There’s something about Dublin that sticks with you. Maybe it’s the way a random Tuesday night can turn into an impromptu music session, or how you can’t walk ten minutes without stumbling onto some piece of history that makes you rethink everything you learned in school. Whatever it is, the city rewards those who give it more than a rushed day trip.
Friday Evening: Temple Bar and Beyond
Look, Temple Bar is considered overrated by many, but the atmosphere is real. The music pouring out of every doorway isn’t piped in; those are actual musicians who’ve been playing together for years. Grab fish and chips from Leo Burdock’s (the queue is annoying but worth it) and eat them while watching street performers work the Ha’penny Bridge crowd.
If the Temple Bar scene feels too packed, venture north across the Liffey. Smartphone quiz nights at traditional pubs have gotten surprisingly popular. They’re basically pub quizzes, but everyone uses their phone to answer. McGowans up on Phibsborough Road runs a decent one. Fair warning: the locals take their quiz nights seriously, but they’ll usually let visitors join their teams if you ask nicely.
Saturday: Trinity, Guinness, and Georgian Doors
Get to Trinity College when it opens. The Book of Kells is impressive, sure, but the Long Room library is what really stops people in their tracks.
The Guinness Storehouse tour is unashamedly commercial, but that rooftop pint genuinely hits different with the whole city spread out below. Afterwards, get lost in the Georgian streets around Merrion Square. Those colorful doors everyone photographs? They’re actually even better in person, especially the deep blues and greens.
Sunday: Markets, Museums, or the Sea
The Temple Bar Food Market on Sunday morning pulls in serious foodies alongside hungover tourists. The oyster stall does them fresh with Tabasco and lemon: the breakfast of champions.
Here’s where the weekend splits based on mood. Rainy day? The National Museum costs nothing, and the medieval Ireland section is genuinely fascinating. Decent weather? Take the DART to Howth. The cliff walk takes about two hours and works up an appetite for the fish and chips at the harbor (different league from the city center stuff).
Monday: The Slow Goodbye
No rushing on the last morning. Brother Hubbard does proper coffee, and their Middle Eastern-influenced brunch menu beats another hotel breakfast. Spend an hour people-watching from their window seats.
Wander down Grafton Street, where you can listen to some very talented buskers. Brown Thomas is there if shopping is your thing, but honestly, just soaking up the last bit of Dublin energy matters more than souvenirs.
Why It Sticks
Dublin doesn’t try too hard, and maybe that’s the secret. The history is there if you want it, the craic is there if you’re up for it, and nobody minds if you just want to nurse a coffee and watch the world go by. Three days barely scratch the surface, but it’s enough to understand why people keep booking return flights before they’ve even left.
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