What should I do in Dublin for a few hours on Wednesday?

October 13, 2008 5:23 AM

This Wednesday, I will be flying into Dublin airport around 10am. I have a flight that leaves at 5pm. How best can I fill my time?

I will have a messenger bag and rolling suitcase type thing, and would like to go into the city proper, but don't know what worthwhile, if anything I can squeeze in. My outbound flight is to the US, so I expect I should be back around 3pm latest. Any sights, restaurants/pubs that are worthwhile for a first time, 4 hour visit?

posted by tip120 to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

The bus into town takes only about a half hour, so you can see a fair bit.
The Book of Kells is a decent bit of bang for your buck being very centrally placed, as is the General Post Office (GPO), site of the 1916 rising (more or less).

Bear in mind that checking back in can be a bit of a pain in the arse, so leave yourself plenty of time over.
posted by Iteki at 5:32 AM on October 13, 2008

Dublin Airport is quite far outside the city - you can get a cab or a bus in, but budget an hour each way if you're wanting to see City Centre (just in case. Traffic can get brutal).
posted by InfinateJane at 5:33 AM on October 13, 2008

The Guinness museum is interesting for an hour or so, if you like alcohol and/or history.
posted by blue mustard at 5:55 AM on October 13, 2008

I'd recommend the Aircoach rather than the public bus if €12 return isn't too steep for you - it's comfortable, nobody's going to steal your bag, you're guaranteed a seat and it leaves a bunch of city centre stops every 10-20 minutes. The public bus is fine (maybe €2 each way?) but it's a bit rickety and you'll have to pay more attention to the bus numbers and watch your bag closely.

The National Museum has two city centre branches. Archaeology, on Merrion Square - lots of Celtic, Middle Ages, etc stuff, if you like that, which would be a ten minute walk (with bag) from College Green, where all the buses have stops. Decorative Arts & History is at Collins' Barracks - take the red line Luas from Abbey Street towards Tallaght, and get off at the Museum stop, taking maybe 10 mins at most - and has everything from military history to currency designs to a fantastic exhibition on the wonderful architect Eileen Gray. For me, the latter is brilliant while the former conjures up memories of boring school trips, but that's totally a personal preference thing.

There's also the Chester Beatty Library at Dublin Castle, which is also a short walk from College Green. The collection is mostly books and manuscripts, from Egyptian papyrus to a whole load of bibles, the Quran, orthodox icons, Japanese wood block prints, Persian and Turkish books, etc. Beautiful and well-curated. It has a cafe serving vaguely Middle Eastern food, which is fine but not phenomenal. Dublin Castle is there too, obviously, but unless you're mad into Irish history, I certainly wouldn't pick it as your one visit.

If you are around College Green (where you'll also find Trinity College and the Book of Kells), the Long Hall pub on George's Street has a lovely interior and might be worth visiting for a pint.

I'd pick one thing and leave a ton of time to get back - museums are good because you can always leave or spend more time looking around, as necessary, and these ones (not the Book of Kells) are all donation-only. Traffic from the city to the airport is crazy unpredictable and I wouldn't use your inbound journey as an indicator, Dublin Airport tends to be chaotic with long, long security queues to reach the boarding gates, and then the Homeland Security fun before you get on your flight. 2 hours could be cutting it very fine for the check-in to plane time...and no, it's not a big airport, just a crappy one.

Oh, and a taxi would cost about €30 each way, in my experience, and take about as long as the Aircoach. Which I'm not paid to advertise - it's just been a welcome, but far from ideal, change for a city with poor airport to city links.
posted by carbide at 6:12 AM on October 13, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'll just repeat that give yourself plenty of time to cab back. One little accident can literally shut down every road in the city.
The airport as I remember it is pretty small and nothing to do; especially once you check into the international area so you probably won't be able to kill much time there too easily.
posted by zephyr_words at 6:15 AM on October 13, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

The aircoach is, I think the quickest way in and out of the airport, but it is more expensive than Dublin Bus's service. Either will take between 30 & 60 mins, depending on traffic.

If you're a history fan I recommend a trip to Kilmainhan Gaol the tour takes an hour and half and is only a fiver.

If you just want to see the city, well, the bus will stop on O'Connell st., where you can wander about, see the Spire, then you could wander down Grafton St., see Stephen's Green and then you are fairly close to some of the museums although the National History Museum is closed at the moment.

Just makes sure and give yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport. You don't want to be stuck in traffic on the way back in.
posted by Fence at 6:24 AM on October 13, 2008

Oh! I just remembered the Port Tunnel! If money is not an issue, you can get your cab to take you through the Port Tunnel. It goes under the city and ends up in the Docklands, at a fraction of the time it takes above ground. They'll add 6 -12 euro on to your fare for using it, but it gets you city center much quicker. You can go through the port tunnel and be dropped at O'Connell Street, which is a good launching point for sight seeing.
posted by InfinateJane at 6:27 AM on October 13, 2008

The Kilmainham Gaol and the Guiness museum (both mentioned above) are basically across the street from each other and would be a great itinerary for the amount of time you have. You could get your history fix and your alcohol fix, what more could you ask?
posted by slmorri at 9:04 AM on October 13, 2008

There's a left luggage facility at Dublin Airport.I would stump up for this if I were you; Dublin is a busy city, and the pavements in the centre are very crowded. However, if you are just hitting a museum, most of those have left luggage facilities which are free. I agree that taxi or the Aircoach is the way to go. The local bus will just give you a tour of some pretty dismal suburbs.

If you decide to go through Dublin Tunnel straight to the Docklands, be advised that the German-themed Oktoberfest is on at the Docklands right now. At lunchtime there is supposed to be "a free lunchtime concert of Bavarian Brass & Dance Music". Not very Dublin, but could be fun. Bonus: this is where our panicking bankers are.

Alternatively, I'd say the Book of Kells (which gets you on the grounds of Trinity College, which is pretty), and a pint of Guinness in a decent pub, say the Long Hall (mentioned above). Then a saunter up Grafton Street.

For lunch, maybe Fallon & Byrne (ground floor canteen, not upper floor restaurant, unless you're flush) or Gruel.

If you'd prefer some modern art, IMMA has some interesting stuff, in a beautiful building - The Royal Hospital Kilmainham - on beautiful grounds which offer nice views of the city and Phoenix Park. It's basically next door to Kilmainham Gaol as well, which could be handy. You can get lunch there too, in a not-bad-at-all cafe in the basement.
posted by tiny crocodile at 9:18 AM on October 13, 2008

Wow. These are great suggestions. I am torn between the IMMA and the Guiness Museum/Kilmainhan Gaol.

Also, while money isn't an *issue* it is something to watch. So, I am thinking to drop the rolling bag in the airport, take the Aircoach there and back again to play for a bit.

However, I'm game for more options. Always more.
posted by tip120 at 9:28 AM on October 13, 2008

With IMMA, if you're bagless, it's only about five-ten minutes' walk from the red line Luas stop at Heuston, but that's about 15-20 minutes from the Abbey Street stop. Might be easier to get to the city centre and take a taxi (maybe €8-10?) if you're doing any of IMMA/Kilmainham/Guinness Museum, but don't don't don't try to walk to them in the amount of time you have!
posted by carbide at 9:34 AM on October 13, 2008

I'd definitely look into either checking in early or putting the bag into left luggage. I had to roll through O'Connell St with my luggage last time I was in Dublin and it wasn't pleasant. And while I'm not saying Dublin is a crime-ridden hellhole, nothing screams "I'm a tourist, rob me!" more than wandering round with your luggage.

All the above suggestions are rather good ones. If you think you can hack it, look into taking a bus tour over to Malahide castle. You'd be gone for about 3 hours and get to see the outskirts. This is definitely a nice place to go if you're a history buff at all.

Another site I consider worth visiting is St. Patrick's Cathedral. I'm an atheist myself, but you can't beat the sight of the beautiful stained glass and the feeling of calm within.

There is also the Dublin Writers Museum going east on O'Connell Street to Parnell Square. You could easily kill an hour here going through the various exhibits and the gift shop.

If you're looking for something closer to O'Connell, you can walk all the way from Henry St across the Liffy into Temple Bar. There are usually market stalls on Henry with where you can some fruit and other things for a cheap and delicious lunch. Temple Bar has the usual arty-ness and pubs. Keep going northwest and you'll find Trinity College. You can head back up north towards Grafton St with it's shops. You'll eventually find St. Stephens Green where you can people watch to your hearts content. Then catch the Luas back down to O'Connell and hop back on the bus to the airport.
posted by arishaun at 7:32 PM on October 13, 2008

Just a follow up. I checked my bag (in the parking garage across the street from the terminal), and took the express bus into the city (real quick, maybe 25 min max). At the tourist desk in the airport they sell a day bus pass for 6 euro. The bus dropped me off right on O'Connell Street.

Went to Trinity College, and started to make my way to the Guinness Museum, but felt I didn't have the time, so I swung by St Stephen's Green, grabbed a pint in a small no name hole in the wall, and wandered back to the Writer's Museum.

I still had some time to kill after, so I walked over to Croke Park to see if there was any to-do there (sadly there was not). Went back to O'Connell and caught the express back to the airport. Thanks for all the suggestions!
posted by tip120 at 5:47 AM on November 14, 2008