2 days in Dublin prior to Ireland tour
Going on Ireland small group tour in October, what should we see in Dublin that is not included on tour already?
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Going on Ireland small group tour in October, what should we see in Dublin that is not included on tour already?
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Don’t know if it’s included, but the Guinness Factory tour is very interesting and the tasting room at the end of the tour is great.
If you are willing to rent a car or car and driver, there are a number of ancient sites outside of Dublin- Hill of Tara, Glendalough Cathedral, and the famous the Unesco World Heritage-listed Neolithic burial grounds at Newgrange which pre-date the pyramids.
Loved Newgrange and glad I went to the site of the Battle of the Boyne on the way back to Dublin. Also was really moved by Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin,
Here’s an awesome guide to Newgrange
https://heritageireland.ie/assets/uploads/2020/03/Bru-na-Boinne-OUTSIDE-Tour-COVID-Social-Story-1.pdf
The Seamus Heaney ongoing exhibit at the National Library of Ireland is a wonderful tribute, with videos, photographs, readings and quotes on the walls. Pandemic visits are alas limited to 30 minutes; I'd recommend an hour. It's free; looks like you no longer need to book ahead.
Info at https://www.seamusheaney.com/listen-now-again
The National Museum of Archaeology is excellent. Check out the gold artifacts from early Ireland, the bog bodies, and Viking relics.
Also in Dublin is the GPO Museum which does a good job of covering the 1916 Easter Rising.
When I was in Dublin, I took a fantastic food tour — it was great food plus great story telling which the Irish have perfected!
http://www.fabfoodtrails.ie/dublin-tasting-trail/
Their website’s description sums it up perfectly:
Our tastings reflect the current food scene, bringing new international and contemporary tastes to the Irish table and all using great Irish produce. As you enjoy the food, you’ll also learn a little about the culture and history of our lively and charming city from your local guide.
We had 2 extra days in Dublin as well. On one we had booked an all day tour with Viator that went up to the Boyne Valley area. Several tours to pick from. Just make sure to check the individual cancellation policy as the tours are operated by different companies with different policies. The next day we went to the Chester Beatty Library which is on the grounds on Dublin Castle. The admittance is free and it has some fascinating collections.
For dining:
We ate dinner one night at Gallaghers Boxty House in Temple Bar. We thought it might be too touristy but the food and beer were excellent. The restaurant is featured in an episode of the TV show "Somebody Feed Phil". The second night we had sea food at "Matt the Thresher". Excellent. Links for both
https://www.boxtyhouse.ie/
https://matts.ie/menu/
FYI, if someone in the group wants an Aran sweater - the Aran Sweater Shop on Grafton street had about the best selection and prices that we saw. Didn't get one there and regretted it.
Wow thanks so much for this detailed info!
Amack - agree with Wayside. The Museum is incredible and we spent an afternoon there. The bog men and items from 7,000 BC can be seen. It is about a 20 minute walk from the hotel. Please see photos. We also crossed the Laffey river in the opposite direction from the Museum and went to Grafton and O'Connell streets also 20 minutes from the hotel. There are fun shops and restaurants and we saw the 390 foot stainless steel tower right on the main intersection. These are not in the planned itinerary.
We do Shutterfly albums for all our Tauck trips and did one for this Small Groups trip which we took in July 2019 right before the world fell apart. The album for this trip is about 70 pages and I can email it to you if you'd like. Simply send us your email address via the Tauck Forum email system in the top right of this page.
Thank you all for the great information. We'll be on the Best of Ireland - Small Groups Tour on September 28th. Anyone else going on this date? Any recommendations for dinner in Belfast? We also arrive early and are looking for things to do before the start of this tour in Dublin. Thank you, Lisa
I loved Nu Delhi on Great Victoria St. The name says it all.
Thank you, MarketArt!
You're welcome. Lisa. Of course I loved St. George's Market (music on weekends), which was near my hotel, Malmaison. The buildings downtown are beautifully lit at night. Enjoy!
MarketArt, we can't wait, this is our first trip to Ireland. The first night in Belfast is the Titanic Tasting menu dinner and the second night, I believe, is free. We have two full days in Dublin before the tour starts. With Covid, we are currently looking into making reservations online for the things we want to do in Dublin. (Guinness Factory and The Book of Kells).
I'll see your hawk and falcon and raise you an owl!
Haha Alan. Your owl is a lightweight compared to our hawks. The female hawk weighed twice as much as the male and wasn't pregnant. Moved my post to the Ireland Small Groups post.
We had hawks/falcons too, but the owls were much softer and friendlier!