Things to do in Dublin

Dublin is a fun city where visitors can easily lose track of time exploring and discovering its rich and colourful history. The exciting and thriving nightlife, full of traditional, live music and artistic performances can be found all over the city.

Become Acquainted with Ireland's History

The National Museum of Ireland has three branches in the city to explore. The Archaeology branch has displays from prehistoric and medieval Ireland, including early gold artefacts and objects from when Vikings ruled the land. The Decorative Arts and History branch contains arts and wares including silverware, ceramics and glassware. The Natural History branch displays stuffed animals, skeletons and other zoological and geological artefacts.

Watch Some National Sports

Croke Park is the largest stadium in Ireland and the fourth largest in Europe. It is home to the GAA, the Gaelic Athletic Association, which promotes traditional Gaelic games, the main two being hurling and Gaelic football. These two sports are extremely popular and match days at Croke Park are very busy. Watching a hurling match will show you how passionate the locals can be.

Visit the Home of Ireland's Most Famous Drink

The Guinness brewery at St. James's Gate has been producing the famous stout for over 250 years, and is a must-see if you are a fan. The cobbled streets surrounding the building hark back to when the brewery opened and created so many jobs in the city. Take the tour, hear the fantastic history of the founders and the workers, and sample some of the black stuff to end a brilliant day out.

An Exciting Night Out

In part courtesy of Dublin University, the city has a booming nightlife. St. Stephen's Green and Grafton Street are two well known places, but it is Temple Bar that most tourists want to visit. This area has many pubs, restaurants and nightclubs where you can eat, drink, hear plenty of live music and and be merry. Vicar Street and Thomas Street are also great live music venues. The Stag's Head on Dame Street is another old favourite among Dubliners - check out the snug at the back of the pub, the perfect place for a cosy drink.

Explore Ireland's Oldest University

Trinity College is over 400 years old and one of the premier tourist attractions in Dublin. As well as extensive grounds and gardens, it is home to the Book of Kells, a manuscript produced by Celtic monks roughly 1200 years ago. The illustrated manuscript is incredibly detailed and contains the four Gospels of the New Testament and other texts. Named after the Abbey of Kells, where it was stored for hundreds of years, it was moved to Dublin for safekeeping and presented to the college in 1661, where it has been ever since.