Grafton Street is a busy pedestrian only shopping area. Most of the building façades were from the…read more1800s with the stores on the bottom level. I love looking at the buildings to see the beautiful architecture. There were lots of different styles of architecture. The street has lots of shops and restaurants. The side streets also have shops and restaurants. It is a bustling area! It was hard to choose a pub or restaurant because there were so many!

Grafton Street is one of Dublin's most recognizable locations. When you need a break from all the…read moremuseums and historical sites, head to Grafton Street. This pedestrian street - which runs from Trinity College to St. Stephen's Green - is Dublin's premier shopping district. Here, you'll find everything from familiar brands to more unique items like quirky shoes and used books. There are also two shopping centers in the area, the Stephen's Green Shopping Centre and the upscale Powerscourt Centre. So, if you're looking for a place to exercise your credit card, this would be it. If the idea of shopping bores you to tears, Grafton Street is also known for its rambunctious atmosphere. As you walk along, you're bound to find yourself mesmerized by the dozen or so street performers and musicians hoping to entertain you in exchange for a euro or two. There are also several restaurants and pubs scattered throughout the area; hours and prices vary by vendor.

Dublin Castle was originally built in the early 1200s as a medieval fortress under the instruction…read moreof King John of England. For centuries, it was the headquarters of English (and eventually British) rule in Ireland. In 1684, a large fire destroyed a large portion of the castle. Instead of matching the original Gothic style, most of it was rebuilt using a Georgian style, similar to what you'd find in the French Palace of Versailles! It's quite the contrast. When you visit Dublin Castle, you can choose to explore it in two ways: with a self-guided tour to the state apartments or with a scheduled guided tour that visits the Viking Excavation, the Chapel Royal, and the State Apartments. When you first enter the courtyard, you'll immediately see the newer Georgian architecture in the neat red brick buildings surrounding the square. From the 13th century to the early 20th century, the castle was under British control. It served from being a royal palace and parliament to a prison. Dublin Castle was eventually handed over to General Michael Collins on the 16th of January in 1922. Collins was a soldier and a politician who lead the Irish people through their fight for Independence Dublin Castle plays a huge role in Ireland's history and a walk around the grounds is time well spent. Today the castle is a government complex and tourist attraction. Stroll through the famous Chester Beatty Library if time permits

This city centre attraction was once a Viking fortress!…read moreSuper popular tourist spot full of history. Lots of cool things to check out here like the gardens, record tower, and of course the apartments. Everything boasts a strong medieval vibe. We opted for a self-guided tour though guided tours are also available. Very interesting and worth a visit!

I'm a big fan of horror events like this and had been wanting to do this tour since I saw it appear…read morelast year in Temple Bar, but it never seemed to be open. To my delight, a new crowd appear to have taken it over this year and it's officially open for visitors from this week. It's open every day from 2pm - 11pm. The tours themselves last approximately half an hour and cost €15 per person. I believe you are permitted to bring children but I possibly wouldn't see it being suitable for maybe under 16s. You are taken on a tour of the house in groups of around ten people. The history of the house itself is presented in an entertaining, interesting and historically accurate (?) fashion. It's not just about the jumps and scares like other horror attractions, this one has the potential to get into your head. I don't want to give away too much, but certainly I would recommend going along to the Temple Bar House of Horrors if you fancy something a bit different.

I went here yesterday to the house of horrors and highly recommend coming here for some local…read morehistory and some scares! The house has recently been opened to the public with tours costing €15 and lasting around 45 minutes. There are tales of body snatching and experiments and a whole lot more. I don't want to ruin the experience by saying too much but worth it if you like this kind of thing. I'm not generally a nervous person or screamish but some things had me literally jumping out of my skin!

Absolutely incredible. Highly recommend purchasing for your future trip out to Ireland we did a…read morehalf day to giants causeway and the tour was the perfect amount of time at each spot and super informative!

I thoroughly enjoyed this 7/17/2026 trip, especially the leisurely drive through the beautiful…read moreIrish countryside and the visit to Glendalough. The scenery was breathtaking, and I appreciated having time to explore the Lower Lake. As a Deaf traveler, however, I have a few recommendations that would make the experience more accessible and less stressful. At Glendalough, it would have been very helpful to receive a printed walking map of the Lower Lake with the recommended route, estimated walking times, key landmarks, and the exact bus departure time clearly marked. Having this information in a visual format would have allowed me to explore with greater confidence without worrying about getting lost or missing the return bus. I also learned only after the tour that it was imperative to return to the bus on time because of government regulations governing the driver's schedule. Since I did not have access to the driver's spoken announcements, I was unaware of how critical the return time was. Learning this only after the tour caused unnecessary stress and anxiety during my visit. Overall, I greatly appreciated the warm hospitality and the bus driver/tour guide's wonderful sense of humor. However, for the price I paid, I did not receive an experience that was equitable to that of hearing travelers. Hearing passengers had continuous access to the driver's commentary, safety information, schedule updates, and important instructions, while I did not. With a few simple accessibility improvements--such as providing visual pickup and drop-off instructions in advance, offering real-time speech-to-text captioning for all onboard announcements, supplying printed maps and itineraries at each stop, and reserving front-row seating for Deaf passengers--this tour could provide a truly equitable and inclusive experience for Deaf travelers.

Such a cool experience to see the Book of Kells! It's located in a building on Trinity College…read morecampus. It is best to make a reservation because it can sell out. We had an 830 am reservation. I didn't arrive til 8:45 but it wasn't a problem thankfully! It wasn't too crowded at that time. When you check in, you're given a headset to listen to information about different parts of the book. You start out by going through an interactive exhibit that explains the style the history and different figures that are in the Book of Kells. A Kid's Activity Book is also available. It is a scavenger hunt type book. At the end, you receive a special certificate He also go through the Library. The books are currently removed from the Library due to some renovations. Statues and some artifacts are still in view. A large beautiful lighted globe hangs from the ceiling. It is really cool to see. The actual Book of Kells is in a glass case in a darkened room. The colors and gold are still vivid. The pages are turned every few days so they aren't exposed to light for too long. It was an experience to see it in person. In the building across the path is an immersive experience about the book. You sit or stand as the story of the book is told while different parts are projected onto the walls. It was beautiful to see! A gift shop has lots of souvenirs. We were able to get a postcard with the actual page we viewed! I would highly recommend seeing the exhibit!

If you are a literary, architecture, or history enthusiast you must stop by here…read more Unfortunately we came when the books were being restored. Late May 2026.

I recently found out about The Healing Room in Donabate. It's close to where I live, and I wanted…read moreto try a Reiki session here. I emailed the owner (Emily) and scheduled an appointment for a Friday morning. She has a Reiki studio here and one in town as well. So if you want to get a Reiki session at either one make sure to email or call ahead for an appointment. Anyway I'd done Reiki back home in Canada, but hadn't gone for Reiki since moving to Dublin over a year ago. The studio is a small one room cabin behind a house in Donabate. There isn't an address, but it's easy to find on Google Maps. There's a sign on the nearby house at the end of the road of Middlefield Lane. If you're coming from the Donabate train station it's a 5 minute drive (or 30 minute walk). There's a 33b bus stop on the R126 before Middlefield Lane. The 33b goes from Swords to Portrane via Donabate (and vice versa). The room itself was very cosy. There was some incense burning, but I didn't find it too overpowering. There's a bed that you lay on of the session. Before that I sat down at a table and chair and talked to Emma (the practitioner) about what I was looking for. I said I'd been feeling tired and drained, even with not a lot going on in my life, and wanted to work on that. She asked a few medical questions (about medication I was on, any health problems, etc). She was friendly and open and easy to talk to. I went on the bed (like a medical cot) and laid on my back. Emma put a blanket on me, for some reason people get cold during Reiki sessions (me included). Reiki is a touch therapy, although some Reiki practitioners won't lay their hands on you, but will kind of hover their hands above the area. Emma did touch, but it was gentle. Funny enough different parts of my body would start tingling before she did anything. Like before she went to work on my head my scalp started tingling. Reiki is noninvasive and you're completely clothed during a session (unlike say getting a massage), so it's great for pretty much anyone. It's considerd a complimentary healing modality (meaning still go to the doctor, but you can use reiki to help you out with what's going on in your life). I always feel really refreshed after a session. How one person feels during and after reiki is completely different and it varies from sessions to session. In some sessions I feel colours (which sounds very hippyish, but I'm not sure how else to describe it). Even if you don't feel or sense the same things I did it's still helpful. They say Reiki works whether you feel anything or not. Emma was very professional, and quite intuitive. I know she offers angel card readings and counselling that you can do in conjunction with the Reiki. After the session she pointed out some things that she wouldn't have been able to pick up from just looking at me, and nothing I'd mentioned before. Stuff about me personally, my family, and a health issue (nothing major) I'd suffered from a couple weeks back that I forget to mention at the start. I was quite impressed with this, and moreso impressed with the resources she gave me after the session. It cost €60 for a session, which I felt was a great price. I'll probably wait until after the new year for another session, but I definitely want to go back here again. Emma was great, and I'd highly recommend her if you're looking to try Reiki for yourself.

From the owner: The Healing Room offers reiki healing, angel card readings and counselling with qualified…read morecounsellor. The Healing Room, run by Emma Henderson, offers Reiki treatments, Counselling and Angel Card Readings. Face to face appointments available at the Healing Room Donabate now. Online appointments and distance healing sessions available too.

Funland, a place where you curl up in a ball and cry. Funland really has set the bar high for…read moreitself with that name. If playing slot machines and arcade style games is your idea of fun then get your passport stamped at Funland. It's located in a dirty and somewhat dodgy alleyway which is not fun. It's not as roomy as Dr Quirkeys, I had an alright time there.

This building and business has undergone a big upgrade both decoratively and machines. Has a floor…read morededicated to roulette with 3 machines. Developing a 3rd floor at present. The entrance is on 67 O'Connell St opposite the Spire! The picture shows the back door/fire escape in the back lane! Liam

I find it really hard to rate Dr. Quirkeys because I don't want to encourage gambling. In these…read moretough economic times, I wouldn't want anyone to lose their hard earned cash... That being said I've been dragged in here a few times and sometimes it can be fun to get rid of your loose change or win an ugly stuff animal that isn't worth the 4 Euros you spent trying to get it. Be warned though that these games are rigged!! Watch out for the people eying your machine too. They're waiting for you to put in all your money so they can swoop in afterwards and collect your reward. Another word of caution for the Dr. Quirkey's newbie: there are some rough people that hang out here. Because it's located on the top of O'Connell Street, you get a lot of bratty little kids that are bored and looking to rattle some cages. This place is good for a cheap thrill or if you need to kill time before you catch your bus out of town.

I love the name of this place, it's like the name of a Roald Dahl book…read more This is a very noisy and neon coloured arcade. A place to win and lose your money. Great place for kids. There is a shooting gallery towards the back which I love, it's a great laugh if you are with a group and want to do something different for a change.

Absolutely fantastic collection of Irish historical finds…read more The bogs of Ireland preserved things such as fish traps, textiles, lots of gold jewelry, and, most notably, some human beings. The acidic and anaerobic nature of the peat bog was so effective at preserving these bodies that we even knew what the men had been eating. And even more interesting - the methods that had been used to MURDER them so long ago. Because these men had not just randomly fallen into the bog, oh no; there are all sorts of things to learn including why the nipples were cut off! But I will refrain from going in to more detail. If you are interested, and are in Dublin, you MUST go there yourself. It is free so you have no excuse not to. Well, unless you are not interested in things such as I described here. Whatever. Note: there is not a cafe in the museum, and no storage lockers for your bag. Also, I thought the gift shop was pretty boring as it had very few things that were relevant to the museum displays. Which is disappointing as the museum artifacts themselves are very local and specific to Ireland and are extremely interesting.

Wonderful museum. It is in the smaller side and a bit dark but it feels cozy somehow…read more The exhibitions tell a story of the history of Ireland. I wanted to visit to view the big bodies and I was not disappointed. They also had hordes of gold in display which were surrounded by beautiful jewelry. The museum is free.

Ringsend church nice peaceful place to pray st patricksringsend full title great history behind itread more

Having recently moved into the area, I feel I have to give it 5 stars!…read more Ok, like any area, its got its issues : some "colorful" locals, litter here and there, the odd bit of graffiti. However, I have to say, I love it. Bars, cafes, restaurants, groceries, hotels, buses, trains ... everything on my doorstep. 15-20 min stroll into town, or cross the river for another selection of bars and cafes. Why didn't I move here sooner???