Four Days in Dublin, Ireland

The week prior to St. Patrick’s Day turned out to be a good time to check out Dublin for our first visit. The winter season’s rains had stopped and the holiday crowds had not poured into town yet. While it did rain on our last day, we were prepared and it didn’t slow us down a bit. I found the cooler weather lent a cozy air to our explorations of museums, churches, sites and pubs.

I had wanted to see Ireland for so long….and even though the lush green summer Irish countryside would have to wait for another trip, I was so excited to find out about old Dublin, how it came to be…and get a taste of traditional Irish food and a glimpse into the Irish way of life.

We ended up not keeping strictly to our original itinerary but saw most of what we had wanted to see…with some lessons learned. Here is what you can see, eat and do for 4 days in Dublin.

Day 1

On our first morning we headed over to Dublin Castle after a quick breakfast at the airport and then catching a taxi to the Morgan Hotel in Temple Bar where we were staying. I noticed that most people at the airport were taking taxis to town, as I hear that Ubers tend to be more expensive.

I didn’t get much sleep on our overnight flight but was super eager to start seeing the sights…fortunately Dublin Castle was a short walk from the hotel. We had purchased a Go City Dublin pass and used it to tour Dublin Castle and the State Apartments. Note that since it was Monday the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery was closed, something I had wanted to see and that will sadly have to wait until next time.

WiFi connection inside the castle also didn’t seem to work well for us and we had trouble downloading the free audio guide. However, no worries – we downloaded the digital guide and took turns reading it to each other as we made our way through the castle grounds. That ended up being kind of cute as people around us would sometimes stop and listen in too.

Dublin Castle

Reading through the guide exposes you to a bit of Irish history and so is a nice way to start off the trip. What stood out to me the most was the Throne Room, where royalty were once received during state visits (until Irish independence) and other ceremonial presentations took place here. The decor features symbols of the union of the United Kingdom.

….and the main ball room (or St. Patrick’s Hall) which is now used as the premier ceremonial venue after Irish Independence. It still contains the flags of the elite chivalric order of the Knights of St. Patrick, and has hosted the inauguration of every President of Ireland. John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II and Nelson Mandela, to mention a few, have all been hosted here in this room.

After touring the castle we walked to Grafton street and Bewley’s Oriental Cafe. I saw somewhere that the Irish Breakfast here was good, but I ended up having a better one at the breakfast buffet at our hotel of all places, later in the week. I would get coffee and cake at Bewley’s, and it was what most people having there. There is also a gift shop where I got a canister of Bewley’s Irish Breakfast tea which became my favorite tea.

Grafton street has lots of shopping, some high-end boutiques, and is pleasant to stroll down on. Connolley’s is the main souvenir shop with several locations, including one here where I got a few small mementos.

Back at our hotel we rested a bit and changed, then headed to dinner at The Quays in Temple Bar. It has a classy and comfortable atmosphere and the best traditional Irish food that we ate on the trip. The cottage pie was the most tender beef stew topped with buttery mashed potatoes and a deeply flavored gravy alongside. It went perfect with my Harp’s lager.

My friend had the Guiness Beef Stew and said it was also delicious! It came with a slice of lovely soda bread. I also tried the smashed peas but I didn’t care much for them. I’ve never had smashed peas so I can’t compare…but found the side a little too heavy with our already substantial meal.

The River Liffey

After dinner we walked through the Temple Bar District and along the River Liffey. We crossed the river as tens of thousands of Irish have done over many decades, on the pedestrian Ha’ penny Bridge which was lit up beautifully in green at night.

The bridge is called the Ha’penny Bridge because this used to be the main bridge that connected north and south Dublin and you would be charged half a penny to cross it, all the way until 1919. It’s officially called the Liffey Bridge, but everyone still calls it the Ha’penny Bridge as the name has stuck.

We also crossed the newer Millennium Bridge to come back to the south side of Dublin and walked through the alley that runs through the Merchant’s Arch building. Merchant’s Arch has a long history dating back to when it was the entry point to Dublin from the river dock. It is now a thriving restaurant and pub. I liked going through the Merchant’s Arch alley and felt like it was taking me back a bit in time, it had an ancient feel to it.

It’s lined with shops and eateries. I couldn’t resist getting a bite at Hanley’s Cornish Pasties to try this true rendition of the flakey and buttery treat from Cornwall, England.

We continued to walk through the Temple Bar district and found it pleasant and safe at night. There were multiple pubs open with live music spilling out of a number of them. We poked our heads into Temple Bar Pub itself, however found it too crowded for our taste, even before St. Patrick’s Day festivities (when the whole area is a mass of people). We preferred to look at it from the outside and then dropped into bed at our nearby hotel to rest up for sight-seeing the next day.

Day 2

This was Book of Kells day….we had made reservations for The Book of Kells Experience for 10:00am. To make sure we got there on time, breakfast was a quick and cheap meal straight at one of Trinity College’s dining halls, open to the public, called The Buttery. We got a decent bowl of oatmeal, soda bread and tea and coffee for about 10 Euros total for two people.

In Ireland the soda bread is mostly a brown bread, moist and slightly sweetened but not as sweet and filled with raisins like we are used to in the U.S. You will find it on most restaurant menus as it goes with almost anything.

It was nice just to walk around campus until it was time for our Book of Kells tour.

Our tickets included a tour of Trinity College as well as entry to The Book of Kells and was part of our Go City Dublin pass (but we also had to make reservations through the Go City website). The tour of Trinity College was very informative; our guide had a long connection with the college and knew all the good stories about it.

One story that stood out for me was about the Trinity College Provost George Salmon who wouldn’t allow women to attend the college. He would say “Over my dead body.” After his death, during his funeral held at the college, the first female student who would attend the college passed her entrance exam in a college building nearby, purely by coincidence. The first three female students were admitted to Trinity College in January 1904.

Several noble laureates hail from Trinity College, as well as other famous graduates of the college such as writers Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.

The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells itself was of course amazing – seeing the majestic library, called The Long Hall,

…..where there were many interesting things to see even if the books themselves had at that time been removed for cleaning. I viewed the Easter Proclamation that established the Irish Republic,

I also saw the famous “Brian Boru” harp. Dating from the 14th or 15th century it is the oldest surviving Gaelic harp in Ireland and is the model for the Guinness logo as well as the Irish coat of arms (albeit flipped over so as not to infringe on the earlier established Guinness logo!).

Then it was awe-inspiring walking through The Book of Kells exhibition and admiring the intricate logos of this lavishly decorated illuminated medieval book transcribed by Irish monks and containing the four gospels of the bible. The illuminated book itself can be viewed under a glass enclosure where the book is open to just one of its pages (the page is turned every day)..,,.I longed to see all of it!

Afterwards at the gift shop I purchased a book describing the entire Book of Kells and it made for eye-opening reading once at home.

We got a very nice lunch of fish and chips at a nearby 200-year old pub called The Lincoln. Then we spent a few pleasant hours in the afternoon visiting the National Gallery of Ireland at Merrion Square.

The National Gallery of Ireland

The nice thing about the National Gallery is that admission is free, and it is not too large so you can spend a couple of hours here and comfortably view many of the paintings. Level 1 is dedicated to Irish fine art, with a portrait gallery on level 2. There are also paintings by Degas, Picasso, Monet and others, as well as paintings by Jack B. Yeats, the best-known Irish painter of the 20th century and brother of the Nobel Prize-winning poet William Butler Yeats.

The National Museum of Ireland was closed for renovation while we were there, which was ok since we were short on time that day but I am sorry we missed it – it contains so many fascinating Irish medieval artifacts and treasures important to anyone with a knowledge and appreciation of Irish history.

For dinner we dropped into O’Neil’s Pub and Kitchen. While the food was average and there was no live music that night, it did feel very much like a local pub that people dropped into for a bite or a pint whenever they felt like it…..it had that neighborhood “living room” feel to it that is unique to Ireland.

Day 3

This was our day to visit the Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate. Any beer enthusiast needs to come here, as you learn quite a bit about the brewing process as well as the history of the Guiness family and what makes their beer unique. As part of our Go City Dublin pass, it included a free Guinness poured expertly in front of you at the Gravity Bar on the top floor. A tip on getting there – it is one of the stops on the Hop on Hop Off bus that you can catch that runs a loop through Dublin. That is how we got to the Guinness Storehouse, getting in a little sightseeing from the bus along the way.

Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse spans 7 floors of immersive exhibits that range from essential brewing ingredients, the patented Guinness brewing process, to a tasting room and vintage advertising exhibit. Guides greet you on the ground floor for an introduction, and then you can navigate up the floors in a self-guided tour.

I liked the tasting room where a group of people gathered, then we were instructed on how to properly taste a beer through experiencing the four distinct aromas of a Guinness. Afterwards we were invited to (now expertly!) taste a shot glass of the famous brew.

The tour culminated in enjoying a properly poured pint in the Gravity Bar on the 7th floor with 360 degree views of Dublin.

We also stopped by Arthur’s Bar for a quick bite of toasties (a ham and cheese pressed sandwich). There are a few other places to eat here, for example a nice dinner could be had at the 1837 Bar & Brasserie, which is known for its Beef and Guinness stew.

We opted to head back to Temple Bar and grab dinner at Gallagher’s Boxty House. With a modern menu based on the traditional Irish potato pancake known as “boxty”, they pride themselves on serving scratch-made food and beer from their own brewery. I loved this place and can highly recommend sharing the “spice bag fries” which are well seasoned French fries served with a curry lime mayo. I enjoyed the corned beef boxty which were potato dumplings nestled in a savory mix of corned beef, cabbage and kale with parsley sauce, along with a pint of Gallagher’s Red from their brew house. Yum!

Day 4

We devoted our last day to churches and to old Dublin. It was pouring rain, a steady, drizzling downpour that doesn’t chill you as much as just come down relentlessly. I had a decent water-resistant jacket on, and with an umbrella managed to get around just fine.

First we got breakfast at Keogh’s Cafe, its charming interior packed with locals starting their day, yet we found a cozy table towards the back. Keogh’s sells massive, flakey scones that were so tender and scrumptious (offered in different flavors, I picked the cherry and vanilla one). Served with a spot of clotted cream and little pots of jam the scones were perfect with a hot cup of Irish Breakfast tea that morning.

The owner of the cafe was there and came by our table to chat with us for a little bit, I suppose seeing that we looked like visitors. She was very amiable, and we left full and with smiles on our faces as we headed to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, about a 20 minute walk from Keogh’s Cafe.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

We waited in line for a bit in the rain (which wasn’t great) even though we already had tickets as part of our Go City Dublin Pass. It was due to a children’s school group that had reserved the church until 10:00am, so we waited patiently. Then we were let in just in time to join a guided tour. Guided tours are given at 10:30am and 2:30pm and are worth it if you are interested in learning about the cathedral.

Our guide was an elderly gentleman with a quaint sense of humor. He explained that it is said a stone pillar dedicated to St. Patrick (there are many found throughout Ireland) once stood nearby next to a holy well where St. Patrick would baptize converts, hence the location of the original wooden church where the cathedral was now located. The pillar now lays inside the cathedral.

The story of St. Patrick is a fascinating one, and it was worthwhile to go to the gift shop before we left and pick up a book about his story. When I read it after getting back home, I learned so much not just about his life, story and the holiday that celebrates him throughout the world, but about Irish history.

The cathedral is beautiful with an impressive nave, a section where the banners of the ancient Knights of St. Patrick are hung, and you can view the 1492 Door of Reconciliation which has a fascinating story that goes with it.

This hefty wooden door was originally part of the cathedral but now has a square shaped hole in the center of it – the Earl of Kildare cut a hole in it to shake hands and make peace with his rival, the Earl of Ormolu, while hiding inside the cathedral to avoid assassination. Extending his arm meant it might have been chopped off but he chanced it, giving rise to the saying “chancing your arm”.

The grave of Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, is located inside alongside his friend Esther Johnson.

The Baptistry is the oldest surviving part of the cathedral and features the original 12th-century medieval floor tiles. If you can, return in the evening to hear the cathedral choir perform evensong. They are the oldest choir in Ireland, formed in 1432.

Christ Church Cathedral

A short walk from St. Patrick’s Cathedral is Christ Church Cathedral, which originally was located within the old Dublin City walls and dates back to 1030. The crypt is fascinating to visit, housing rare church artifacts and documents, such as the historically priceless Irish copy of the Magna Carta.

The Tomb of Strongbow, a prominent leader in the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland is located in the nave. The church also houses a famous relic – the preserved heart of Laurence O’Toole, the patron saint of Dublin.

A walkway connects Christ Church to Dublania, an interactive Viking and medieval museum that we didn’t have time to see but I wish we had. It offers a window into what Old Viking Dublin was like, and after having read more about Irish history and I am eager to go back to see it.

On our way to get a meal at the Brazen Head Pub, said to be the oldest pub in Ireland, we made sure to find one of the remnants of the Dublin Wall, the wall that used to encircle old Dublin. It is right there, protruding out from the cement and surrounding area on a bit of a hill.

It was still pouring rain, but I just wanted to touch it for a moment and try to imagine what the boundaries of the city and city life were like back in those times. Then we carried on, and stepped inside the Brazen Head for a hot cup of tea.

We wanted to eat there, but unfortunately the kitchen was quite late in opening. As we were starving and it was already around 2pm, we stepped back outside and found a pub on the corner that fit the bill – O’Shea’s Merchant Pub. It was full of local neighborhood types getting a meal. We settled at a table and I ordered the bacon and cabbage, which was a traditional Irish meal I had not tried before. It was so delicious! Irish “bacon” in this context is a special cut of pork loin and not what we think of as “bacon” in the U.S. at all…it was very tender, served with a delicious parsley sauce, potatoes and steamed savoy cabbage on the side. It went great with a Smithwick’s Red Irish Ale.

After that we were quite beat, and took a nap at the hotel. Dinner was a bit of a miss, since we got to Stag’s Head Pub too late and their kitchen had closed so we ended up getting a burger at a nondescript place instead. I do recommend Stag’s Head Pub however, the atmosphere was great inside! Very dark paneled and antique-looking but also hip, packed with people and loud.

To end the night we got a beer at Oliver St. John Gogarty’s, where live Irish music plays every night and even during this quiet week before the St. Patrick’s holiday it was full of people toasting, singing or dancing a jig. I even snagged a cute Gogarty’s hat that they like to hand out for free to patrons.

One of the biggest take aways from our trip was the genuine warmth and friendliness of the Irish people. We felt comfortable everywhere we went and in general there was a positive and homey vibe. It’s easy to have a good time in Dublin. I want to see some of the places we missed and explore more of Ireland, but just getting to soak in some more of the good Irish vibes is reason enough to want to come back.

Date of trip: March 2026