of Guinness at St James’s Gate is a must. You can book online at guinness-storehouse.com. The tour is self-guided and ends with a pint in the Gravity Bar, which has a superb view of Dublin.
If you do only one art gallery, head for The National Gallery of Ireland, entrance on Clare Street, which houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9.15am to 5.30pm and from 11am on Sundays.
The Little Museum of Dublin is fairly new and is described as Dublin’s best museum experience, telling the history of the city in the 20th century. It is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm. Find it at 15 St Stephen’s Green, near the corner of Dawson Street.
The museum covers the era from the 1916 Rising to President John F Kennedy’s visit to rock band U2. You can join a small tour by booking at www.littlemuseum.ie.
For some, a visit to Trinity College to see the Long Room and the Book of Kells, an ancient illuminated manuscript of the Gospels in Latin, is a must. Because they display only two pages a day, it will not be a long visit.
That’s just scratching the serious stuff.
For Irish fun, head for the cobbled Temple Bar area which is packed with pubs, boutiques, galleries, restaurants and music. This is the playground and heart of Dublin, a square on the south bank of the River Liffey with off-shooting streets and narrow lanes.
If you arrive on a Saturday, find the food market and the Temple Bar Book Market, around the corner in the main square. For traditional Irish food, go to Gallagher’s Boxty House, while the Oliver St John Gogarty bar has live entertainment day and night. Down Fleet Street is The Porterhouse Bar, which offers the best in Ireland’s craft beers.