7 things to do and to see in the City of Dublin
Welcome to Dublin!
I lived in Dublin (also known “the Fair City” or “the Big Smoke”) between May 2006 and May 2010.
Economically, the city has the advantage of attracting many multi-national software companies such as Microsoft, Google and Facebook, which, in turn, means that there are more jobs opportunities on the East coast, in this sector, than elsewhere in the country. The downside to this strong I.T. jobs market is the rents in the city are still critically high, despite the recent Irish financial difficulties (the demand generally being greater than the supply) and traffic remains a problem at peak times, although improvements have been made in recent years, particularly along the M50.
Obviously, the advantage in living in the City is the proximity to the airport, train and main bus stations, which allows you to be in the countryside relatively quickly
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As tourism represents a big part of the Irish economy, you should manage to find a suitable accommodation without any problem, when visiting Dublin. Depending on your budget, it will be easy to book a room in a hotel, B&B or a hostel. An interesting alternative to these is to rent directly a holiday apartment, right in the city center. This can become an affordable and practical solution, as once paid, you can enjoy the freedom of eating in or out, sleeping and getting up at the time you want, with no schedules/rules to follow. Of course, don’t wait until the last minute to book: despite its climate, Dublin is quite a popular destination from March (Saint Patrick’s Day) until October (Halloween).
If you are already ready to go, here are quite a lot of examples of sites to discover and things to do in the official capital…
1. Enjoy a pint in the Guinness Store House…
This is most likely the number #1 attraction in Ireland. The building used to house the fermentation of GUINNESS® beer until 1988, and was reopened in 2000, as a new Dublin tourist attraction. The core of the building is modelled on a giant pint glass, stretching from the ground floor to The Gravity Bar in the sky. If filled, this giant pint would hold approximately 14.3 million pints of the black stuff! It is quite an interesting and unique experience, and you don’t need to like that poison (like the Irish say) to enjoy it.
2. Play the monkey in Dublin Zoo…
Dublin Zoo was opened in 1831 by what was then the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland. Its counterpart in the UK, the London Zoo, supplied the animals. Today, you will find a wide range of animals, with monkeys, elephants and a red panda (pictured). Even if it’s not a big zoo, you’ll have enough to see to spend a full day there outside.
3. Visit Dublin Castle and its gardens…
Probably one of the rare castles in the world composed of sections in different colours (green, yellow, blue and red), not necessarily from the same historical period. You may like it or not… The photo above was taken from the castle’s gardens.
4. Watch the sunset on the River Liffey…
The river Liffey goes through Dublin from West to East. If the sky is not too cloudy, you can see a superb sunrise/sunset on the Liffey.
5. Observe the city lights on the Liffey…
My personal opinion is that the City of Dublin looks much nicer at night than during the day. The photo above is a good example. It was taken from Grattan Bridge, built in 1875.
6. Walk on Bachelor’s Quay…
This is becoming more and more common in Ireland; towns and cities are building wooden footbridges over rivers, giving more paths for the pedestrians. Above, you’ll see the example of Bachelor’s Quay. Not to worry: despite the name, you can still use it if you’re married.
7. Go on O’Connell Street…
O’Connell Street is definitely one of the most famous streets in Dublin. You can find the statue of Daniel O’Connell (Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century), the Spire (120 m high) and a lot of shops. On Saturday afternoons, it is not rare to see little demonstrations there.
Next week, I’ll suggest 7 more examples of sites you can visit in Dublin… so watch this space!
