3.14.2017

Dublin in 72 Hours


Excited to share all of my trip to Dublin today with you guys! You're about to see just how much you can do with 72 hours abroad (spoiler alert: it's a lot). I hope you enjoy!!

Where We Stayed: The Merrion Hotel


See full details on the outfit HERE


Looking back on the trip, by far one of my favorite things was our hotel. It was simply stunning, welcoming, perfect and the most ideal location for our time there. You can see my full review HERE!

What We Did:

As I've mentioned, I spent a week in Dublin abroad in college so I had a faint recollection of the things we did. I had so much fun the first time, I wanted to do them again with Andrew. To start from the beginning, we took a red eye from NYC (via Delta) to Dublin Thursday night. With the time change, we left around 9pm ET and woke up in Dublin around 9am their time. 

We didn't have a lot of time there (just a long weekend Friday to Monday) so I knew getting in early would be rough but it would be the best for us to maximize our time. Thankfully the hotel let us check in early so we got to shower and take a nap before our day.


See full details on the outfit HERE

Friday:
We walked around a lot on Friday, mainly around Grafton Street which had just about every shop imaginable. There were a ton of restaurants, places to grab bites to eat and was filled with lively music and friendly people.


See full details on the outfit HERE


Saturday:
This was by far our busiest day. I planed three back-to-back museum tours so we started early and went until around 11 that night. A lot of drinking but hey... when in Rome Dublin.

We started the day off at the Kimainham Goal (make sure to book your tickets in advance!!) which is the largest unoccupied jail in Europe. It was home to a lot of people during the Irish revolution and the place is just littered with stories. It's fascinating but I do wish I knew more about Dublin's history so I could really understand the importance of the place. 

Then we hopped over (via taxi) to The Guinness Storehouse which was by far my favorite part of my college trip. I knew Andrew would love it too so I purchased tickets in advance (it helps if you don't want to wait around in lines all day) and we spent about two hours there. The storehouse is made for walking around and learning every little thing about Guinness. They even encourage you to drink there! You get a free drink with your ticket which you can cash in either to learn how to pour a proper pint (and get a certificate) or up at their Gravity Bar which overlooks the entire city.

After lunch (more on that below) we walked back towards the city along River Liffey. It had a ton of shops, places to eat and seats along the water that made the whole experience so charming and a  lot of fun! For sure one of the more iconic places in Dublin!

We ended our day at the Irish Whiskey Museum which was our absolute favorite thing we did on the trip. I bought us tickets for the Whiskey Blending Experience which was a group of about 10 and a very passionate (and extremely knowledgeable) guide. He told us about the history of Irish Whiskey and answered every single question we had about whiskey in general. At the end of the tour, we got to try out five different whiskeys and then blend our own little bottle to take home. We had the very best time!

(P.S. We didn't go to Jameson because it was closed but happened to stumble on the whiskey museum as a replacement and loved it!)


Sunday:
Woke up early and hopped over to Trinity College and the Book of Kells (which is located on Trinity's campus). The campus is free to walk around and very beautiful in architecture while the Book of Kells costs a few euro to see (the line moves fast) and has the famous library as part of the tour. This wasn't my favorite thing to do (it took us about 10 minutes to walk through it all) but I would suggest it to anyone who might be interested in things like that.

Then we took the DART (their public train system) out for a day trip to a charming seaside town called Howth. You can read all about our trip HERE but I would definitely recommend it if you have extra time. It's awesome to see what more Ireland has to offer outside of the city!


Where We Ate/Drank:



Friday:
For brunch on Friday morning we walked from our hotel to Hatch and Sons for traditional Irish food. It was a small menu but had a lot of great food. The place was small and below street level but it was extremely charming and I would definitely go back.

For dinner we ate at Coppinger Row which was absolutely AMAZING and I shed a little tear just thinking about it. It was by far the best dinner we had there. They get really busy for dinner and don't take reservations so we arrived early and ordered when the kitchen opened. It worked out for us because we were already jet lagged and an early dinner was perfect!


Saturday: We didn't really eat breakfast other than some snacks at the Guinness Storehouse. Their restaurants weren't open when we got there but they did have a little bakery stand!

From the Storehouse, we walked (about a 10 minute walk) over to The Brazen Head which is actually the oldest pub in Ireland (dating back to 1198). We enjoyed some fish and chips with a Guinness although I wish I would have ordered the Guinness Stew. It's what they are known for!

That night we decided to head over to The Temple Bar for a drink and some music. I don't remember a lot from my college trip but I do remember the nights we spent at Temple Bar. That place has a TON of different beers and whiskeys to drink as well as awesome live music and a great atmosphere. I know it's touristy but it's honestly worth the hype! There are also a ton of great restaurants all around so it's a good place to go for a night out.

We went to Milano for dinner, which was a street corner away from Temple Bar. It's an Italian place and Andrew got pizza and I got a pasta dish. The service was quick and the food was really really good. It also wasn't very expensive so really it was a win-win all around!


Sunday:
On Sunday we had a traditional Irish breakfast at the Merrion (our hotel) and it was, of course, amazing. We ate all the food and left feeling very happy and ready to start the day!

On our way out to Howth we (aka I made Andrew) stopped at a donut shop called Offbeat Donut Co and it was honestly one of the best donuts I've had in my life. They don't get to claim to be Dublin's finest donuts for nothing!

We had lunch on the pier in Howth at a little place called The Oar House. The seafood was amazing; life-changing-oysters amazing. But it wasn't our first choice. We wanted to go to Octopussy's for lunch but they had over an hour wait!

For dinner that night we ordered room service because we didn't realize the city shut down at 5pm. We made the mistake of getting hungry around 8p and had zero options but thankfully the room service at The Merrion was there to save the day and it was delicious.


And that was our trip! We left around 11 on Monday morning and got back into NYC around 3pm ET. It was nice to still have most of the day when we got back. We had the best time in Dublin and are hoping to go back soon. Honestly, the tickets to Dublin via Delta were cheap considering it was an international flight. If we go back we for sure want to rent a car and drive around the countryside!

Have you ever been to Dublin? What did I miss that I need to know for next time??


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