GoGreenVT

We are visiting Ireland late May/early June. We have 9 days and are slowly making our way from Shannon to Dublin- leaving us only 1 1/2 days in Dublin (2 nights- a full Sunday, and 1/2 Monday <our flight is at 5pm> ). We are more outdoor enthusiasts than city dwellers, so we are planning to maximize our time in Dingle, etc. We would like to see the "highlights" of Dublin (will have to visit again for more!), and are unsure what is doable in a day or so. We are not looking to cram everything in, feeling exhausted by 5 pm! but we would like to see what we can in a reasonable time frame.

We are planning to jump on the hop on/hop off bus (seems like this is an easy, economical way to see the sights?) somewhere near Trinity?....staying at the Aberdeen Lodge hotel, a bit southeast of the center and will take public trans. in. We're interested in seeing Kilmainham Goal- have read the tour is excellent! can anyone comment, does anyone know how long it is???, perhaps the National Museum, Trinity/book of kells, Christ Cathedral and/or St. Patricks- these 2 are less important- I'd be ok with a drive by if time doesn't allow, and end up at the Guiness factory (it is my favorite beer!) Perhaps we'd grab dinner in this area after, and somehow find public transportation back to the hotel?

Is this reasonable? Does anyone have recommendations re: pubs, restaurants in the Guiness Factory area (we're more people who enjoy good pub food than fine dining).

I think the following AM, we'll find something relaxing to do (as we sulk that it's our last day in Ireland!)- hang out at Stephen's Green?

Thank you for reading this and hope you can comment!

hayestrip

You're going to be running like mad to see all those sights. As long as you are taking public transit and not walking I'd suggest Kilmainham in the morning, then the Archaeology building of the National Museum, and then Guiness in the later afternoon. Since you want Monday to be more relaxing maybe walk through Trinity up to Dublin Castle.

The tour in Kilmainham was amazing but I remember it being longish (although it's been a while since I was there). I also wouldn't miss the archaeology building of the National Museum with its exhibits on ancient Ireland. The Guiness factory was great too but took a long time simply because of how big it is.

di2315

I second the Gaol tour - very interesting, and an excellent 'potted history' of Ireland along the way. It is quite long, but you are on the move most of the time, with short stops for story telling en route.

Be aware that you have to book in for a time slot, and if a number of large groups have turned up, you'll need to wait. There's a short film you can watch while waiting and a static display area, but be alert to your timeslot as they take off promptly! Di

egnolive

I third the Gaol tour. Don't miss the exhibits upstairs, either before or after your tour. They have letters written to their families by the prisoners before their executions. Very moving.

You may need to take into accounts lines for the Gaol tour and also the Book of Kells.

We spent 1 and1/2 days in Dublin a few years back and saw some of the sites you list. However, we stayed in Dublin, so you have to take into account getting into Dublin by public transport.

Here's what we did. On our first 1/2 day, we saw the Book of Kells, saw a few exhibits at the National Museum and walked around a bit to get our bearings. We hung out at St. Stephen's green as you suggested.

The next full day, we took the HOHO bus first thing in the morning, getting off at the Gaol. We spent almost the entire morning there. We got back on, explored Christchurch, walked past Dublin Castle, saw the General Post Office where the rising took place. did some souvenir shopping and hung out in Temple Bar.

Both were full and exhausting days. I think you can do most of what you'd like, but may have to abbreviate your stays at any one site so you can get to another. We don't like to do that, but maybe that is what you'd prefer.

Lastly, you may not really have 1/2 day on Monday, as your plane leaves at 5pm. You will need to take into account getting into the city and back to your hotel, then getting to the airport in sufficient time. If going to the US, that may mean about 2-3 hours before your flight.

I think its best to think that if you like what you see in Dublin, you will just have to return. Enjoy what you can see and save the rest for later.

Happy travels.

irishface

Just a word of warning--the national museum is closed on Monday and open only 2-5 on Sunday. Kilmainham is at the top of my list. It is apt to be busy so you might want to be there at opening time.

St. Patrick's and Christ Church are both interesting and worth a visit but for different reasons, so it is hard to judge which you might prefer. check in your guide book to see which has the most sites of interest to you nearby. As I recall, the Hoponhopoff bus has a stop near to Christ Church and St. Patrick's is a bit of a walk from the nearest stop (nothing undoable, but in the interests of time and of comfort if it is raining, Christ church might be your best choice).

Have a great time!

longhorn55

You might be interested in taking the Historical Walking Tour of Dublin (www.historicalinsights.ie) rather than a HOHO bus tour as you would be "out and about" more. The guides are all history grads from Trinity and ours was excellent--both informative and entertaining. The tour, which lasts 2 hours, covers a lot of ground (both literally and figuratively) and you end up at Christ Cathedral, so you could visit that next.

Also, if you are looking for something to do on the evening before you departure, check out the Musical Pub Crawl--good music and fun. http://www.discoverdublin.ie/musicalpubcrawl.html

persevere

longhorn55,(enjoyed viewing your 2 rec's above) would you consider a trip to Dublin worthwhile? We are visting our son in London, arrive AM 7-23 and depart for another trip with him on 7-30. We have visited London once before, but can spend more time seeing what we missed last time. To afford our son less time with parents living in his apt. we are considering a side trip. Thoughts are to depart for Dublin from LHR on Monday early am flight and spend Monday, Tuesday and depart Wed at 4:40 for return to London. Staying in Dublin (possible recommendation for lodging??), is this time-frame realistic to get a taste of Dublin and yet still spend a few days with our son in London prior to our departure for another trip with our son?

longhorn55

I would definitely consider a trip to Dublin worthwhile, Persevere! You should be able to see and do a lot if you have 2.5 days for sightseeing. However, I'm afraid I can't help with a recommendation for lodging. We stayed in Malahide, outside of Dublin, since we were going to be doing a lot of day trips in the area. As you will be concentrating on Dublin itself, I would look for accommodations in the city.

persevere

Thank you longhorn55. I have added your links to my favorites for future reference and will use your advice to research in the future weeks.

Sandylan

Dublin has a long history stretching back over a thousand years and one of the nearby tourist sites, Newgrange (www.knowth.com), is over 5,000 years old. In a day or two you will get only a small sample of its treasures. You can read about many more at www.visitdublin.com which is the local official tourist site.