Everyone knows that Dublin is an an absolute staple European city break – so being from England (and flights costing as little as £9, thanks Ryanair!) it might be a shock that it took me until 2018 to book my first trip here. I managed to fall very lucky and only catch a couple of hours of rain throughout the whole of the weekend; which I think is quite a rarity for Dublin in February. It’s super easy to get from the airport into the city centre – there’s a direct bus right outside the Airport which is only €12 for a return ticket. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn which is in a perfect location right on the water front. The rooms are spacious with big comfy beds – just what you need after a day of exploring, just what you need for your weekend in Dublin.
Dublin offers everything you could want in a city break; hipster cafes for your coffee and cake fix, an endless amount of pubs, swanky cocktail bars and plenty of places to shop. If you’re lucky enough to visit on a bright, dry day then it’s such a lovely city to wander around. There’s an array of cobbled streets and gorgeous architecture, including the magnificent Trinity College. Its a beautiful walk down the river front as well. The days may be gone of having to pay Ha’penny to cross the bridge; but the Ha’penny bridge itself still stands proud and attracts tourists in their swarms.
Obviously, no weekend in Dublin isn’t complete without copious amounts of alcohol. It’s absolutely imperative that you check out the Temple bar for a perfect pint of Guinness. This pub has an atmosphere like nothing else I’ve ever seen. There’s live music, dancing, and a packed crowd every single night.
If the temple bar doesn’t quite quench your Guinness thirst then a tour of the Guinness Storehouse is going to be an essential part of your weekend. However, please take the term ‘Tour’ Lightly. This is a self-guided wander around the Storehouse which showcases each and every step of the Guinness brewing process, finishing with a pint of the good stuff in their beautiful top floor bar – complete with 360 views of the whole city. You can read an in depth review of the Guinness Storehouse here.
A little lesser known attraction was the tour of the Kilmainham Gaol Museum – which may have been the only sober activity of the weekend, but I have to admit it was my favourite. Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796, and didn’t close until 1924. We were taken around the Gaol in a group of about 20 and we couldn’t have asked for more from our tour guide. He was engaging, witty and knowledgable. I learned so much about Irish history and left wanting to educate myself about such a large part of history I knew very little about.
On our final evening in the city we took a trip to the Jameson factory, just in case you were worried we had not had quite enough alcohol. What I loved about this tour was the guide’s enthusiasm and how interactive it was. The hour tour flew by and the final stage consisted of three samples of different whisky, with our guide teaching us how we could compare and contrast the differences.
I couldn’t recommend Dublin enough for a city break. Have you ever been?
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