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| 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 high (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 If you are already ready to go, here are some examples of sites to discover and things to do |
| 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! |
| 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. Admire the Black Pool... [  ]The city of Dublin gets its name from the Black Pool (Dubh Linn in Irish), which was located on the site of the present Castle garden. In 2008 it was replaced by a memorial for the Garda (the Irish Police). |
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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 on the right-hand side was taken from the castle's gardens. |
| 5. 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. |
 Photo 5. Sunset on the Liffey. |
| 6. Observe the city lights on the Liffey... [ ] My personal opinion is that the City of Dublin is nicer at night than during the day. The photo on the right-hand side was taken from Grattan Bridge, built in 1875. |
| 7. Walk on Bachelor's Quay...
[ ] This is becoming more and more common in Ireland; towns are building wooden footbridges over rivers, giving more paths for the pedestrians. On the right-hand side, you'll see the example of Bachelor's Quay. |
| 8. Go on O'Connell Street... [ ] O'Connell Street is one of the most famous streets in Dublin. You can find the statue of Daniel O'Connell, the Spire (120 m high) and a lot of shops. On Saturday afternoons, it is not rare to see demonstrations on an Irish scale. |
9. Visit the most famous pub of Dublin... |
| 10. Observe the activities in Temple Bar District.... [ ] The Temple Bar area attracts a lot of tourists, and it's quite common to see hen and stag parties. Masks and funny costumes are compulsory. See the example below. |
 Photo 10. Have a laugh in Temple Bar ! |
| 11. What time is it? [ ] The photo on the right-hand side was taken near Tara Street, where one can find the headquarters of the famous newspaper The Irish Times. The clock was restored at the end of September 2008. |
| 12. Cross the Liffey via Ha'Penny Bridge... [ ] The Ha'penny Bridge is one of the nicest bridges in the city. You used to pay half a penny to cross the river from North to South (and vice versa). Crossing the bridge is free of charge nowadays, though you will certainly see one or two beggars on the bridge itself. |
| 13. Study at Trinity College... [ ] Trinity College is located in the heart of the city. It's a pleasant place to go through, particularly if you are trying to escape the noises created by the traffic. Some days you'll be able to see a cricket match or rugby training. The University also shelters in its library the very famous Book of Kells. |
| 14. Do shopping in Grafton Street... [ ] Grafton Street is one of the most crowded shopping streets in South Dublin. The street goes from Trinity College to Stephen's Green. Grafton Street's shops are usually fairly classy. |
15. Do shopping in Henry Street... |
 Photo 15. Henry Street. |
| 16. Admire the Customs House... [ ] The Customs House is an 18th century building in Dublin which is located on the north bank of the River Liffey. It was designed by James Gandon in 1791 to act as the new customs house for Dublin Port. |
| 17. Have a walk on the North Quay... [ ] You can have a quite pleasant walk on the north bank of the river. The Quays have been restored in a nice way. Near the Customs House, you'll come across statues with very thin faces and bodies, which symbolise the victims of the years of famine (pictured). |
| 18. Observe the three Parcae of Stephen's Green... [ ] The Parcae are always designed together. Each has her role: Clotho is the spinner of fate, Lachesis is the drawer of lots, and Atropos represents the inevitable end to life. |
| 19. Board the tram on Abbey Street... [ ] Dublin, like other capitals, has its transport problems. The introduction of the tram, called Luas, brought a little breath in a Dubliner's life; however, there's still a lot to do. There's a metro project being studied... One of the problems -- who will pay the bill? |
| 20. Go to the old city hall... [ ] It's possible to visit the old city hall for free. There's little to see except the building’s impressive internal dome. On the photo below, you can see Parliament Street and the old city hall in the background. |
 Photo 20. Parliament Street. |
| 21. Have dinner in the new Italian district... [ ] Lots of new buildings have grown recently in Dublin city centre. There's even a new "Latin" district, where one can eat Italian food and see this painting (see it on the right-hand side). |
| 22. Take photos of the famous Dublin doors... [ ] On the right-hand side, you can see the typical door of a Dublin house. |
| 23. Visit Christchurch Cathedral... [ ] Christchurch Cathedral is one the most famous religious buildings in Dublin. There is an entrance fee of around 6 Euro at present (in 2011). A priest will show you the architecture, the tiles, the walls (one side comes from Cannes in France!) and the crypt. You'll also be able to see mummies of a cat and a rat! The outside is definitely worth a glance. |
| 24. Walk through the Iveagh Gardens... [ ] Just a few hundred metres from Stephen's Green, you can find a charming little park, which is not well known. If you have good weather, this is a pleasant place to be in, particularly if you want to escape the regular Stephen's Green's crowd. |
| 25. Meet Oscar Wilde... [ ] Oscar Wilde is a famous Irish writer, and as such he has his statue in Merrion Park. |
 Photo 25. Be cool with Oscar! |
| 26. Visit the National Museums... [ ] The National Museums in Dublin are free. Of course, you wouldn't find the equivalent of the Louvre Museum or the British Museum, but it will be a temporary solution to keep yourself busy if it rains. On the right-hand side, you can see the National Museum, which sheltered a Viking ship for several months. The ship was built in Roskilde (see Denmark) |
| 27. Go to jail without crossing the GO box... [ ] You can have a very interesting historical tour in the Kilmainham Prison. After the "Easter Rising" in 1916, it's in this prison that political prisoners (such as Connolly, Pearse, etc.) spent their last days. See photo on the right-hand side. |
| 28. Visit St Audoen's Church... [ ] This is a little church (remains) located close to Christchurch Cathedral. There is nothing exceptional here but you can have a free-guided tour. Please note that it's only open from May until October. |
| 29. Go to Grand Canal Dock... [ ] This is one of the Dublin areas which has been extensively developed over the last 5 years. Starting this year (2010), the Grand Canal Theatre will be presenting artistic pieces, plays, musicals, Opera, Concerts... |
| 30. Cross Samuel Beckett's bridge... [ ] A new bridge crosses the Liffey since 2009. It was named after the Irish writer Samuel Beckett. The shape of the spar and its cables evokes the image of a harp, which is one of the symbols of Ireland. |
 Photo 30. Samuel Beckett's Bridge. |
31. Turn the wheel: Visit the O2 and the Dublin Eye... |
| The City of Dublin in pictures | ||
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 Photo 2. Zoo de Dublin. |
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 Photo 3. The black Pool. |
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 Photo 4. Dublin Castle. |
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 Photo 6. Dublin by night. |
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 Photo 7. Bachelor's Quay. |
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 Photo 8. O'Connell Street. |
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 Photo 9. Temple Bar - the pub. |
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 Photo 11. Time for tea! |
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 Photo 12. Ha'Penny Bridge. |
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 Photo 13. Trinity College. |
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 Photo 14. Grafton Street. |
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 Photo 16. Custom House. |
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 Photo 17. Victimes de la famine. |
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 Photo 18. Stephen's Green. |
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 Photo 19. Abbey Street. |
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 Photo 21. The Irish last supper. |
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 Photo 22. Dublin doors. |
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 Photo 23. Christchurch Cathedral. |
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 Photo 24. Iveagh Gardens. |
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 Photo 26. National Museums. |
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 Photo 27. Kilmainham. |
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 Photo 28. St Audoen Church. |
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 Photo 29. Grand Canal Dock. |
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 Photo 31. The O2 and the Dublin Eye. |
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Now, feel free to check what Co. Dublin has on offer. |
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Legend:
Nice; Worth a visit; Well worth visiting
Please note that this grading system is only based on my interests and personal experience as a French expat in Ireland. Feel free to visit the same locations and share your experience 
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Free or Not Applicable Entrance fee ≤€5 ; €5<Entrance fee≤€10 ; €10<Entrance fee≤€15 and so on...
These price ranges are indicative only to help you plan your holiday budget and are subject to change. Discounts generally apply for families, groups, children, students and seniors citizens.
While the admission to this site is free, a parking fee may apply.
Heritage Site managed by the Office of Public Works. Most OPW sites are free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month during 2011. A Good tip: the Heritage Card entitles you unlimited admission for one year to all OPW sites (around €21).