Visiting Dublin in December

Keldog

Hello, I'll be in Dublin for three days mid December. I'm staying at the Morrison which appears to be centrally located. What's the one thing I should definitely do while I'm there? Random question I know but it's my first time visiting (from Los Angeles) and want to make the best of it. I'm very interested in history especially the Easter Uprising. Thanks.

catrionanic

Keldog wrote: »

Hello, I'll be in Dublin for three days mid December. I'm staying at the Morrison which appears to be centrally located. What's the one thing I should definitely do while I'm there? Random question I know but it's my first time visiting (from Los Angeles) and want to make the best of it. I'm very interested in history especially the Easter Uprising. Thanks.

Definitely Kilmainham jail, then.

nilim

And Glasnevin:

https://shop.glasnevintrust.ie/products/daily-history-tour

francois

the Proclaiming a Republic exhibition in the National Museum is great

https://www.museum.ie/Decorative-Arts-History/Exhibitions/Current-Exhibitions/Proclaiming-a-Republic-The-1916-Rising

The GPO has http://www.gpowitnesshistory.ie/

dancingqueen

Guinness Brewery is worth a couple of hours if you're into that! Jameson Distillery is also good, if you prefer the whiskey experience.

The Morrison is a well located and lovely hotel. There is a pub called "The Church" less than a 3 minute walk from there which has free live Irish music and dancing Sunday night through to Wednesday night and decent food. Fair bit of history in the building itself too, which is a converted church. It is also outside the bedlam of Templebar

Howth is a nice spot too, the DART from Tara Street station will take you there. It's maybe 15 mins to walk from The Morrison to Tara Street, it's a nice journey along the coast on the train, and you can taste some fresh Irish fish!

Birneybau

Only go to The Church if you like being ripped off.

Only 10 minutes up the road is the Cobblestone in Smithfield, one of the most renowned spots for traditional music IN THE WORLD!

cactusgal

Guinness Storehouse is a massive ripoff too. Avoid!

Go to Glasnevin Cemetery and then go for a nice pint of Guinness in the Gravediggers pub after.

If you go to the Cobblestone for trad music, go in the afternoon. It's rammed in the evenings and you won't get near the musicians (not miked so you'll hear nothing). Afternoon sessions there are lovely, esp Saturday. Bluegrass/Old time Americana tunes from 4:30 pm, Irish trad from 7.

Keldog

Thanks for all the info! Hopefully I'll bring the California weather with me and be able to walk and enjoy Dublin. Thanks again!

amtc

I quite like history but honestly the most fun I ever had was bringing relatives around on the Splashtour. It gave them a good idea of where to go back to.

I do like the Church plus the restaurants in the Italian quarter are nearby.

You're also near the Collins Barracks museum

amtc

Oh and the Park. And the Gpo exhibition

amtc

Or head out to killiney hill. View is supposed to be reminiscent of bay of naples

yogi37

catrionanic wrote: »

Definitely Kilmainham jail, then.

If your interested in Easter Rising Kilmainham Jail is a great tour.

Some very interesting snippets of Irish history in the Croke Park tour too. And the sports museum section is good fun for an hour or two particularly if you have some kids with you.

Have never done the viking splash tour but its on my list of things to do. I believe it is very good and it always looks like the people on the tour are really enjoying themselves.

wakka12

Kilmainham gaol is a really really interesting attraction! I cant think of many attractions Ive visited in any other european city that impressed me as much, maybe because it felt a bit special to me being irish so I may be a bit biased, but yeh

salmocab

Kilmainham gaol and glasnevin cemetery are both great as already said, I hear the walking tour from the little museum of Dublin is good too, possibly only goes on a saturday I think but might be worth googling it.

OldBean

If you've not been to Dublin before, the Guinness tour is worth it for the view from the top alone. If the weather is good.

As already mentioned, the Gaol and Glasnevin Cemetery are definitely worth a visit. It's worth popping into the cemetery park in Stoneybatter/Arbour Hill too, which is at the back of Collins Barracks museum which is also worth a wander around considering you'll be in the area. It covers both Decorative Arts & History and some of Irelands military history.

I'm pretty sure you can get a two day tour bus ticket that'll bring you to the door of all of the museums over two or three different routes, which should cover everything for you while getting some info as you're going place to place.

alastair

Also - worth mentioning even though they are probably historical tourism no-brainers - the National Museum’s Celtic art collection on Kildare street, and the Book of Kells / long room library in Trinity.

Prime Irish Beef

+1 to Kilmainham Jail, Glasnevin Cemetery tour, Gravediggers pub for history/culture. There's also a free walking tour that goes from Dublin Castle. It's very good. The Little Museum of Dublin is quite nice too.

Walks/Hikes/Scenery = Killiney Hill, Howth Head, Bray to Greystones Cliff walk & Glendalough in Wicklow (about a 45 minute drive from Dublin). If staying in town, phoenix park and stephens green are quite nice.

Muahahaha

1916 Walking Tours of Dublin http://www.1916rising.com/index.html

Mackleton

Any food/drink recommendations? I'm doing something similar in that I'm taking my non-Irish fella to Dublin in the days between Xmas and NY. I've got Kilmainham and the 'Proclaiming a Republic' exhibition at Collins Barracks planned, as I am a bit of a history fiend. But he'd be into fresh oysters, good Guinness, whisky tastings and the like (we did Guinness a few years ago) but I never got round to the historical stuff. Any cracking 'old man pubs'? Gravedigger is noted.

amtc

Try The Anglers Rest in chapelizod for good Guinness and oysters

Jimbob1977

The mummified bodies of the Crusader knights in St. Michan's Church.

The Glasnevin Cemetery guided tour is excellent.

Dublin Zoo has a wide variety of animals.

If you want a brisk walk on a frosty evening, take a DART train to Dun Laoghaire. The East Pier is a great stretch. Have a warm drink afterwards!