Dublin is the capital city of Ireland hosting about 530,000 residents (about 11% of all of Ireland’s population resides in the capital city). The greater Dublin area houses about 1.5 million, about 25% of the country’s population. The River Liffey divides the city into North Dublin and South Dublin. Most of the popular tourist sites are in South Dublin, south of the Liffey River.

Churches and Religion

Christianity is the largest religion in Ireland, with 84.2% of the population belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. The second largest denomination is the Church of Ireland, which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Church of Ireland is one church embracing Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with around 390,000 members; about 249,000 in Northern Ireland and over 129,000 in the Republic of Ireland. Other significant Protestant denominations are the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland. In 2011, a census found that 7.6% of the population had no religion, which seems to be a rising percentage with today’s Irish youth.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Cathedral dates back to 1191 and is one of two Church of Ireland cathedrals. It is the largest church in Ireland, and has a 43-meter (140 foot) spire. Since 1870, St. Patrick’s is the national church of Ireland.

Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. It’s also the cathedral of the Ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the Church of Ireland. Christ Church is Dublin’s oldest Christian church. The Roman Catholic archbishops and the Church of Ireland have both claimed Christ Church Cathedral, though it has only been used by the Church of Ireland’s Archbishop of Dublin since the English Reformation. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin uses St. Mary’s as his acting cathedral.

Medieval Buildings and Landmarks

Dublin is full of medieval buildings such as the 13th century Dublin Castle, 12th century St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 11th century Christ Church Cathedral, the 1902 Guinness Storehouse, and the Temple Bar area, which started in the 1600s for Sir William Temple.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Now, it is a major Irish government complex. The ancient castle dates back to he era of King John, Ireland’s first king. The new Provisional Government, led by Michael Collins, took control of the complex after the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921.

Temple Bar

Temple Bar, historically known as St. Andrews Parish, is not actually a specific bar but a historic cobblestone section of the city with many local and famous Dublin bars, restaurants, and entertainment. It was a medieval suburb of Dublin located outside the city walls, but now is in the center of the old city. It is typically known for bar-lined streets which close late, popular with students and the younger Dublin crowd. As the girl at the front desk of my hotel told me, “Temple Bar is where to go.”

St. Stephen’s Green

St. Stephen’s Green is the central public park next to the popular Grafton Street and donated by Arthur Guinness in 1880 and now maintained by the Office of Public Works in Ireland. St. Stephen’s Green covers 22 acres and is the largest park in Dublin. It’s a great spot for a walk, run, picnic, or people-watching. Pro tip, check out St. Stephen’s Green in spring for some beautiful flora and cherry blossoms!

Grafton Street

Grafton Street is a popular pedestrian-only cobblestone street in the center of Dublin where you can browse shops, see performers or artists, and sometimes enjoy free concerts. The street runs from St. Stephen’s Green to Trinity College. Here, you can find stores like Disney Store, Pandora, Carroll’s Gifts, or Butler’s Chocolates. It’s one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. Ed Sheeran makes a reference to Grafton Street in his song, Galway Girl.

Trinity College

Trinity College is the sole college of the University of Dublin in Ireland and Ireland’s most prestigious university. Founded in 1592, it is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland and the oldest university in Ireland. It rivals universities like Oxford and Cambridge and is exceptionally difficult to gain admission to. Trinity College is on the College Green across from the former Irish Houses of Parliament. It occupies 47 acres, has 2 sports fields, and has over 4.5 million printed volumes of manuscripts, maps, and music. Small side note: Jack Gleeson, better known as Joffrey from Game of Thrones, attended Trinity College after his scenes in Game of Thrones were over and could be seen around campus!

Jack Gleeson (Joffrey from Game of Thrones) attended Trinity College in Dublin Share on XThe Library at Trinity College is a paid tourist attraction (10€ for adults) to visit the famous Book of Kells (an illuminated manuscript Gospel book written in Latin by Celtic monks around 800 AD), where two of the four volumes are on public display.

Ha’penny Bridge

Ha’penny Bridge is officially known as the Liffey Bridge, a pedestrian bridge dating back to 1816 and made of cast iron. Before the bridge, there were 7 ferries that provided transportation across the Liffey River. When their condition deteriorated, the owner decided to build a toll bridge instead of replacing his ferries. His toll was a half pence to walk across the Ha’penny Bridge for 100 years. The Ha’penny Bridge is conveniently for pedestrians only, while the other bridges across the River Liffey have red lights for automobile traffic.

Spire of Dublin

The Spire of Dublin is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 121.2 m (398 ft) tall on O’Connell Street in Dublin. It’s famous for its elegant and dynamically simple design, bridging art and technology. The first section dates back to 2002, with five addition 20 m (66 ft) sections added later, the last added in 2003. The Spire of Dublin is the world’s tallest sculpture.

Molly Malone

Why is one statue in Dublin shinier than the rest? Legend has it that rubbing the voluptuous Molly Malone’s breasts will bring you luck. It could just be that she’s the bustiest statue around and people can’t help copping a feel, then say it’s for luck to make it “appropriate”? Either way, I couldn’t resist joining in on the legend. I’m not sure if I gained any luck from it, but it sure made for a good picture! Molly Malone was infamous for selling fish and mussels around Dublin by day but due to the extreme poverty in Ireland at the time, she had to sell herself by night to make enough money to survive.

Croke Park

Croke Park is home of the Gaelic Athletic Association and a host to other big concerts and events. If you want to catch a soccer (or football, as the Europeans say) game, check out dates at Croke Park! It’s easily walkable from downtown Dublin and the Temple Bar area. During my stay, I tried to catch a soccer game but the venue was booked up for the first concert of Ed Sheeran’s three-year tour. So what did I do? Bought tickets to see Ed, of course!

Breweries & Distilleries

St. James’s Gate and the Guinness Storehouse

Fun fact: start paying attention when people talk about the Guinness Storehouse. Almost everyone calls it the “Guinness Factory.” But why is it a factory?

Arthur Guinness founded the Guinness Storehouse, or St. James’s Gate Brewery. Inside, you can see how to brew Guinness, from its ingredients to the brewing process. It also includes a history of Guinness through advertising, an interactive exhibit on responsible drinking, and special bars with Irish music. No trip to the Guinness Storehouse is complete with a trip to the Gravity Bar on the 7th floor with glass walls for incredible birds-eye views of Dublin while enjoying a free pint.

No trip to the Guinness Storehouse is complete without a trip to the Gravity Bar! Share on X

The people of Ireland revere and respect Sir Arthur Guinness for being one of the best businessmen and philanthropists of his time. He was a sponsor of Dublin Artisan’s Dwelling Company in which he bought rows and rows of brick townhouses (very close to the Storehouse) and provided affordable housing for poor Dubliners. To this day, the houses on Bride Street are still used to house the underprivileged. He also bought St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin’s central public park, and donated it to the people of Dublin in 1880.

The Jameson Distillery is on Bow Street just off Smithfield Square. If whiskey is more your style than beer, this is the spot you’ll want to hit. A ticket to the distillery will give you a tour around the distillery and explain how whiskey is made. You might even get lucky enough to see some live distilling going on! Jameson was distilled here until 1971, and is now distilled at the large new distillery in Midleton in County Cork.

Roe & Co. Distillery

Roe & Co Distillery is Dublin’s newest whiskey tour. Roe & Co is a new type of distillery focusing on cocktail exploration and modern Irish whiskey. This tour will invite you to explore the art of blending through fun and flavors.

Teeling Distillery

The Teeling Distillery is a newer distillery in Dublin, established in 2015. Dublin was once a world whiskey distilling capital, but the Teeling Distillery was the first distillery opened in Dublin in 125 years. The Teeling Distillery is conveniently located just across the street from the Aloft Hotel. According to some American expats, the Teeling Distillery has the best whiskey around!

Food & Drink

I could drink Guinness for every meal and be perfectly happy. But sometimes our bodies demand solid food. What comes to mind when you think Ireland? For me, it’s shepherd’s pie, potato soup, and cabbage. Unsurprisingly, you can get all of that in Dublin! Luckily for you, I got some great food and drink recommendations from locals (most importantly, where to get the best Guinness).

The Bank On College Green

The Bank Bar and Restaurant has chandeliers hanging from an intricately decorated ceiling from its old days as a bank. The bathrooms are located downstairs in the old vaults. The Bank is right down the street from Trinity College and has a beautiful, cold Guinness to enjoy on a hot, chilly, sunny, or rainy day! The Bank Bar is probably my favorite place in Dublin to stop for a cold Guinness – it’s a can’t miss.

Sheehan’s

Sheehan’s Pub was recommended to me by the lovely girl working the front desk of my hotel. I asked her where to go for a good pint of Guinness and some authentic Irish food and this was her recommendation. It didn’t disappoint! Potato soup and a sandwich was exactly what I needed to get my day of sightseeing and drinking Guinness going.

The Hairy Lemon

You can’t miss this awkwardly-named big yellow building in Dublin’s Temple Bar neighborhood. The Hairy Lemon is a trendy, unconventional Irish pub with a lot of character. It’s a great place to meet friends, watch a game, or drink an Irish coffee. A few scenes from the movie The Commitments were filmed in the Hairy Lemon and memorabilia line the walls. Be sure to get there early to grab a seat, the Hairy Lemon is a hotspot!

Bowe’s Lounge Bar

Take a walk down Fleet Street (which is just fun to say) to Bowe’s, a quiet little lounge for 21 and overs. The bartender at the Bank Bar recommended Bowe’s as one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin, and the Bowe’s bartender confirmed it is one of the best. It’s a nice quiet place, easy to go for a solo drink or for some down time. There’s also lots of whiskey if you like to chase your Guinness with the harder stuff!

The Palace Bar

As long as you’re on Fleet Street, stop by the Palace Bar, described by Irish poet and novelist Patrick Kavanagh as the “most wonderful temple of art.”  The Victorian bar with stained glass skylight and Irish music is a good break from other tourist traps of Temple Bar and serves a great pint of Guinness! It is also #11 on Tripadvisor’s list of best places to eat in Dublin’s Temple Bar neighborhood.

Toners

A local Dubliner also recommended to me this traditional Irish pub and the closest thing Dublin has to a sports bar. There are a couple tv’s with different games on, cozy alcoves to have a bite and a pint, and a popular beer garden area. It’s located right in the St. Stephen’s Green area – a perfect break from the hustle and bustle of Temple Bar.

Mulligans

This 18th-century pub was recommended to me by a bartender who told me that if I like Guinness, try one here. Mulligans is just between Trinity College and the River Liffey. It seems to be a popular happy hour bar where you can grab a table with friends or sit at the bar and watch the bartender pour Guinness from the four taps. The recommendation was accurate, the Guinness was fantastic!

Fitzsimmons Temple Bar

Fitzsimmons wasn’t recommended to me, it was a pleasant surprise I stumbled upon in my own explorations. Fitzsimmons has a big downstairs nightclub with live music and a dj, but climb the stairs up to the top and find yourself looking out over Dublin’s Temple Bar neighborhood. It’s outside, decorated with lights and bars and picnic tables to meet old friends and make new friends. When a bar posts hours saying they are open “12pm to late”, you know it’s good.

John Fallon’s “The Capstan Bar”

Over by St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a neighborhood known as the Liberties. As a local told me when I stayed in a hotel there, “the Liberties is grand!” It’s a more residential area but still easily walkable to everything. Fallons is a small, friendly, traditional Irish pub and recommended by a local as one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin. Unfortunately, this was another place I didn’t make it to on my trips to Ireland, but I am still recommending it for a pint based on the confidence with which the local Irishman recommended it to me!

John Kavanagh The Gravediggers

Gravediggers was the last place recommended to me by a local Dubliner for a great pint of Guinness. It’s a little outside of Dublin city center, either a 20-minute walk or a cab ride away. It’s unique in that it built its name pouring post-shift pints for the employees of the cemetery with which it shares a wall. Gravediggers and mourners alike filled the seats for a Guinness. A little morbid, but it was recommended as one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin. I didn’t make it up this way on my trips, but I’d like to! So I’m just leaving it here until I do make it.

Briody’s Pub

Once I started telling bartenders that other bartenders sent me their way, they started sharing their favorite drinking spots. Briody’s on Marlborough Street was one such place. Just on the other side of the River Liffey from Temple Bar and Trinity College, Briody’s is supposed to have one of the best pints of Guinness for the bar industry. I hope to visit this pub on my next trip to Dublin.

The Long Hall

The Long Hall was right around the corner from my hotel in Dublin and I still didn’t make it. It was recommended to me by a bartender as another spot for a great pint of Guinness. It’s one of the oldest pubs in Dublin with a Victorian atmosphere. The decorations give it an air of authenticity. As an added bonus, it backs up to Dublin Castle!

The Swan Bar

The Swan Bar on Aungier Street is a unique Irish pub because it descended from a medieval inn. The Victorian ambience is a great place to enjoy a cold pint of Guinness – one of the best in Dublin!

Peter’s Pub

Located between Temple Bar and St. Stephen’s Green, Peter’s Pub is a local and expat favorite. Peter’s pours a great Guinness and has some especially delicious Irish coffee.

The Brazen Head Pub

Want to catch some live music in Ireland’s oldest pub? The lantern-lit Brazen Head Pub on Bridge Street is your spot! It was built as an inn on the site of a merchant’s home dating back to 1613.

The Church

Churches have wine, right? The Church has wine and all the alcohol! The Church is a pub built in a beautifully restored church. It’s a hot spot for locals and visitors alike!

Sophie’s Rooftop Bar

Sophie’s Rooftop Bar is a glasshouse rooftop restaurant and pub with stunning 360 degree views. It’s a chain and you can find a Sophie’s in Dublin, Cork, and Galway. But the Dublin spot, just south of St. Stephen’s Green, is a local favorite!

Have you been to Dublin? What was your favorite part of the city? Did I miss any great spots for a pint of Guinness? Let me know in the comments below!

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