Last March I spent 3 days in Dublin with my boyfriend. It was the perfect destination for a spring trip, so today I’m sharing a brief rundown of my favourite things we did in case you’re searching for a last minute getaway over the Easter break or a fun trip this summer!
We stayed at The Address Hotel Connolly on Amiens Street. Its central location made it great for exploring the city, and the hotel itself was superb. It’s probably one of the poshest places I’ve ever stayed but was about the same price as hotels like Travelodge or Premier Inn in the area for the days we went. Our room was even upgraded for free, which was a lovely extra.
Day One
We took an early flight from Bristol, so after landing in Dublin and a quick bus ride, we were in the city centre at around 10:30 ready for a whole day of exploring!
Trinity College: We began our day at Trinity College. As a Normal People lover, I was keen to look around one of the filming locations. My hunt for Paul Mescal was unfortunately unsuccessful, but the campus itself was stunning to walk around and all of the greenery was beautifully maintained.
Exploring: We wandered around Merrion Square Park and found the Oscar Wilde statue, which was a fun homage to my A-Level English Literature days.
The Last Bookshop: This bookshop is a cavernous gem of second hand books piled from floor to ceiling. We spent ages just looking through all the titles. Tucked behind The Last Bookshop is Cake Café, a wonderful café serving all kinds of brunch delights. This was the perfect pit stop, and it was lovely to sit outside and soak up the crisp, spring air.
Dublin Castle: We then went to Dublin Castle. This castle dates back to the 13th Century, and it was very interesting to learn about all of its history whilst soaking up the spring sun and admiring the architecture.
Dinner: We went for dinner at Bosh Burger, the in-house restaurant in The Wiley Fox pub. Their ingredients are 100% Irish, and whilst I don’t eat meat, I am assured by my boyfriend that his burger was delicious. I had a vegetarian Beyond Burger, which was also very tasty.
Concert: The main reason we came to Dublin was to see John Mayer in concert at the 3Arena (sorry Swifties, my boyfriend is a huge fan!), where we headed after dinner. The whole arena is seated, and despite being really near the back, we had a great view. The staff were also super friendly and helpful, so I would really recommend the 3Arena if you were looking at going to a show in Dublin.
The concert itself was amazing and John Mayer was very interactive with the crowd, playing lots of the audience’s requests. However, I was absolutely exhausted from our early start, and I did feel myself nodding off in my seat a few times! I would recommend scheduling an afternoon nap or booking a later flight if you had things planned for this first evening! We ended the day with a quick drink at the bar in our hotel and a much-needed sleep, ready for our second day.
Day Two
Brunch: Day two was our only full day in Dublin. We started with brunch at Pog on Tara Street. It had a bustling, lively atmosphere, but despite every table being filled, we were served quickly. I had pancakes with strawberries, bananas, and white chocolate, and every bite was mouthwatering. Despite being on the pricier side, it was nice to treat ourselves.
Liberty Market: Lots of online sources recommended visiting the Liberty Market, but I was very disappointed. This is my own fault for not researching properly, but far from being a cute, independent flea-market style market, the Liberty Market felt more like a market version of a household shop like B&M. I’m sure if you lived in Dublin you would get some great bargains, but this isn’t a place I would really recommend for tourists.
Guinness Storehouse: Whilst I’m not a Guinness lover, the tour was very immersive and explored the history of Guinness and all aspects of the brewing process. The final part of the experience is a complimentary pint in the top-floor bar, which had stunning views over the whole city.
Drinks: Following our rooftop pints, we pretty much kept drinking all evening. We tried to get a seat in Harkin’s Bar, which is a stone’s throw from the Guinness Storehouse. I wish I’d thought about how busy these popular bars and pubs would be – there was nowhere to sit, and our only option was to take a seat in the restaurant, so we had to leave because we didn’t want food. I’m a sucker for a frozen cocktail, so when we stumbled on All Bar Chicken I was delighted! Their frozen drinks were delicious, the music was great, and the vibes were immaculate. We spent ages here enjoying our drinks. They were also very strong so felt like great value for money!
Dinner: We had a delicious pizza at Sano Pizza. Priding themselves on making authentic pizza with Italian ingredients, Sano is a bright, open, and airy pizzeria well worth checking out. Our pizzas were incredible, and lined our stomachs for the rest of our evening.
Temple Bar: After dinner we headed to the Temple Bar area. I was determined to listen to some live Irish music, which we found in The Quays Bar. Soaking up this authentic, albeit touristy atmosphere was my favourite part of the whole trip. We stayed here for hours, simply enjoying the music and the vibes. Whilst my highlights of the trip are very food and drink focussed, spending all evening in pubs was not so much a favourite because of the drinks but the atmosphere. Listening to live Irish music is the perfect way to spend an evening in Dublin, and this was my favourite part of the trip overall. We then went to a few other pubs in Temple Bar throughout the evening, and it was so nice to walk through the streets and hear live music coming from pretty much every pub.
Day Three
Our flight was unfortunately moved forwards, so we only had time for a quick breakfast at our hotel before we had to get the bus back to the airport. We had planned to visit the National Botanic Gardens which are free to enter. As a big music fan, the Irish Rock n Roll museum also looked like a cool, immersive way to learn more about the Irish music industry. You could also check out the shops, which we didn’t really get around to doing on our other days. I’m hoping to go back to Dublin this summer, and I am keen to check out the Jameson Whisky Experience, which offers distillery tours and tasting sessions, similar to the Guinness Storehouse experience. We did fly back to Bristol on a propeller plane though, which was a unique end to the trip!
Dublin was such an interesting, vibrant city with a fascinating history. I would really recommend it for a long weekend trip, and whilst it was beautiful in the springtime, I can imagine it being stunning over Christmas when the streets are lit up with festive decorations, and enthralling around St Patrick’s day when the comes alive with locals and tourists alike.