Please help!

Protagonist

Hello Dubliners,
I'm in dire need of your expertise. On July 3rd - 7th a very good american friend of mine is coming over to Ireland, & more specifically to Dublin. Problem is I have no idea where to bring her....
I'll probably get to have her for 2/3 of those days & I want them to be as enjoyable as possible. She likes cafes, museums, acoustic music, etc.
I wish she was coming a week later because I could bring her to oxegen but alas I need to make the most of what I have.
So any of you Dubliners know of somewhere nice I could bring her during those dates?
Any information will be greatly appreciated :]

griffdaddy

Guiness Brewery for a start. If the weather is nice one of the days get a day ticket for the dart and head out somewhere nice, maybe to Howth. Or you could go and climb Bray head and stop at the pier in Dalkey to look at the sea-lions. Find a nice beer garden somewhere one of the days. If she wants to go to a museum go to the Chester Beaty library in Dublin Castle, it's free and has some interesting stuff. There's the new wax museum, haven't been there but could be good.If you have access to a car or can get a bus maybe head to Glendalough for a while. Generally just walking around and going to 'old man' pubs to drink pints of Guiness is what my friends seem to like best though.

Protagonist

thanks griffdaddy
although I probably should of mentioned she doesn't drink lol

Also I need to stay up in the city for a few days. Know any decent/cheap hostels, B&B's or hotel?

arybvtcw0eolkf

For accommodation try www.hostelworld.com

Other than that, its been three years since I done the Guinness tour with some foreign friends, neither they are I liked it much.

I'd recommend a visit to Kilmainham goal and cross the liffey and visit the Collins Barracks national museum to tie the whole Irish struggle for freedom together.

At all costs avoid the wax museum, do a search here for it reviews!.

Its a bit touristy, but your friends would enjoy a visit to The Brazen Head pub. As I said, its for the tourist, but its not expensive, the staff are friendly and there's craic most nights.

A visit to Howth is a must do, buy some fish along the pier and feed the seals!.

Other than that there's the usual open top bus tours, souvenir shops etc..

Oh!, visit Trinity college. I've never been disappointed whenever I brought friends into it.

Things to avoid - Templebar & the Liffey boardwalk, at all costs avoid the boardwalk between O'Connell St & The Custom House.

Jay D

If it's a nice day, what i have done on more than one occasion with foreign visitors is bring them to the Phoenix park. From Ashtown going, it's a great way to spend a few hours visiting the Papal Cross, the American Embassy (trust me it's pretty impressive scenery at the back.
The old barracks, Wellington Monument, while maybe catching a glance at some squirrels or deer, not forgetting the very beautiful scenic route through the park woods etc. and over to Kilmainham...
After giving them an insight into some history the Museum of Modern art is right up from it, beautiful gardens and when finished there on to Guinness.

The option of Jameson after this is there but tbh I tend to do one or the other and Jameson is pretty boring compared to Guinness, although after 6 or so times in a year it DOES become pretty boring....


From here into christchurch, trust me the grounds are interesting enough and I genuinely feel it's not worth paying into the church. From here Patrick's Park right by the Cathedral. Onto Dublin Castle, then Stephen's Green, merrion Square, followed by Trinity College. From here you're on your own!!

But there's plenty of bars and that around to choose from. But in my experience after this trip which needs to be started early to do nicely, they like to go home or wherever and relax the legs.

Have fun!

Mingetoad

Protagonist wrote: »

thanks griffdaddy
although I probably should of mentioned she doesn't drink lol

Also I need to stay up in the city for a few days. Know any decent/cheap hostels, B&B's or hotel?

For about the same price as a hostel you could get a decent room in one of the bars with a townhouse- O'Neills Pearse Street for one. Remember D4 Hotels is very cheap too.

reallyrose

The newly re-opened Natural History Museum!

tfak85

you should definitely go to queen of tarts, on dame street, opposite dublin castle..go early in the morning - 10ish and go to the original,smaller one...be sure to have the raspberry scones, they're usually sold out by midday! if you're looking for a super tasty lunch i would recommend avoca on suffolk street or lemon, crepe cafe on dawson street or south william street....
if you can book a table in green nineteen on camden street for your dinner one night it would be great, the food is great irish fusion (hate that phrase) and all mains are 10euro, generally you have to book two weeks in advance.

the guinness store house is amazing and i don't think a trip to dublin is worth doing without including it!
when you say your friend doesn't drink does that mean that you can't go into a bar for fear of a relapse or just that they don't drink but still go to pubs and bars (like me!). if the latter is the case you should visit the cobblestone in smithfield, on a sunday there is great trad music there..

i'm gonna keep wracking my brains...

Protagonist

oh wow, thanks for all the replies!
I'm definitely giving a thought to each of them.

I'm thinking Stephen's Green & Trinity as definites, then onto some museum(still uncertain as to which I should bring her)
She's fine about going into bars( I just don't want to get myself drunk whilst she is stone sober lol)
Which bars would you recommend to go to if I want to see a good live band? ( she's 19 so nothing too cliche Irish, ie. old guys with banjos )

tfak85

bring her to whelans! so fun, gets really packed in there after 12 but you should be able to see some good music there...

i would say the national museum on kildare street, it has a lot of the celtic gold, the bog men and a viking long boat... the really great thing about museums here is that they're free....
the hugh lane gallery is good too...

mardybumbum

I have been on the Guinness tour and went to see the book of Kells also.
Didn't find either of them that interesting. But I guess they are the things you "have to do" while in Ireland.
I'd recommend the Tea Garden along Ormond Quay. You can sit down, relax and chat for ages in there. Smoke some shisha too while your at it.

http://www.tea-garden.eu/

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tfak85 wrote: »

i would say the national museum on kildare street, it has a lot of the celtic gold, the bog men and a viking long boat...

such a cool place, I went there on sunday, but only got there at about 3.30, only made it about half way around, you could easily kill 3 hours in there, or more.

Twee.

Monday nights upstairs in Whelans is free in with live music. All sorts of bands, so you could get unlucky Keep an eye out Whelans listings.

The Cake Cafe on Camden Street is ever so quaint, great if you get a sunny day http://www.thecakecafe.ie/content.aspx?contentid=39

I adore Collins' Barracks, so much to see. If she's into art there's loads of amazing, often overlooked, galleries in Dublin for contemporary art. Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, Douglas Hyde Gallery in Trinity College, Kerlin Gallery on Anne's Lane, off Grafton St.

Protagonist

Aghh Paddy Casey is playing the night before she arrives. She would of loved that. Whelans definitely looks promising though, thanks :]

Bertie Bassett

Kilmainham Gaol is well worth a visit. http://www.heritageireland.ie

Sundew

I havn't read all the replies so sorry if there is any repetition here

I also second Kilmainham. It really is a must do when in Dublin for the first time. If you haven't visited I'm sure you'll enjoy it too!
The Chester Beatty Library is a fantastic museum in the grounds of Dublin Castle.
http://www.cbl.ie/
Somebodyelse mentioned it. There is also a Garda Museum besidethe Chester Beatty which has some excellent memorabilia on display. Great view from the top of the tower.
If you are visiting Kilmainham you could walk through the grounds of the Museum of Modern art in the Royal Hospital,Kilmainham .
http://www.imma.ie/en/index.htm
Collin's Barracks is also worth a visit and they have a lovely cafe there.

The Photographic Archive in Temple Bar is worth popping into. can be done in 15 mins. there was a recent Irish Civil War exhibition on but I think this was finishing up at the end of May. they always have great photographs in there on display.
http://www.nli.ie/en/national-photographic-archive.aspx

A lovely spot is taking the dart out to Howth and getting a bite to eat out there. She'll have some great photo opportunities there.
http://www.howthismagic.com/

The Botanic Gardens are only a quick hop on abus from town and would be another nice place to have lunch and you could nip around to the new visitor centre & museum at Glasnevin Cemetery.
http://www.glasnevinmuseum.ie/