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Dublin city: what 77 visitors wish they'd known

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Tips about Dublin city

1Book Kilmainham Gaol the moment tickets release, 28 days ahead; they sell out in minutes13 visitors
- Book Newgrange a month ahead, plus Kilmainham Gaol and the Book of Kells; reserve Etto and Mr. S in Dublin, which turned away walk-ins. · TripAdvisor, 2024
- Kilmainham Gaol tickets release 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time and reportedly sell out in minutes; be online. · Blog, 2024
- Book Kilmainham Gaol the moment tickets release; she had to change dates. The museum café has no air conditioning. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
- Book Kilmainham Gaol early: tickets release 28 days ahead and sell out fast. It was their trip highlight. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
13 visitors here; showing 4 of the 13 who gave detail.
2Buy Book of Kells tickets ahead and take an early slot to beat the crowds10 visitors
Good to know: Since 2024 most of the Long Room's books have been moved out for the Old Library redevelopment; about 20,000 remain in the first bays. Expect partly empty shelves. Trinity's update
- Book Book of Kells ahead and pick the standard ticket for the old library; the digital Experience ticket is underwhelming. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
- Buy Book of Kells and Long Room tickets the night before for a much shorter queue; Kilmainham Gaol had already sold out. · Blog
- Book the Book of Kells Experience ticket, which still includes the Long Library despite ongoing restoration. · TripAdvisor, 2026
- Buy Book of Kells tickets weeks ahead; dates can be changed by emailing them directly. · TripAdvisor, 2023
10 visitors here; showing 4 of the 9 who gave detail.
3Skip Temple Bar's pricey pubs and drink at the Stag's Head, Long Hall, Grogans or Brazen Head6 visitors
- Avoid Temple Bar pubs as touristy and pricey; head toward St Stephen's Green for The Dame Tavern, or Brazen Head and Cobblestone for live music. · Blog, 2017
- Temple Bar felt crowded and touristy with non-traditional music; go to Brazen Head or The Gravediggers (closed Mondays) instead. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
- The Temple Bar pub is crowded; a bar a few blocks away had live music without the crush. · Blog, 2024
- Temple Bar drinks can cost double other Dublin pubs. · TripAdvisor, 2026
6 visitors here; showing 4 of the 6 who gave detail.
4Go to a hurling or Gaelic football match at Croke Park, and buy tickets on gaa.ie ahead5 visitors
- Buy Croke Park tickets before match day; the group ended up buying from a convenience store near the stadium after a scramble. · Blog
- On St Patrick's Day, avoid the packed city parade and go to a Croke Park GAA game where the crowd is mostly local. · Blog, 2017
- Go to a hurling match at Croke Park to feel the Gaelic Games; locals will happily explain the rules and the odds. · Blog, 2024
5 visitors here; showing 3 of the 4 who gave detail.
5Take a free walking or 1916 Rising tour on day one to get your bearings5 visitors
- Take the Pat Liddy walking tour from O'Connell Street or the literary pub crawl; the Liffey boat tour lasts under an hour. · Rick Steves forum
- Do a tip-based Sandeman's walking tour on day one to get oriented; it covers Dublin Castle and Trinity gardens. · Blog, 2022
- Take the free tip-based walking tour in Dublin and the GPO Museum for modern Irish history. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
- Do the 1916 Rebellion walking tour with Lorcan Collins, starting at the International Bar. · TripAdvisor, 2023
5 visitors here; showing 4 of the 5 who gave detail.
6The Book of Kells is small and crowded. The Long Room library is the real highlight5 visitors
Good to know: Since 2024 most of the Long Room's books have been moved out for the Old Library redevelopment; about 20,000 remain in the first bays. Expect partly empty shelves. Trinity's update
- The Book of Kells is underwhelming (two pages shown); the Trinity Long Room is the real highlight. · Fodor's, 2018
- Visit Trinity College's Long Room; the authors found it striking even without reading the books. · Blog, 2023
- Book of Kells was too crowded to see properly; Kilmainham Gaol was more moving. · TripAdvisor, 2023
- Visit Trinity College Library. · Blog, 2017
5 visitors here; showing the 4 who gave detail.
7Book an early Guinness Storehouse slot and save the Gravity Bar for a clear day4 visitors
- Guinness Storehouse 4:30 slot was packed; go earlier. Kilmainham Gaol 1:45 tour guide Adam was praised. · TripAdvisor, 2022
- Go to the Guinness Storehouse top floor on a sunny day; in gloomy weather the view is minimal. · Rick Steves forum
- Arrive early at Guinness Storehouse; buy Kilmainham Gaol tickets before the trip. · TripAdvisor, 2023
- Pre-book Guinness and Jameson timed tickets from home. · TripAdvisor, 2025
8Allow a couple of hours for the GPO Museum and Glasnevin to understand 19163 visitors
- Take the 17-minute Easter Rising film at the GPO Museum; Glasnevin's small museum is worth it mainly for its One Million Dubliners documentary. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
- Allow over an hour for the GPO museum. · TripAdvisor
- Visit Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin · Reddit, 2025
9Do the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl from The Duke; no advance ticket needed3 visitors
- Dublin Literary Pub Crawl from The Duke at 7:30pm runs about 2.5 hours; no advance ticket was needed. · Fodor's, 2018
3 visitors here; showing the 1 who gave detail.
10Don't plan to drink in your seat at Croke Park. Alcohol stays on the concourse, so queue early2 visitors
- Beer is sold inside Croke Park but cannot be drunk at your seat; concourse lines swamp at every break, so queue early. · Blog, 2019
2 visitors here; showing 1 of the 2 who gave detail.
11Dublin felt safe, but watch your bags around Temple Bar and Talbot Street2 visitors
- Lock valuables in room safe; panhandlers around Temple Bar and Talbot Street. · TripAdvisor, 2026
- Watch belongings in Temple Bar and near Guinness Storehouse. · Blog
12Skip the Guinness Storehouse for a Jameson distillery tour: better value and less crowded2 visitors
- Jameson Distillery tour felt better than the Guinness Storehouse, which she found overcrowded, commercial and poor value. · Blog, 2017
2 visitors here; showing 1 of the 2 who gave detail.
13Use Dublin's free national museums: Archaeology, Natural History, National Gallery, Chester Beatty2 visitors
- Most Dublin museums are free; Hugh Lane Gallery was the favourite. Book Book of Kells online. · TripAdvisor, 2022
- Chester Beatty Library is free and worth visiting. · TripAdvisor

Show 55 single-report tips

Getting around (3)

Check which bus stop serves Croke Park and leave a generous buffer; they arrived with only 10 minutes to spare. · Blog
Match-day trains toward Dublin fill with fans along the route; arrive about 2.5 hours before throw-in because pubs near Croke Park are packed by noon. · Blog, 2019
Newgrange needs a car; Kilmainham reachable by bus · Reddit

Food & pubs (14)

Base yourself in Temple Bar for Six Nations weekends: many pubs have live music and mixed Irish and Welsh fans celebrating together. · Blog, 2024
Beshoff's on Westmoreland Street, on the right heading from O'Connell Bridge toward Grafton Street, was preferred over Leo Burdock's. · Fodor's
Darkey Kelly's had no seats; reserve ahead. · TripAdvisor
Eat Irish stew at John Kavanagh's (The Gravediggers) near Glasnevin and crab sandwiches at King Sitric in Howth. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
Eat at Library Street near Grafton Street, Dublin, and Kashmir Indian in Galway on hotel-staff recommendation. · TripAdvisor, 2023
Eat at Teach Nan Phaidi at the foot of Dun Aonghasa on Inis Mor; beef stew with mash and Guinness chocolate cake. · Blog, 2024
The Cobblestone in Dublin had good live trad music on Easter night. · Fodor's, 2023
Let Guinness settle before drinking at the Storehouse; the top-floor bar has the panoramic view. · Rick Steves forum, 2023
Lunch at Gallagher's Boxty House near Temple Bar was the highlight of their layover. · Blog, 2025
Queue early for trad sessions at The Cobblestone in Dublin and Tig Coili in Galway; both fill up well before the music starts. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
Queue for Bread 41 near Trinity for cruffins and focaccia; the line moves and was worth it. · Blog, 2024
Queues move fast; the Crown Alley branch in Temple Bar has seating and a larger menu including chicken and burgers. · Blog, 2017
Quinn's in Drumcondra is a large pub with a patio, good before and after Croke Park games; eat lunch first before drinking. · Blog, 2019
Vegetarians can eat well at The Saucy Cow in Temple Bar (oyster mushroom burger) and King Sitric in Howth. · Blog

Sightseeing (10)

Guinness Storehouse felt a tourist trap; the guide taught more than the exhibits. Cairn T at Loughcrew was closed. · TripAdvisor, 2022
Guinness Storehouse has many stairs and little seating. · TripAdvisor, 2026
Guinness Storehouse lends wheelchairs and has accessible rooftop seating. · TripAdvisor, 2025
Kilmainham Gaol tour was the coldest part of a winter trip, so dress warmly. · Rick Steves forum
Pay for the Guinness Storehouse Connoisseur experience to skip the door queue and get a small private tasting. · Blog, 2024
Pre-book Newgrange, Book of Kells and Blarney Castle. · Blog, 2024
Skip the Guinness Storehouse if reviews put you off; they drank Guinness in pubs instead, though the Gravity Bar view is the draw. · Blog
Trinity's Long Room had no books on display during restoration, so check before making it your priority. · other, 2025
Use Guinness Storehouse self-guided ticket with free drink. · Blog
Visit the Guinness Storehouse before or after an Aviva Stadium match to fill the day. · Blog, 2024

Where to stay (2)

Ask for a higher floor at Dublin hotels; her street-level room near Temple Bar was noisy. · Blog, 2017
Stay at Temple Bar Inn for a central base; her room was ready by noon after a 7:30am arrival. Avoid Buswells: squeaky floors, weak Wi-Fi. · Rick Steves forum, 2026

Money (1)

Heritage Card paid for itself; book the Book of Kells in advance. · TripAdvisor, 2022

Other (25)

At the Guinness Storehouse, skip the paid tour entry if short on time; the gift shop route gives access to the floors. · Fodor's, 2022
Book 14 Henrietta Street, Glasnevin and EPIC; missed for lack of time. · TripAdvisor, 2022
Book Guinness Storehouse in advance and stay in Ballsbridge to walk to the stadium; Temple Bar suits nightlife with good transport links. · Blog, 2024
Book hotels and popular tours early; Guinness Storehouse sells out. · Blog
Both Aviva and Croke Park have narrow turnstile entrances followed immediately by stairs; ask the ticket office about accessible routes before buying. · Blog, 2025
Cobblestone pub is too crowded to see musicians. · TripAdvisor, 2026
Do not book Guinness Storehouse and Jameson tastings the morning after a big pub night; the roughly 60-minute Jameson tasting felt brutal hungover. · Blog, 2023
Don't skip the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin; she regretted missing it. Rick Steves' Trinity-student-led historical walking tour was a highlight. · Rick Steves forum
Dress for wind and rain at a January Croke Park double-header; even sheltered seats were exposed. · Blog
Grafton Street eSIM worked; ignore suspicious billing texts. · TripAdvisor
Arriving on St Patrick's Day posed no airport or taxi problem, but avoid Temple Bar that day because it gets very rowdy. · Rick Steves forum
Marsh's Library is a quieter alternative while Book of Kells is renovated. · Blog, 2024
Music: Cobblestone early session, Kyteler's Kilkenny trio, Dingle Pub nightly, Tigh Choili 6pm session. · TripAdvisor, 2022
If no games fall in your dates, visit Croke Park stadium and its GAA Museum; check gaa.ie because tickets appear close to match dates. · Rick Steves forum, 2023
Order a taxi through the hotel desk for Kilmainham Gaol and allow about 2 hours; the GPO Museum afterwards pairs well with it. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
Pour your own pint at Guinness Storehouse, sip during tour. · Blog, 2018
Pour your own pint at Guinness Storehouse. · Blog, 2017
Take the Dublin hop-on hop-off bus and see Trinity's Book of Kells; shop at Avoca. · Rick Steves forum
The Book of Kells at Trinity was closed over Easter weekend, so book a different day for it. · Fodor's, 2023
Trinity's Old Library is crowded in early January after the Christmas closure, and Guinness Gravity Bar is packed on New Year's Eve. · TripAdvisor, 2019
Try quieter Dublin spots like Phoenix Park; avoid Sundays. · Blog
Try the Little Museum of Dublin's 30-minute guided tour (U2 memorabilia) and the Irish Rock and Roll Museum jam room in Temple Bar. · Rick Steves forum
Use DART to Greystones, Dalkey and Sandycove; the Martello Tower has a Joyce-focused volunteer guide. Catch trad at the Cobblestone. · TripAdvisor, 2023
Use The Session website to find trad music listings; The Temple Bar pub is packed even at 2pm on weekdays. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
Use taxis to get to Kilmainham on time; the gaol tour starts exactly on time and takes about 90 minutes. · Rick Steves forum, 2026

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