Seeking Perspective for 3 Nights / 2 Days in Dublin
 

My wife and I (52 and 61) are coming from Los Angeles for a first and potentially only Ireland trip at the end of June... rebooking it two years after initially planned due to pandemic. We have 13 days and will do southern loop through Kilkenny, Killarney, Dingle, Galway, Connemara / Clifden... so we are beginning with two days / three nights in Dublin before renting car. Would GREATLY value any perspective on the following plans for time in Dublin.

First Night – flight arrives Monday June 27th at 2:10pm...likely will arrive at hotel in Temple Bar area between 3:15 and 4:00...and bodies may feel like it’s morning (Los Angeles time)...yet tired from lack of sleep.

As for any plans that first evening... best may be to take walk to Jamestown Distillery for tour (last tour is at 6pm on this date and would require booking ahead)... and can stop at The Brazen Head nearby (oldest pub in Dublin).... because 1) these are in their own distinct direction (NOT along the route in the coming days), 2) would have most freedom to skip entirely of we simply don’t feel up for it, and 3) having drinks ideal this first night to get to get to sleep (rather than daytime sightseeing.) (Could also choose Guinness Storehouse.)

Full Day One:

St. Patrick's Cathedral (1 hr)(1st because gets crowded quickest)

Dublin Castle (1 hr)

Christ Church Cathedral (1 hr)

Lunch (1 hr with lunch and walk.)

Trinity College & Book of Kells (1.5 to 2 hrs) Last tour is at 4:30pm

The EPIC museum (1.5 hrs) - open til 6.45pm, with the last entry at 5pm

Ha’Penny Bridge

End in Temple Bar area

Full Day Two:

Kilmainham Gaol (1 – 1.5 hrs)

St Stephens Green (30 min)

Grafton Street (1.5 hrs)

Lunch

Irish Rock Museum (1.5 hrs)

End in Temple Bar area

I suggest you spend a little more time a Kilmainham Gaol. There is a lot to see there!

Thanks ! I added time as you noted. I am fine if plans change... I just lie to plan ahead so that I am not trying to plan when there. I find that it can help to plan for a short time in any city ...and do get perspective on time and practical issues. I updated plans as below.First Night – flight arrives Monday June 27th at 2:10pm...likely will arrive at hotel in Temple Bar area between 3:15 and 4:00. . There are no tourist “sites” open much past 5pm... and our bodies may feel like it’s morning Los Angeles time...yet tired from lack of sleep....so not set plans for the evening. Suggest we enjoy a short walk and go to The Brazen Head pub for dinner or drinks (if dinner elsewhere)... just a 7 minute walk from our hotel. The Brazen Head is a site itself ...famous for being the oldest pub in Dublin...and possibly Ireland. Some good drinks should help us get to sleep !

Could do Guinness

Full Day One:

9:45 - Dublin Castle (1 hr) / Chester Beatty Museum (1 hr)

11:45 - Christ Church Cathedral (1 hr)

1:00 - Lunch

2:30 - Irish Rock Museum (1.5 hrs)

Ha’Penny Bridge

4:30 - The General Post Office (GPO) on Dublin's Sackville Street (O'Connell Street).

Open 8:30 to 6pm except Sunday.. Museum – last timing is 4:30.

(Walk from Rock Museum to GPO and the EPIC is 25 minutes)

4:45 - The EPIC museum (1.5 hrs) - open til 6.45pm, with the last entry at 4:45pm

Ha’Penny Bridge

6:30 - End in Temple Bar area / Near Hotel



Full Day Two:

9:30 - Kilmainham Gaol – The old prison (2 hrs)

(It’s a 45 min walk away so will take taxi to and from Kilmainham Gaol)

11:30 - St. Patrick's Cathedral (1 hr)(10 min wall to St Stephen’s Green)

12:45 - Lunch / St Stephens Green / Grafton Street Walk (2.5 hrs)

3:15 - Trinity College & Book of Kells (1.5 hrs) Last tour is at 4:30pm

5:30 - Irish Whiskey Museum (1 hrs) - (right next to Trinity)

6:30 - End in Temple Bar area / Near Hotel

We ( two 60 yr olds) just returned from a week in Ireland. Here’s my opinion;
st. Patrick’s was lovely, but Christ Church was so much more. Dublin Castle was disappointing, and we were not quick enough to secure tickets to Kilmhain Goal as it sells out way in advance. Trinity College and Book of Kells was impressive. You need a few hours for the Guinness Factory because the rooftop bar is spectacular. Jameson was just ok. Our hotel was across the street from St. Stephen’s Green and nearby to Grafton Street. Both lovely. Grafton has everything you need but temple bar and the area was also lovely. We cruised the ha-penny but skipped all museums. Driving was not an option for us as we sampled many pubs. We traveled around the country as well and can tell you Kilkenny was a bit disappointing, we skipPed Galway and opted for Doolin. highlights for us were Blarney Castle and the Cliffs of Moher were spectacular. We also visited Rock of Cashel, clonmacnoise Monastery, Glendalough and the Wicklow Mts. Enjoy your fish and chips

I was last in Dublin before Covid and at that time Dublin was a stag and hen party town at the weekend so booking supper tables at restaurants was a must Friday to Sunday night.

As a drinker, two points about Dublin. First, the whiskey (note the Irish spelling) is Jameson, and its branch in Dublin now qualifies as some sort of interpretive location.The functioning distillery is in Cork (and worth a trip to see on its own). Second, the famous Guinness plant does not admit visitors; guests see another interpretive centre installed in an old warehouse, with a modern glass flying-saucer observatory installed on the roof. On a sunny day it offers an unmatched view across Dublin. The rest of the presentation tells the visitor about Guinness rather than showing the gears in motion. Your ticket includes one (ONE) pint. Several years ago I took my pint in a pub several floors down, which offered a lesson in pouring a proper pint. The instructor was a vivacious young Spaniard; welcome to the EU.