Dublin: Off The Beaten Path
Hiya! Whether you’re planning your first visit to Dublin, or your third, there is so much to see in this compact capital city. As an American expat having lived in Dublin for the last two years, we have had our fair share of visitors, which means that we have explored this city upside and down, ten times over. You don’t even want to know how many times I’ve been to the Guinness Storehouse… :) What was super fun this last year was experiencing different parts of the city that you might not find in TripAdvisor’s Top 10 for Dublin, but that are definitely worth checking out. If you like to go off the beaten path in your travels, hopefully this list will give you a good starting point in checking out all that Dublin has to offer!
For other ideas, make sure to check out my Visitor’s Guide to Dublin. :)
Rural Mountain Pub Tour
Do you like drinking? Perhaps having a little craic? In the mountains? Said in another way, if you like having any kind of fun at all, this tour is for you. Shane, who owns the company and is your driver and guide, is one of the nicest, funniest lads out there. He takes small groups out into the Dublin Mountains to get out of the craziness of the city to enjoy the country air, mingle with Irish locals, and teach you a thing or two about drinking. Shane offers a three-pub, or six-pub tour. We have done both and they are some of the best times we have had in Dublin. You’ll laugh, you’ll sing, you’ll have one of the best nights of your life. Guaranteed. What’s great about this tour is since Shane is driving, you are free to drink as much, or little, as you please, without having to worry about a thing. Highly, highly recommend.
If you end up booking this, tell Shane that Chris and Sara sent you. We don’t get any sort of kickback, but he’s our friend and we love supporting his business.
Website: https://ruraltours.ie/
The Hungry Tree
Located on the grounds of The Honourable Society of King’s Inn, Dublin’s oldest law school, is the peculiar site of a curious tree seemingly eating an iron park bench. As the tree has grown, it has slowly engulfed the bench earning the nickname “The Hungry Tree”. The grounds are free and open to the public. While you’re over there, if you keep heading North, you will run into Blessington Street Basin, which is a lovely park where you can see loads of bird life. We even spotted a Mandarin Duck on our visit!
Location: King’s Inn Park, Inns Quay, Dublin
Croke Park Skyline Tour
Croke Park Stadium is home to County Dublin’s GAA [Gaelic Athletic Association] clubs and is where the All Ireland GAA matches are held. It holds a whopping 82,300 people, making it the third largest stadium in Europe. Every summer, there are also a few big concerts put on. Taylor Swift, The Rollings Stones, and The Spice Girls are some of the most recent to name a few. The stadium offers several tours, but most notably, a Skyline Tour, which takes you to the very top of the stadium where you get to walk the catwalk and get, what I think are some of the best views of Dublin. Your tour starts in one of the locker rooms, you get a bit of history about the stadium, and then your guide will point out sites you can see from the top. What’s great about the tour is that it is completely accessible for anyone, those who are capable of walking and those who are not, so do not hesitate to go! The GAA Museum is also located inside Croke Park and with your Skyline Tour ticket, you get access to the museum as well. I highly recommend walking through. We got to see old kits, trophies, and even get give hurling and gaelic football a bit of a go in their sports play area. Really fun!
Website: https://crokepark.ie/gaa-museum-tours/ericsson-skyline
Attend A GAA Match at Croke Park
Speaking of the GAA, if you happen to be in town when there is a match on, whether it be gaelic football or hurling, GO! Tickets are super reasonable and the atmosphere is fantastic. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know a lick about either sport, it is such a fun time. If you aren’t familiar, the GAA is an amateur league, but they play at a professional calibur. The athletes are your local bankers, farmers, etc. and they don’t get paid. So not only are they working full-time jobs, they are practicing five days a week, and playing matches on the weekend. They play for pride and to represent their home county. And these guys are tough. These games are physical and you can see them pour their whole hearts into the matches. We made it to quite a few matches and had a blast every time.
Website: https://www.gaa.ie/tickets/
Take A Dip In The Irish Sea at Forty Foot
Made famous by James Joyce’s Ulysses, this swimming spot in the Dublin Bay is popular with locals. It was also named one of “The 10 Best Places to Swim in the World” by the New York Times. The name “Forty Foot” is a bit confusing, and there are a few legends out there as to how it got its name, but there is no definitive answer. However, don’t fret because there are no forty foot jumps into the water. Now, there is cliff jumping involved. It’s just up to you how high you would like to go. There are also some steps if you wish to wade in. And for the less daring, there is a beach located just before you walk up the small hill to the Forty Foot. Either way, there’s options for everyone and it’s fun even if you want to go and watch the daring Dublin kids doing flips into the water. If you’re looking for a true Dublin experience, this would be one of them and it’s easily accessible from the DART. To round out the day, after you’re done swimming, head to Dun Laoghaire for an ice cream from Teddy’s.
Location: Sandycove, Dublin
Take in Dublin’s Street Art
Street art has been growing in popularity and Dublin’s scene is on fire. With artists like @masertart, @subset, and @achesdub, there is no shortage of incredible pieces dotted around the city. Recently, we had a friend visiting from the States, who is a street artist [@biafrainc — you might notice a sticker or two around town], and we put together a list of ten or so pieces we wanted to see, and we went on a bit of a scavenger hunt to find them. It was such a fun day walking around the city, walking into nooks and crannies trying to find them. We ended up finding other works along the way. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, I recommend following the three artists mentioned above on Instagram, and other ones you might know about, try and suss out where their pieces are, and then set out into the city. You can make a whole day of it and enjoy the sites along the way.
Jameson Cocktail Making Class
Visiting Jameson’s Old Distillery on Bow Street is definitely not off the beaten path, and you should definitely go if you have never been. I think most people when they visit will do the standard tour that Jameson offers, and that tour is great, however they also offer a cocktail making class that was so much fun. This might not even be considered off the beaten path either, but it was a different experience than the norm, and it was definitely worth the money. They take you up to a special room that has all the ambiance you would want from a Jameson cocktail making class. You get to don one of their famous aprons and settle in at your own station complete with every tool and ingredient you need to become a master cocktail maker. You learn how to make three drinks. One is a punch and our guide mostly made that one himself, but you are given the recipe when you leave. Then, you get to make two of your own cocktails, which made me respect bartenders even more. If I had to shake cocktails all day long, I’d have the forearms of Popeye! We left with a great buzz and even better memories.
New Grange
Located about 50 miles / 80 kilometres North of Dublin in County Meath is a 5,200 thousand year old stone-age passage tomb. Guys, that’s older than the Egyptian Pyramids. It is a giant stone mound that can be visited with tickets today. The most spectacular part of New Grange is that we know it has great significance with the Winter Solstice. It was constructed so that the passage way in the tomb is completely lit by the morning light for the few days right around the solstice. During the guided tour, you are welcomed into the tomb and they turn off the lights and recreate what it would look like on that morning so you can see the magic of the light coming through. It is a truly neat experience and worth the trip out there. Plus, the whole Boyne Valley area is filled with other sites to visit since a major battle took place there against William the Orange during the Battle of the Boyne.
Website: https://www.newgrange.com/
Visit the Famine Memorial
If anyone were to ask you what you know about Irish history, likely the first thing to pop into your head would be the potato famine, otherwise known as The Great Hunger. Along the Liffey in the IFSC is a lovely memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives during the 1840s famine. It’s haunting and wonderfully done. For more about Irish Emigration, visit the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum just up the street.
Location: North Dock, Dublin
Take a Spin on the Liffey Ferry
In February 2019, the Old Liffey Ferry was found, refurbished, and put back into use to help ferry people across the Rivery Liffey. Back in the day, it was used to shuttle dock workers across the Liffey before all the bridges were built. The lads running the ferry are great craic. We were not looking to cross the river, so they took us for a bit of a spin down to the Point and back, told us about the boat’s history, and the captain even did a Donald Duck impression over the loud speaker. The ride is only €2/person [exact change only] and is totally worth it to get on the water and see some great views of Dublin.
Location: Sir Rogerson’s Quay or North Wall Quay for pick up.
See a Movie at the Stella Theatre
Even though going to see a movie in the cinema has gotten to be quite the expense these days, there is one particular theatre in Dublin that is 100% worth it, the Stella Theatre. It is an old theatre that has been refurbished in the style of 1920s art deco. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Further, the seats are unlike any other theatre. You have the option to sit in individual leather chairs, you can share a leather couch, or there are even beds which you can lay in to enjoy the film. Each chair comes with an ottoman so you can put your feet up, and bonus, they’re filled with blankets so you can tuck right in. Before the movie, you can put in an order for food and drink, which gets delivered right to you. It’s a luxurious movie experience that is worth the splurge!
Website: https://stellacinemas.ie/
Hike to the top of Sugarloaf
Possibly the most iconic mountain peak in Dublin is Sugarloaf. It stands apart from the rest and can be seen even from the Docks in City Centre. Located in County Wicklow, about an hour’s drive from Dublin, you’ll find yourself in the middle of farms and herds of sheep with incredible views of the Wicklow Mountains. The walk / hike up to the summit of Sugarloaf is not that daunting considering. It can take as little as 20 minutes, or if you’re like me and like to take in the views, aka take rest breaks, it would take about 45 minutes. The views at the top are unbeatable. You have the Dublin Bay and Dublin city to the East, and the farms and mountains of County Wicklow to the West. Pack a lunch, have a seat a the top, and take it all in.
Visit the National Botanical Gardens
If you’re looking for a quieter activity, the National Botanical Gardens are the perfect place to get a bit out of Dublin city centre and enjoy the beautiful, sprawling gardens. There are a few green houses and acres of gardens to visit. It’s also free to visit, which is great. While you’re out there, the famous Glasnevin Cemetery is right next door and worth walking around or taking the guided tour.
Website: http://botanicgardens.ie/
Ferry Out to Ireland’s Eye
Located just off the coast from Howth is the island of Ireland’s Eye. It is a wee island that offers great beaches and hiking. It was first inhabited in the 700s by some monks, then later conquered by the Vikings, and is now the perfect way to spend a day from the city. There is loads of wildlife, including many different species of birds, and even a colony of seals. The ferry takes off from Howth harbour and only takes about 15 minutes to get there. It runs every 30 minutes too, so you can spend as little or as much time out there as you want. We even saw a family who had camped overnight! For €15, you can get ferried out, land on the island, and ferried back. Or, you can pay €10 and ferry around the island. Chris and I both agree this was one of the best things we did in Ireland, so we highly recommend it. Plus, you can enjoy some of the best seafood before or afterwards along the pier.
Location: The ferry is located just across from Aqua at the end of Howth Harbour.
Walk The Great South Wall out to Poolbeg Lighthouse
One of the most iconic sites of Dublin are its red and white striped stacks located in the docks of the Dublin Bay. You can see the stacks from many points in the city, but to see them up close is something different. There is also a fantastic white sand beach right next to the stacks that is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon walk. The highlight of the area is the walk along the pier down to the iconic red Poolbeg lighthouse. The pier is lined with massive boulders, crashing waves, and a coffee stand along the way. By the time you get down to the end, you will find yourself in the middle of Dublin Bay looking at Howth to the North and Dun Laoghaire to the South. It is a bit of a long walk, but there are so many views to enjoy that it is worth every step.
I recommend taking a taxi to the area, walking The Great South Wall, and taxing back. Chris, the pups, and I walked from our place in the IFSC and it was nearly a 10 mile / 16 kilometres round trip.
There you have it! I hope you got some great ideas for some different things to try and see around Dublin. We have so enjoyed exploring this city and hope you will too.
If you think there is anything else that should make the list, let me know! I always love hearing other people’s ideas.
Until next time…
Sláinte! xo,
