Making the Most of Just One Day in Dublin, Ireland
- That's How We Travel
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
Summary. Having heard so many great things about Ireland's countryside and tiny villages, we decided to stay just one day in Dublin. To make the most of our limited time in Dublin, we stayed within walking distance of Temple Bar and all the other sites we visited that day, including St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College, Marsh's library, and Dublin Castle. In the evening, we ordered pints and listened to live music - the first of many similar nights in this joyful country.
[This blog is part of our 15-days in the British Isle trip].
Traveling to Ireland. After enjoying a pre-flight cocktail at one of SFO's lounges, we flew direct overnight to Dublin, arriving late morning. Taking an Uber from the airport to central Dublin was the easiest/fastest way to go given our plans for the day. We dropped our bags at our hotel, and then headed out on foot.
St. Patrick's Cathedral. The first stop of the day was at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Founded in 1191, this Catholic Church is dedicated to Ireland's primary patron saint, Saint Patrick. In addition to viewing its beautiful architecture and stained glass windows, you can learn about its famous residents like Johnathan Swift of Gulliver's Travels. Tours are available, as well as a hand-held audio guide which we opted for so we could listen at our own pace.
Marsh's Library. Next to St. Patrick's Cathedral is an early 18th-century library constructed for Archbishop Narcissus Marsh. The library houses over 25,000 books, with some volumes dating back to the 16th century. This brief yet fascinating visit is a "must-do" in Dublin, particularly for book enthusiasts.
Dublin Castle. This early 13th Century castle was originally built at the direction of England's King John after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169. Since then, it has served the quarters of the official monarch representative over several centuries. Parliament and certain legal courts later used the property until it was heavily damaged in the Irish Civil War following the Irish fight for independence in the 1920s. Today, it serves as a major tourist attraction, with tours available throughout the day.
Trinity College. We decided to take a tour of Trinity College because of the famous Book of Kells, the 9th century book containing four of the gospels of the New Testament. Tip: don't make the tour mistake we made, be sure to book both the college and the Book of Kells tour. Luckily we were able to tag on the second tour but that was because it was shoulder season and we learned of our error early in the day. Tour book fast so plan ahead.
The tour itself includes a student guide that walks the group around the main sections of campus, describing the school's over 400 year history. Founded by Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1592, it is one of the seven ancient universities of England and Ireland. The tour is a bit on the pricey side so if you're price conscious, you may want to enjoy the grounds on your own and visit only the Book of Kells and old library for about 1/2 the cost.
Grab a pint. After Trinity college, we ended our day in Temple Bar area. We had been especially looking forward to the pub culture in Ireland. We passed by this tourist corner (below) and made our way down the street....
Oliver St. John Gogartys. This bustling bar was packed with tourists like us, yet it still managed to maintain a local atmosphere. We got a pint, found a seat, and enjoyed the lively live music.
This was one of several pubs we visited during our trip.
As we wrapped up our day in Dublin, we returned to the hotel for the night. The following morning, we had an early wake-up call to go to the car rental agency, from where we would drive to Galway.
Highlights of Dublin Video:
Would we spend more time in Dublin? Certainly. If we had more time, we might have spent an extra day in Dublin. However, in our humble opinion, it resembles many other European cities. What truly captured our hearts was the countryside of Ireland. Therefore, for us, spending just one day in Dublin was perfectly sufficient.
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