Dublin----yes or no?
 

Should we see it or skip it? What has been your experience?

We enjoyed Dublin as did our kids who studies abroad there.
The Book of Kells is a highlight.

We spent 4 days in Dublin this past September as part of a 3 week trip to Ireland. We enjoyed our time in Dublin just as much as the other places we visited in the countryside. Deborah

Will it be part of a larger trip?

I have spent a long time working in Dublin over the past two years and its not my favourite city, but I think it deserves maybe a day or two if you are including it in an Ireland trip. That way you have some context and understanding of the capital. Plus its nice to see St Stephens Green, the Guiness Brewery, Temple Bar, Grafton St, Trinity College and the Book of Kells etc.

Have spent ca. 5 days or so in Dublin, and there are several day's worth of good attractions to see, including a number of worthwhile churches, museums, historic houses, parks, and public sculptures, as well as a few small neighborhood regions such as Temple Bar. A look through guidebooks such as Frommer's or Fodor's will yield several good options.

There are other European cities I'd give higher priority to if you haven't been (Paris, London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Madrid), but Dublin is certainly worth a visit.

It was one of my least favorite European cities, and my least favorite part of Ireland. But there is nothing wrong with it. Just didn't have as much of interest as other places. IF your are going to Ireland and IF you have plenty of time I'd give it a day or two. We only had about 10 days on my first trip to Ireland and I wish I'd spent them all on the west coast. With more time I think there are other areas that are "worth" it, including Dublin. I wouldn't go to Ireland to just see Dublin.

Hi Tpayt, I sense you are conflicted!

We have been to Ireland multiple times and usually fly in and out of Shannon because it is easier and we prefer that part of the country. We have visited Dublin and enjoy it for a day, but we go more for the scenery and small town feel than the city.

Where else will you be heading? Did you decide on a timeframe? If you are thinking about the gardens at Powerscourt, I don't think they will be flowering that much if you are going in March, April would be better. If you are thinking of heading to Kinsale and Bantry, as I saw on another post, I would skip Dublin - fly into Shannon - and head right down toward Kinsale.

I read your Ireland trip report. And, after watching your Ireland tripwow via tripadvisor created my own for my last visit to Paris - as much as I love TA - I did not know about that feature - so thanks.

Since its your second(?) trip I might include it – but minimize the nights as Isabel suggested– provided it didn’t throw a wrench in your itinerary to get a full picture of Ireland. However, if what you really loved about Ireland was the smaller towns and countryside, then I would feel ok about skipping it – if you are struggling with how to fit it in and the logistics. Dublin highlights for me: the pubs, pub grub at Stag’s Head, the library at Trinity College, Guinness Tour, and the Jail.

Not sure if you have Kilkenny on this itinerary– but I liked the small city of Kilkenny – the Kilkenny Design Center had nice shopping and I enjoyed walking the grounds and park around the castle and for music Andrew Ryan’s.

Thanks for the quick responses. Paris is our favorite city and we go there often Somehow in Ireland the smaller, picturesque towns seem to be to our liking.

allisonm-----You have it, we're conflicted.

We're going in May, 2011. We'll have 2 weeks.

In Sept, 2010 we did the West We loved, Westport, Dingle Penninsula, and Kenmare. We did not like at all, Killarney or the ROK---way too much traffic and tour buses. Flying into Shannon and driving to Ennis for the first night was relatively easy after our long flight.

We'd like to fly into Dublin because we can get a direct flight from Chicago(we hated changing in NY for a flight to Shannon). We could fly home from either Dublin or Shannon.

Dublin itself is iffy for us. If we could find a town relatively close and easy to drive to(jet lag sucks) that would be perfect.

We think we'd like to see if we go south:
Powerscourt Gardens http://www.ferndalehouse.com/ or Brook Cottage in Enniskerry get good reviews on Trip Advisor but that may be too far to drive on the first day
Gendalough
Maybe stay a few nights in Kilkenny
Rock of Cashel
Maybe a few nights in Kinsale

Also considering Malahide to the north, New Grange, then head west somewhere in the middle, and then south.

Another choice, west somewhere easy
http://ivyleigh.com/ in Portlaoise looks nice) then Althone, then Longford(some of MDH's relative came from there but it looks kind of dismal), then south.

We really are open to see more of Ireland. We really loved our time in the west(obviously, we're returning in less than a year).

Any comments or reccommendatios will be looked into. We have a few months to plan and I've been reading trip reports and anything I can get my hands on, but just can't come up with a good start from Dublin.

davispeets----I must have been posting at the same time you were. Yes we thought we'd like Kilkenny also and I'm glad you enjoyed our WOW photos. That site is sure fun. I'm going to look up your Paris WOW or maybe you could post the link.

Although not a huge city Dublin has a lot of worthwhile sights and is a charming city - IMHO worth at least 3 or 4 days.

Trinity/Book of Kells
Dublin Castle
Several interesting museums
Visit at least one brewery
Great theater scene (try for something by an Irish playwright)
Exploring sites related to political history
Half day trip to Newgrange
Just explore a cute city

Dublin is definitely not Paris - the architecture (sorry about the sp) is georgian, very plain. I think that might be part of why I dont like it very much (Paris is my favourite city as well). In saying that, its worth a day or so, as it is the political centre and has some worthy sites. Just dont go in with the expectation that its going to have that same golden glow as Paris.

It does have some very nice restaurants - but they are quite pricey, maybe even more so than London.

Another area to think about outside of Dublin, but to the south, is Dun Laoghaire. We stayed in a b&b there a few years ago. It's a lovely sea-side town, very popular in the summer, but shouldn't be too busy in May. An easy DART ride into Dublin, and you would already be south of the city to make your escape when ready. The drive down the coast is lovely.

allisonm----how long and easy of a drive is it from the airport or could we pick up a car near there?

I don't want to sound obsessive, but since we go to Europe often enough, we know how tired we can be when we finally get there.

AA Roadwatch puts the drive at half an hour, just take the M! straight down from the airport.(You could also get a bus from the airport.) Dun Laoghaire is a ferry port, so there would be car rental agencies right there.

(If you haven't seen it, this is a handy site for travel in Ireland: www.aaroadwatch.ie)

I know how you feel about being tired the first day - my husband can handle it because he sleeps a little on the plane. By the time we get in the car, I can barely hold my head up.

If you are still considering Malahide, that would be an easier drive from the airport, but DL isn't too bad.

<<Should we see it or skip it? What has been your experience?>>

Difficult to answer the OPs questions given personal preferences, etc. We're currently planning a 2 week trip to Ireland in May as well (1st for DW, 1st since 1978 for me, so I thought I would kick in what we decided about placing Dublin on the itinerary.

We're headed to Ireland primarily for the scenery. I approached the planning process leaning against spending any time in Dublin. But our plan evolved and now we'll finish with 2 nights in Dublin preceded by 12 nights, split 2/3 in the SW and W and 1/3 in the N.

We think after 12 days of slow lane driving and small towns a couple of nights in Dublin will have some appeal. It would never even occur to us to compare it with Paris--also an old favorite. I have to admit my impression of Dublin in the late '70s (when I was in my early 20s) was not particularly pleasant--I found it grimy and depressing. So I'm looking forward to re-experiencing it a few decades later.

Not sure how or if this helps with the OPs decision, but we hope whatever is decided a delightful trip will ensue...

Cheers!

maytraveller

A CLASSIC, Dublin-Or-Not Thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...te-of-time.cfm

Bob

coming to Ireland just to visit Dublin is a pity. Ireland has beautiful scenery. Try to visit Kenmare and Dingle in Kerry if you can. It is quite beautiful there ...

Dublin is not very interesting, but we really enjoyed taking DART - fast train 15-20 min -to many lovely spots on the Bay:
Monkstown, Sandy Cove, and Howth.

I never had any interest in visiting Dublin, but there was an incredibly cheap airfare there 2 years ago, so we went for 5 days. Much to my surprise I really liked it. Its much more international feeling then how I pictured it. We enjoyed the sights that have been mentioned above and sitting in pubs listening to music. It was a fun long weekend for us. I love Paris and it doesn't compare, but its nice in its own right.

Coming off an international flight I would head for Ballsbridge. It is quite and leafy and about 25 mins walk to centre. Good value in ex Celtic Tiger hotels (D4 and Berkeley court) Centre of town is very compact, Trinity, Castle, National Gallery, shops and cafes.Day trip to Enniskerry or Newgrange/Dowth worth it. Skip Portlaoise, Athlone and Longford. The month of May must mean Mayfly fishing on Lough Corrib. From Oughterard head out to Inisboffin to Day's Hotel. Perfect comfort on the best island in Ireland. Great walking. Also walking in the Burren to see the gentians and violets. Tea rooms in Ballyvaughan may be open. Best pub in Ireland there. Then to Inis Meain island from doolin pier.

Dublin is a beautiful, but small city. (I am currently living abroad there). I would recommend two or three nights in Dublin and then a few nights stay on the West Coast (Galway, Aran Islands) as they are very picturesque!

I did not enjoy Dublin - went to Trinity, Dublin Castle, etc.

I much preferred Cork in Ireland proper, and Belfast in N. Ireland.

The book of Kells is slightly overrated. If doing a British Isles trip - I'd advise Cork (if not already going there), or Wales.

If you are interested in Irish history, culture, and arts there are fine places to visit in Dublin, e.g. the National Museum and the National Gallery. Both I found extremely interesting.
At Trinity College, I was more impressed by the Long Room than by the Book of Kells.

Castles and pubs are found in unlimited quantities all over the island, so I would not make them my first reason to visit Dublin. Though, against the mainstream opinion, I think it's fun to spend a weekend night in Temple Bar.

I'm kind of amazed at all the "take it or leave it" comments about Dublin. My daughter studied there for a semester, and my wife and I visited her for a week in November 2007,though we took a quick hop to London for 2 days, so really 5 in Dublin. Saw most of the sights mentioned above, but aside from those, we found it to be a very interesting, fun city to visit. Very friendly people.

Comparing it to Paris is unfair, but as part of a two-week trip to Ireland, it certainly merits a couple of day.

I'm not a big fan of Dublin, but have had my share of time to explore it (it's been awhile though) because of having family there to stay with. That's allowed a little extra time. But Dublin's not close to the best of urban Europe. It's not the most enjoyable part of Ireland, which I think more than most countries points rural. Maybe that's due in part to Dublin's lack of what other capitals have.

But I do think it's worth a couple of days. There's a huge percentage of the ROI's population living in or around Dublin. Far greater than is true of most capitals. To me, skipping Dublin means leaving without a complete picture of modern Ireland.

Alot of different views I see.

Just to up date----we are not coming to Ireland just to visit Dublin. It's that we can get a direct flight to Dublin from Chicago. Sept.2010 we had a horribly long day flying from Chicago to NY to Shannon and we'd like to avoid a transfer on the east coast of the US.

Again, we loved Westport, Dingle Peninsula, and Kenmare. Did not enjoy Killarney. This time we are looking for a few "new" places to visit even though we are tempted to revisit the places we loved.

That said I certainly appreciate the comments and I am looking into all of your suggestions.

Italian_Chauffer----Thanks for the old thread. It gives me additional food for thought.

I don't think anyone meant to "compare" Dublin to Paris. They were just stating that they "preferred" other European large cities to Dublin.

I think that Allisonm hit the nail on the head with Dun Laoghaire, it's close enough to the airport to not cause much hassle to get to - just around the M50 motorway, but is also on the right side of town to head south quickly the next day.

IMO Dublin is relatively generic, similar to London, Edinburgh, etc. the rest of the country is what you're travelling for!

cbcha said: "IMO Dublin is relatively generic, similar to London, Edinburgh, etc. the rest of the country is what you're travelling for!"

Not sure which part of this observation puzzles me most, the notion that Dublin is "similar to London," the suggestion that London is "relatively generic," or the idea that non-Dublin Ireland is "what you're travelling for." Would like to see a good, solid evidence argument put forth that demonstrates these.

I must admit that I'm a city person - and for outdoors want spectacular scenery - which is mostly not what you get in Ireland (which is pretty, calm, very green - but IMHO after about 4 days I'm finished). So - it really depends on what you want.

Don't see that Dublin is anything like London or Edinburgh except for the language spoken - or that any of them are "generic". That's like calling Rome, Florence and Venice "generic". Anyone knowing fact 1 about the history of these places, or the architecture or the culture - well - I djust don;t get that comment at all.

As for the architecture of Paris - in the 1870's Baron Haussmann destroyed most of ancient Paris to create the Grands Boulevards - the design is very impressive - but all those masses of 6 story apartment houses give me a headache. (I think Georgian is much more attrctive.)

And no one said Dubline has as much to do as Paris - but the OP is going to Ireland - not France.

We also chose to visit Dublin because we could get a direct flight from Atlanta at a cheaper fare than we could through NY to Shannon. We stayed for three nights, and enjoyed what we did there-the HoHo bus (the Guiness stop was interesting), Trinity college, St. Patrick's cathedral, an evening in Temple Bar, and just resting up a bit from the jet lag. When we hit the road, we headed to Kilkenny, which was one of our favorite stops. We had only booked one night there, but liked it so much, we extended for a second, as we had a few open days built into our schedule. Highly recommend the Cariglea House B and B-practically across the street from Kilkenny Castle.

@bachslunch
Quote:
"Not sure which part of this observation puzzles me most, the notion that Dublin is "similar to London," the suggestion that London is "relatively generic," or the idea that non-Dublin Ireland is "what you're travelling for." Would like to see a good, solid evidence argument put forth that demonstrates these."

He might be expressing a sentiment that Dublin has become closer to Westminster (and London proper) than the rest of Ireland. Surely you can not compare the Gaelic-speaking regions to the 99%+ English-speaking Dublin area. Also, the pollution in Dublin is terrible, compared to the lovely countryside one can find in just about all of Ireland outside of Dublin.

From my own experience, Dublin was essentially London, without the nice London accents.

That's not to say Dublin is a bad city - Ireland needs a good "fly-to" city, I just don't believe Dublin is an accurate reflection of 95% of Ireland, or 60% of N. Ireland

<i> just don't believe Dublin is an accurate reflection of 95% of Ireland</i>

Agree, at least geographically, but perhaps not demographically. Nonetheless, isn't that an essentially a true statement of any notable big city and the country that contains it? New York an accurate reflection of 95% of the US? Paris and France? London's not just a concentrated version of England as a whole.

IMO, as often as not, it's the contrast rather that the similarity that makes the urban experience worth including. That said, I think the urban experience in question has to pass some muster for the individual, in terms of comparing it to the cities they've already visited and presumably enjoyed. There's where I think Dublin requires some... well, more subdued expectations. Again, just my opinion. Perhaps Cincinnati isn't a pointless visit and I'm sure it's not.. but.... if you've gotten around the US a bit... anyway, I can see where one would think maybe it would be lackluster after NYC or DC or ?

But I think it would be safe to say Dublin isn't without some merit, but it also doesn't stand out for many the way many of the other capitals of Europe do. But the fact that it doesn't look like a wide green field full of sheep may be a less useful point of reference.

I've been to both London and Dublin. There are a few superficial similarities between them:

-they're cities
-most everybody speaks English there
-some of the food/drink options are similar (fish and chips places, pubs)
-there's a river that bisects the downtown
-both have some grand churches

but I'm hard pressed to think of a lot else that's the same here off the top of my head. I didn't find the Tower of London and Dublin Castle to be a lot alike. There's no grand and showy bridge in Dublin like the Tower Bridge in London, nor is there an attraction similar to the London Eye. London has an international Broadway-style theater scene similar to New York, while Dublin's struck me as more home-grown nationalist. The parks in London tend to be pretty wide open/treeless in feel (Green Park being the one exception), while those in Dublin seemed more wooded. Dublin doesn't have much of a skyline, while London does. I noticed a good bit more public sculpture on the streets in Dublin then in London. While Dublin does have ethnic food, they don't have anything like London's Chinatown or the staggering variety of Indian food. London has a subway system, while Dublin doesn't. I don't remember finding breweries or similar attractions in London one could visit or tour, but one can do so in Dublin (Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery Tours). The museums in London are notably larger than those in Dublin, though I liked the museums in both cities.

I also didn't find the pollution in Dublin to be "terrible." I didn't, for example, experience smog and haze like one encounters in some US cities, for example. Of course, one might guess the Irish countryside has less air pollution, but that's not the same thing. I can say I got plenty enough of the persistently lingering manure smell experienced in some forays made into Ireland's rural interior. What I experienced of the coast was indeed nice, though.

I very much enjoyed visiting Dublin, and like a few other posters, don't understand what the hearty dislike about this city is all about. Again, there are other world cities I'd give higher priority to visiting, and I named some of these above. But Dublin's not some dull urban jungle with few attractions, either -- one might wonder if Limerick (nicknamed "stab city") better fits that description, for example.

If you are flying into Dublin to see some sites in the area, definitely spend a day or two. We really love the south and west coast of Ireland and have seen Dublin but would not return.

There are many places, Paris in particular, where we just can't visit often enough....Dublin, once was enough.

"Dublin was essentially London, without the nice London accents. "


"When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

(Samuel Johnson)

Dublin not so much.

"Dublin was essentially London, without the nice London accents. "

Funny, I fell in love with a Dublin accent, the man behind it and the city he lived in. And I'd go back to Dublin in a minute. It's a very manageable large European city with tons of history and plenty to see for at least a few days' stay. The 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour and a visit to Kilmainham Gaol will leave you breathless; you'll learn you're just scratching the surface. I find the city captivating.