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!

The Famous Guided Tour at the Little Museum of Dublin is perfectly named. In just 30-ish minutes,…read moreGeorge delivered an awe-inspiring blend of storytelling, humor, and song that left me with a deeper appreciation for Ireland's rich history. I was completely intrigued by the number of stories packed into such a short tour, all made possible through the generosity by the people of Ireand who donated the museum's artifacts. The passion and pride of the staff shine through in every moment. This is an absolute cute, educational must-do experience in Dublin!

An old house from 1777 turned into a museum. Saul was an…read moreamazing tour guide. He had great energy w/ his storytelling & even danced a jig. Lots to see in this Little museum of history & pop culture. Prices were inexpensive as well. Guides can take tips too. Not a great place young kids.

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.

Bray Summer Festival, otherwise known as Brayfest, brings entertainment and fun with it every year…read more The 'fest' runs for six weeks in July and August and offers air displays, live music on Bray's bandstand, garden parties and performances in Bray's 'Kilruddery House', children's entertainment, street performances and markets. Many Bray businesses, from pubs and restaurants to the Mermaid Arts Centre, get involved and, forgive the cliché, but there is usually something for everyone. The annual fireworks display takes place down on Bray Promenade after an evening of music on the bandstand. A funfair, including big wheel, has already set up camp on Bray's seafront and I have already attended a mini-Italian festival complete with food, music and wine. This year the organisers have dispensed with the annual 'lovely girls' competition, 'Face of Bray, but fear not lads, it's set to return next year! Programmes are available from the website.

Bray is a seaside town, just a few miles south of Dublin…read more It is mainly Victorian, with beautiful Victorian houses in the most part. One of the holds a lot of history for my daughter. There is a lovely esplanade which goes on for several miles with a simple barred fence to stop you falling into the very choppy Irish sea. You can see as far north as Howth, and south as far as Bray Head, which is a challenging walk up the hill, after the end of the esplanade. On the other side of the Esplanade is a well kept park, with flower borders, a bandstand and bowling green. The look is again quite Victorian, and there is something very nearly English about all this. At the northern end of the esplanade is a fine pub, where they are very welcoming and all your relatives will buy you a drink. Not many non Irish know of Bray, but Dubliners are usually fond of it.

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.

Had SO MUCH FUN. We booked in advance the daytime storytelling experience. Our guide Ailsa Dixon…read morewas absolutely amazing. She was so knowledgeable and so immersive with her storytelling. As children were present she had a gift of making them included in every part and catering to age appropriate stories. Laughed and learned so much, would highly recommended!!!!

We enjoyed the story experience. You have a guide that takes you through multiple rooms where you…read moreget to interact and take pictures with props. We went in the morning before our flight but from what we heard there is a saucier night experience where the story is a little more naughty. We enjoyed our experience and would recommend it.

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.

Really amazing historic building and museum. Our guide did a great job telling and showing us about…read morethe place. I would have liked to be in a smaller group, but given how many people want to see it, it was understandable. The museum is fascinating as well, and there is a temporary exhibit through the end of October 2026 of photographs taken by a prisoner who had smuggled a couple cameras in...as well as somehow setting a darkroom to develop the film. The cafe is nice; reasonably priced with a good selection of sandwiches, hand pies, baked goods, etc. Gift shop packed with a lot of stuff, but much of it standard Irish Tourist things, and not a lot of things directly relating to this place. Although maybe there's not a lot of gaol-specific merch available, I guess. As mentioned by many other commenters, unless you purchased your tickets weeks in advance, it's a bit of a challenge to try to catch some online when the extras are released for the day.

A must see in Dublin!…read more I didn't realize you had to book tickets so far in advance. We were lucky enough to be able to get some of the same day tickets they release at 9:15. The same day release was a bit hard to navigate on an iPhone but we did it fine. Our tour guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the tour and it was a great way to also escape the rain. Learned lots about the history of this place during the tour and at the museum!

We participated in the Cocktail Making Experience with Dan (Daniel)…read moreThis is our second time time making Cocktails. We had a blast, Dan was super informative. The explanation of making Cocktails from Whiskey was informative. Dan is a great bartender and instructor Even if you don't drink whiskey the Cocktails are to die for Obviously the decor and ambience needs no mention as it is JAMESONS!!!

I've always been a fan of Jameson, so it was definitely a treat to visit the distillery. The…read morefacility is quite large, with plenty of photo ops and multiple bars throughout. My one complaint is that the tour groups are very large, which makes the experience feel a bit impersonal. You're essentially moving from room to room with the group, rather than having a more intimate tour. That said, I really enjoyed getting to taste some of the other whiskeys they produce that we don't typically see here in the U.S. Overall, it was a fun experience and definitely worth visiting if you're a whiskey fan.