Things To Do In Dublin
10 FREE things to do in dublin … Dublin has a host of excellent visitor attractions, tours and sights to see, not to mention a vast industry designed to relieve the tourist of their hard-earned cash – though hopefully offering something of value in return!
However, it is possible to enjoy your time in Dublin without spending any money – except for an occasional cup of coffee or bus fare. And, here you have ten activities – five indoor, five outdoor – that won’t cost you a cent!…
1. Take A Walk
The best way to see and learn about any city is by walking around it. Some suggested routes you might like to try include:
* Parnell Square to St Stephens Green
* Temple Bar
* The River
2. Visit An Art Gallery
Is it a rainy day?… Then make the most of it by visiting the state’s art galleries – all have free admission, the main ones being:
* The National Gallery, Merrion Square. The National Gallery houses the national collection of Irish art and European master paintings, from Carravaggio to Orpen.
* The Hugh Lane Gallery, Parnell Square. Modern and contemporary art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including the reconstructed studio of Francis Bacon. There’s a charge to view the studio and for some special exhibitions.
* IMMA (The Irish Museum of Modern Art), in the Old Royal Hospital, Kilmainham. Even more modern and contemporary than the Hugh Lane, the building alone (an old 17th-century veterans’ hospital), is worth the visit, with its landscaped gardens and sweeping views across the Liffey.
Also, check out The Temple Bar Gallery, The Project Arts Centre, and the many other specialist galleries and exhibition spaces around town.
Occasionally, these galleries may charge for entrance to special exhibitions or collections. This is usually the case, for example, in the National Gallery Extension on Clare Street. The main areas, however, are always free.
Alternatively, visit one of the many private galleries or browse the open-air art exhibition on Stephens Green at week-ends in the summer.
4. Visit A Museum
Museums in Dublin are also free.
The National Museum has three branches in Dublin:
* Archaeology and History on Kildare Street
* Decorative Arts in Collins Barracks
* Natural History Museum on Merrion Square
Dublin Corporation also runs the Dublin Civic Museum, charting the city’s history since Viking times.
5. Parks And Gardens
On a fine day, enjoy yourself in one of the many parks and gardens around Dublin:
* Saint Stephens Green
* Merrion Square
* Iveagh Gardens
* Phoenix Park
* Islandbridge War Memorial
Or, go further afield to St Anne’s Park on the northside, or Marley park in the south.
5. Get In Touch With Nature
When you’re so close to the sea and mountains, escape is never far away …
A DART trip north will take you to Bull Island – 5 km long.
Or, go to the Peninsual alnd fishing port of Howth, with its walks among the rhododendrons of the Deerpark.
Heading south, get off at Booterstwon Marsh – a paradise for bird watchers – or keep on to the coastal village of Dalkey, or the magnificent Bay of Killiney.
A bus or coach trip will bring you to the Dublin mountains and the Pine Forest.
Or, further afield, to Wicklow and Glendalough.
On a good day, why not climb the Sugar Loaf and gaze back at Wales?
6. Browse The Bookshops
The Land of Saints and Scholars seems an outworn soubriquet for the offspring of the Celtic Tiger, but Dubliners will never renounce thier bookshops.
There’s no better way to kill a rainy afternoon than by filling your nostrils with musty ink!
7. The Boardwalk
The Boardwalk is one of the best things that’s happened to Dublin …
For one thing, it’s on the sunny side of the Liffey. For another, it’s living proof of global warming – if anone had suggested to a Dubliner in the rainy 1960s that, one day, people would sit outside drinking coffee in Dublin, they’d have been laughed out of town!
So, especially in the summer, settle down to a cup of Cruises Coffee Co’s excellent coffee, chill out, and take in your surroundings. People watch, stroll up and down, listen to others’ conversations, study the architecture of the city’s quays, and watch the river taxis as they glide past.
8. Government Buildings
Not many toursits are aware that the magnificent Leinster House, seat of the two houses of the Oireachtas (or parliament), is open to the public, although it’s best to arrange things in advance.
Once there, you can take a tour of the building, or sit in the visitors’ gallery in The Dáil, and watch the politicians at play.
Bring a group, and you’ll probably outnumber them!
Also worth a visit are the Government Buildings on Merrion Square, at the back of Leinster House. There are guided tours of the building on Saturdays only. They’re free, and you can get tickets from the nearby National Gallery on the day.
9. Research Your Family Tree
That may well be the reason you’re coming to Dublin.
The best places to search are the National Library and the National Archives.
Talk to the people in Heraldic Artists in Nassau Street as well. They’ll be able to tell you much about your family name and its history, and stock a huge range of genealogical products and books.
10. Go To The Sea
Take a dip at Dollymount or Sandymount Strands, Seapoint, Sandymount or Killiney … or just walk the beaches there.
Walk out to and along the South Bull Wall or Dun Laoghaire Pier, or stroll the promenade at Bray.
Be a feminist and crash the once male-only preserve of the 40-foot in Sandycove, under the shadow of Joyce’s famous tower.
Most of the above are accessible by DART. To get to the South Bull, take a car or a number 3 bus to Sandymount/Irishtown (there’s a fair walk at the end of it).
By the way, did you know that Dublin’s sister city is Barcelona in Spain?… You can learn all about this exciting Spanish city at the Top Tour of Spain site.
And, now we’ve covered 10 FREE things to do in Dublin, why not check out affordable Dublin tours?
However, it is possible to enjoy your time in Dublin without spending any money – except for an occasional cup of coffee or bus fare. And, here you have ten activities – five indoor, five outdoor – that won’t cost you a cent!…
1. Take A Walk
The best way to see and learn about any city is by walking around it. Some suggested routes you might like to try include:
* Parnell Square to St Stephens Green
* Temple Bar
* The River
2. Visit An Art Gallery
Is it a rainy day?… Then make the most of it by visiting the state’s art galleries – all have free admission, the main ones being:
* The National Gallery, Merrion Square. The National Gallery houses the national collection of Irish art and European master paintings, from Carravaggio to Orpen.
* The Hugh Lane Gallery, Parnell Square. Modern and contemporary art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including the reconstructed studio of Francis Bacon. There’s a charge to view the studio and for some special exhibitions.
* IMMA (The Irish Museum of Modern Art), in the Old Royal Hospital, Kilmainham. Even more modern and contemporary than the Hugh Lane, the building alone (an old 17th-century veterans’ hospital), is worth the visit, with its landscaped gardens and sweeping views across the Liffey.
Also, check out The Temple Bar Gallery, The Project Arts Centre, and the many other specialist galleries and exhibition spaces around town.
Occasionally, these galleries may charge for entrance to special exhibitions or collections. This is usually the case, for example, in the National Gallery Extension on Clare Street. The main areas, however, are always free.
Alternatively, visit one of the many private galleries or browse the open-air art exhibition on Stephens Green at week-ends in the summer.
4. Visit A Museum
Museums in Dublin are also free.
The National Museum has three branches in Dublin:
* Archaeology and History on Kildare Street
* Decorative Arts in Collins Barracks
* Natural History Museum on Merrion Square
Dublin Corporation also runs the Dublin Civic Museum, charting the city’s history since Viking times.
5. Parks And Gardens
On a fine day, enjoy yourself in one of the many parks and gardens around Dublin:
* Saint Stephens Green
* Merrion Square
* Iveagh Gardens
* Phoenix Park
* Islandbridge War Memorial
Or, go further afield to St Anne’s Park on the northside, or Marley park in the south.
5. Get In Touch With Nature
When you’re so close to the sea and mountains, escape is never far away …
A DART trip north will take you to Bull Island – 5 km long.
Or, go to the Peninsual alnd fishing port of Howth, with its walks among the rhododendrons of the Deerpark.
Heading south, get off at Booterstwon Marsh – a paradise for bird watchers – or keep on to the coastal village of Dalkey, or the magnificent Bay of Killiney.
A bus or coach trip will bring you to the Dublin mountains and the Pine Forest.
Or, further afield, to Wicklow and Glendalough.
On a good day, why not climb the Sugar Loaf and gaze back at Wales?
6. Browse The Bookshops
The Land of Saints and Scholars seems an outworn soubriquet for the offspring of the Celtic Tiger, but Dubliners will never renounce thier bookshops.
There’s no better way to kill a rainy afternoon than by filling your nostrils with musty ink!
7. The Boardwalk
The Boardwalk is one of the best things that’s happened to Dublin …
For one thing, it’s on the sunny side of the Liffey. For another, it’s living proof of global warming – if anone had suggested to a Dubliner in the rainy 1960s that, one day, people would sit outside drinking coffee in Dublin, they’d have been laughed out of town!
So, especially in the summer, settle down to a cup of Cruises Coffee Co’s excellent coffee, chill out, and take in your surroundings. People watch, stroll up and down, listen to others’ conversations, study the architecture of the city’s quays, and watch the river taxis as they glide past.
8. Government Buildings
Not many toursits are aware that the magnificent Leinster House, seat of the two houses of the Oireachtas (or parliament), is open to the public, although it’s best to arrange things in advance.
Once there, you can take a tour of the building, or sit in the visitors’ gallery in The Dáil, and watch the politicians at play.
Bring a group, and you’ll probably outnumber them!
Also worth a visit are the Government Buildings on Merrion Square, at the back of Leinster House. There are guided tours of the building on Saturdays only. They’re free, and you can get tickets from the nearby National Gallery on the day.
9. Research Your Family Tree
That may well be the reason you’re coming to Dublin.
The best places to search are the National Library and the National Archives.
Talk to the people in Heraldic Artists in Nassau Street as well. They’ll be able to tell you much about your family name and its history, and stock a huge range of genealogical products and books.
10. Go To The Sea
Take a dip at Dollymount or Sandymount Strands, Seapoint, Sandymount or Killiney … or just walk the beaches there.
Walk out to and along the South Bull Wall or Dun Laoghaire Pier, or stroll the promenade at Bray.
Be a feminist and crash the once male-only preserve of the 40-foot in Sandycove, under the shadow of Joyce’s famous tower.
Most of the above are accessible by DART. To get to the South Bull, take a car or a number 3 bus to Sandymount/Irishtown (there’s a fair walk at the end of it).
By the way, did you know that Dublin’s sister city is Barcelona in Spain?… You can learn all about this exciting Spanish city at the Top Tour of Spain site.
And, now we’ve covered 10 FREE things to do in Dublin, why not check out affordable Dublin tours?
