Coming to Dublin for MeasureCamp? Add these 5 things to your Dublin Bucket List
Enjoy a pint at The Guinness Store House
No visit to Dublin is complete without a trip to the Guinness Storehouse – the home of the black stuff. Located near the centre of Dublin, this production site has been home to the St. James’s Gate Brewery since 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease.
At the seven-storey visitor experience centre you will discover what goes into the making of each and every pint as well as the incredible brand history over the past 250 years.
One of the highlights of the Guinness experience is the Tasting rooms, a multisensory tasting experience designed to help you appreciate the distinctive taste of the iconic stout.
Finish off the tour with a trip to the Gravity Bar, symbolically the ‘Head of the Pint”, where you can enjoy unparalleled panoramic views of Dublin city while enjoying your complimentary pint!
Fun Fact – The official, six-step process to pouring a perfect pint of Guinness takes 119-and-a-half seconds.
Pro Tip – Save 10% on the ticket price and avoid the entrance line by booking online.
Link – www.guinness-storehouse.com/en
Step back in time at Trinity College
Located right in the centre of Dublin, Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest university, founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592. It boasts a picturesque setting and a number of well known past pupils including Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.
The Trinity library harbours the world’s most famous early medieval manuscript, the Book of Kells. The enthralling manuscript contains the four gospels of the New Testament. It is the imaginative use of figures and complex ornaments to highlight the first letter on a page that makes the Book of Kells so special. Apart from the Book of Kells, the Old Library is worth a visit for its magnificent Main Chamber. The 65 metres long hall houses 200,000 of Trinity’s oldest books. With its ancient wooden shelves, alcoves and vaulted ceiling it looks just like a picture-perfect library. Also on display in the Old Library at Trinity is one of the dozen or so remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic.
Fun Fact – Trinity Library is a legal deposit library which means it’s entitled to a free copy of every book published in Ireland.
Pro Tip – If you have the time, the campus walking tour is well worth it!
Link – www.tcd.ie/visitors/book-of-kells/
Pop into some of Dublin’s best pubs
Whether you’re looking for a quiet pint with friends or a lively night of music and dancing, Dublin has a pub for everyone! I would recommend starting off in O’Donoghue’s just off St. Stephen’s Green – great for live Irish music every night of the week and locally known as the pub where The Dubliners started.
From O’Donoghue’s, head towards Kehoe’s Pub on South Anne street. Kehoe’s is described as one of Dublin’s best kept secrets having maintained a lot of the old style it has developed since first opening its doors in the 19th century. Next head towards South William street where you’ll find all kinds of pubs, bars and restaurants. Keeping to the authentic Irish theme I would recommend Grogan’s pub where you’re almost guaranteed to befriend one of the locals who are never short of a good story!
Fun Fact – Dublin’s oldest known pub is the Brazen Head, established in 1198 AD as a coach house.
Pro Tip – Avoid Temple Bar for a more authentic Dublin night out!
Ramble around Howth Head
Start the day off right by getting up early and getting the DART out to Howth – a small fishing village at the northern boundary of Dublin Bay. There are so many things to do in Howth – an angler’s dream; cod and ray are commonly caught here as fishing trawlers weave in and out of the harbour. All the while, restaurants along the seafront serve up the catch of the day to hungry hikers fresh off the Howth Head walk. Howth’s Cliff Path Loop is approx. 6 km and takes in some of the best views of the coastline.
Fun Fact – In prehistoric times the peninsula was an island but is now connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus of 300 metres width at Sutton Cross.
Pro Tip – Warm up after your hike with a hot chocolate from Howth Market!
Link – www.visithowth.ie/
Learn something new at The Little Museum of Dublin
Nicknamed the ‘people’s museum’ of Dublin, this charming small museum is full of amazing treasures donated by ordinary Dubliners to make up an eclectic exhibition of a bit of everything! The Little Museum charts the cultural and social history of the city in the 20th Century, from James Joyce to U2, and you’ll discover the true story of Ireland’s capital, as seen through the eyes of locals.
Pro tip – The Little Museum of Dublin appeals to all ages and is ideal if you’re visiting with young children!
Link – www.littlemuseum.ie/
