Post Stay in Dublin
My friend and I are planning to do the Week in Ireland next May. We always do a Pre-Stay, but are questioning if we should do a Post-Stay as well. Are there things to do in Dublin that are not covered by the tour? We do get some free time on the two days we are there, but I did not know if we would feel we would still need more time there. . THANKS!
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Hi MLSPA, my husband and I took the Week in Ireland in May 2025 and absolutely loved it. The prestay at Dromoland was just wonderful. We had a full day on our own, as part of the tour, in Dublin and felt like that was enough. There was a mom and her daughter in our group who did extent their stay. They planned to take a train to Belfast. There is quite a bit to do in Dublin, but we went to the places that interested us. Walking down Grafton Street was fun and through St. Stephen’s Green was pretty. We plan to go back to Ireland once we travel to other new places.
I'd say there is plenty to see in Dublin and day trips from there. The itinerary seems to only include a walking tour (outside of buildings) and the Book of Kells. There is also Dublin castle and the Chester Beatty Library (actually its a museum), Irish Emigration Museum, Kilmainham Gaol, the Guinness Storehouse, and other museums. Day trips from there include the neolithic sites north of Dublin, Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains, and Game of Thrones filming sites. Viator has loads of guided tours to chose from. Plus Dublin is just a fun city to wander around in.
I recently returned from my third trip to Dublin and could not agree more with Claudia Sails. The Killmainham Gaol is a spectacular tour/museum. Advance tickets are a must. They go on sale on their website about three weeks in advance ( can’t really remember the timing ), but it is worth it to set an alarm and grab them when they do open up. I was moved to tears by our tour of 14 Henrietta Street Settlement House. For traditional Irish music I strongly recommend The Cobblestone Pub in the Smithfield neighborhood north of the River Liffey. If you don’t want to cross the river, then Darkey Kelly’s on Fishamble Street would be my second choice. Avoid the pubs in Temple Bar but walk through for the experience. I loved Christ Church Cathedral with its amazing Viking history. I would also book a table at The Winding Stair Restaurant at the foot of Ha’Penny Bridge and get a table overlooking the river. The Westbury Hotel is my favorite place to stay in Dublin, and they have an art deco cocktail bar called the Sidecar that is lovely. Rick Steves has an excellent audio tour of Dublin. Part One covers the area south of the River Liffey and Part Two covers the area north of the River Liffey. Dublin is my favorite Western European city. Slainte! 🍀
There's so much to do in Dublin! I second the recommendations of Kilmainham Gaol and the Emigration Museum (EPIC). Have tea or lunch at Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street and enjoy the lovely stained glass windows. Have seafood chowder at The Lincoln's Inn Pub on the site of Finn's Hotel, where James Joyce met Nora Barnicle. Tour the Abbey Theatre and go to a performance there. If you're into 19th and early 20th century history, take a tour of Glasnevin Cemetery, where so many of the patriots of that era are buried. I had a pleasant surprise on my 2:30 pm tour: the 1:30 tour and the 2:30 tour met at O'Donovan Rossa's grave at 2:30 to be treated to an actor delivering the funeral oration of Padraig Pearse at O'Donovan Rossa's funeral. Go to the GPO and the small museum attached to it. And there's always the Irish Whiskey experience!