I just came back from 4 days in Ireland with the Hunk. We flew in and out of Dublin whilst also seeing the West Coast and Northern Ireland, including Belfast and a one-day road trip up to Giants Causeway from Dublin.
There was so much ground we wanted to cover whilst in Dublin so we were at a challenge. How much could we see, do, eat and drink in Dublin in 24 hours?!
Our time in Dublin was short but boy was it sweet! With just 24 hours to see Dublin, here are the activities we covered:
Dublin Free Walking Tour
We chose to take a free walking tour with New Sandemans Tours, which run Europe-wide and always offer excellent tours loaded with information in an interesting and/or funny way!
Our guide was Eoin… Said “Owen”, but you know, the Irish like to spell names in the most bizarre way! Anyway, Eoin studied history and politics at Trinity College and also seemed to be a budding comedian. Our 3 hours with him were very well spent!
Starting at Dublin Castle, we were given a solid history of Ireland which covered the Vikings, famous writers, the famine, the flag, why Dublin is called Dublin (Dubh Linn means Black Pool) whilst tying the history to the sights covered in the 3 hour tour: Trinity College, Christ Church Cathedral and St Stephen’s Green.
After the 3 hours, I was a little on the tired side, a little on the hungry side, and a little bit whiny. Hunk can testify. Due to these factors, we took a taxi over to our next activity (which was probably quite walk-able) – the Guinness Storehouse!
Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is essentially Disneyland for Guinness lovers. I didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t what I got! When you first go in you learn about what Guinness is made of and how it is brewed. I love learning how beer is made… every time I go to a brewery, I find myself contemplating my career path!
The Tasting Room is next, where you learn how to properly taste a Guinness – yes I’ve been doing it all wrong! The Guinness needs to cover your entire tongue, right to the back… before you let it go down your throat, to grasp the full flavour.
Along the route, you may learn the art of pouring the perfect Guinness. For us, the line was too long and we were just excited to go to the Gravity Bar! Knowing it was on top of the building, we couldn’t wait to get there for the views.
The Gravity Bar sits at the top of the Storehouse on the 7th floor. It has an unparalleled view of Dublin and is all glass, so those views are 360! The Guinness is also more delicious with a view. It’s science.
Jameson Distillery
After our visit was over at the Storehouse, it was time to hop over to the Jameson Distillery! We booked ahead for our tour which is important. Tours sell out in advance so don’t expect to rock up on the day and be able to get into a tour straight away!
The tour is led by a Jameson enthusiast who describes the process of making Jameson whiskey. As it is triple distilled, the process is quite complex!
After the tour you get to do a Tasting! This was interesting for me because I enjoy whiskey and cannot tell you my favourite – well now I can.
You first taste the Jameson, a triple distilled whiskey. It’s smooth. You then taste the Johnnie Walker, a double distilled whiskey, it’s a bit harsher and smokier but still quite good to drink straight. You then taste Jack Daniels, a single distilled whiskey. Yuck. Much harsher.
From the tastings to me it was obvious that a triple distillation is so much yummier that I would never choose Jack Daniels again. Imagine waking up in the morning feeling like P Diddy… :-/
Once the tasting is over, it’s time to go to the bar and enjoy more whiskey!!
Dinner with friends living in Dublin
After our day’s activities were over, it was time to meet up with some friends who moved to Dublin almost 2 years ago, the Slovenians. They are a couple that I lived with when I first moved to London so I was very much looking forward to seeing them again!
They say Dublin does not offer as much to do as London did, which I can agree with. London is the busiest place I’ve ever lived and there’s so much going on at all times! Dublin is a heck of a lot smaller. However, it certainly makes up for that in personality.
We went to Brasserie Sixty6 for dinner and my oh my was it good! I can 110% recommend this place for dinner if you find yourself in Dublin! We were walking past and thought we’d chance getting a table, only to discover after dinner that it is the number 1 place to eat as voted by Dubliners! Happy with that!
Beers at the famous Temple Bar
After dinner the Slovenians took us to Temple Bar to enjoy the Irish night-life! We ended up going into the famous ‘Temple Bar’ (which named itself after the area of Temple Bar to capitalise on the name… And thus became a tourist icon)
Well, The Temple Bar itself is a riot! We went into the live music room and had a great time singing along whilst swigging on our Irish pints! The not so fun part we’re dealing with drunken crowds..
I’m a crowd-hater, so going to Temple Bar meant that we were surrounded by people, couldn’t move, and some guy kept doing such awful farts that I threw up in my mouth and had a rather tough time making sure I didn’t let the puke come out!! But apart from that – it was a really good time and the best way to spend an evening in Dublin 🙂
Our Airbnb
I have to give our Airbnb a shout out! We really enjoyed staying in our little green-door flat in the South, just a 15 minute walk to the centre of Dublin. Our hosts were friendly and gave us lots of local tips, including a very good brunch tip! Having a good host is not guaranteed, even on social websites such as Airbnb, so it was great to have a warm welcome.
Book your first stay with Airbnb (in Dublin even) and get €8 with my referral link!Thoughts on Dublin
Dublin is a city that has a rough history and I think you can tell just looking around. I found it to be a strange place and if I’m being honest, it is kind of ugly. The historic buildings are great, but there was certainly a period in Dublin’s history where they decided to only build really ugly buildings! That being said, the vibe is really cool!
We enjoyed our 24 hours in Dublin, meeting so many friendly people and whilst we had a very busy day sight-seeing, I can say there is plenty to do in Dublin! We also had some excellent food in Dublin, which I wasn’t expecting.
Would I go back to Dublin? Absolutely!
Ireland Video
I made a short video of our time in Ireland – watch it on Magisto.
Don’t forget to Pin it for later!
Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!
