Dublin Things to Do

From riotous pub-crawls to a packed calendar of city festivals, Dublin knows a thing or two about how to throw a party. Vibrant parades, talented buskers and an endless supply of Guinness are on the agenda at the city’s annual street festivals – here’s the lowdown on the best events.

St Patrick’s Day, held annually on March 17th, is one of Ireland’s biggest celebrations with Dublin at the center of festivities. Held in honor of St Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, St Patrick’s Day, or St Paddy’s Day as it’s often nicknamed, is the most traditionally Irish day of the year, a national holiday on which huge crowds of revelers take to the streets wearing shamrocks, donning green clothing (the symbolic color of Ireland) and downing pints of Guinness.

With an abundance of scenic landscapes and historic sights easily reachable from Dublin, there are plenty of options for getting out of the city. Wicklow, known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’ thanks to its diverse and beautiful greenery, makes for a popular day trip and hikers can enjoy the varied terrain of the 132km-long Wicklow Way walking trail that crosses the county. Combine a visit to the town with a look at the 6^th century monastic ruins nearby Glendalough located in the rugged Wicklow Mountains National park, where scenes from Braveheart and, more recently, PS.I Love You, were filmed.

With its original construction dating between 1204 and 1220, Dublin Castle encompasses some of the city’s oldest surviving structures, although today much of its façade dates back to 18th century restorations. The dramatic fortress boasts a varied history, built on the site of an earlier Viking fortress and serving as the seat of British for over 700 years. Since the 1922 establishment of the Irish Free State, the castle has become a major conference centre for the Irish Government, as well as topping the list of Dublin tourist attractions.

Travel is increasingly facilitated by smart phone. Forget dragging an unwieldy travel guide around in your backpack, you can slip your phone into your pocket and have so much of what you need to know right there at hand. The Temple Bar Cultural Trust in Dublin has seen the way of the future and developed an app for a culture trail in Dublin.

Launched in 2011, it features 16 of Dublin’s top cultural venues including Trinity College, the Chester Beatty Library at Dublin Castle, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, Dublin City Hall, The Hugh Lane Gallery, Christ Church Cathedral and Project Arts Centre, some outdoor markets and other places in Temple Bar which is the heart of Dublin’s contemporary arts scene.

In 1872 a young Irish athlete called Henry Wallace Doveton Dunlop realized his dream: to build Dublin a proper, dedicated sports venue. Landsdowne Road Stadium, only about a mile from St Stephen’s Green in central Dublin, is this venue.

In 1876 it hosted its first rugby match and in 1878 it held its first international rugby game. By the turn of the 21st century, Landsdowne Road was the oldest sporting stadium in Europe. It’s inevitable then that it’s had an update.

A relative newcomer to the scene of museums and visitor attractions in Dublin, the National Leprechaun Museum opened its doors in early 2010. Its aim: to teach visitors to Ireland about Irish myths and folklore, and to let them experience life as a leprechaun if only for an hour or two.

Leprechauns abound in Irish mythology as small, solitary men dressed in red or green with a mischievous sense of humor and the ability to grant three wishes if caught. But they’re rarely caught.