The Emerald Isle is a fantastic option for spending some time out in nature, followed by fun nights at the pub.

How long to stay?

When we came to Dublin, we ended up staying only three nights. If you just intend to stay within the city walls, I think that’s a good amount of time. However, you could easily use Dublin as a base to explore most of the rest of the country. In fact, that’s exactly what we did one of the days. The entire country is so green and the color makes us want to explore it in more detail next time.

I’m tempted to say that a five night stay would be plenty of time if you are doing day trips from Dublin. The city is conveniently near the center of the country, and train travel is quite pleasant here.

What we did

Dublin Castle

Ever since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed castles. There’s something about the history of them that appeals to me. It took me back to a time with princes and princesses, and when dragons roamed the earth. OK maybe not that last part. But I did have a thing for castles.

Dublin Castle gives a bit of that feeling, despite it being right in the middle of town. The architecture isn’t the most impressive, but I found it amazing how it seemed to integrate pretty well with more modern brick buildings right next to it. The juxtaposition gives it a more unique feeling than I can recall of other castles I’ve visited.

When we came, we did the self-guided tour. The tour itself is probably enough to last you about half an hour. You can think of it as a small taste of history, and it never seemed to get crowded when we were here.

Guinness Brewery

Did you think we would come to Dublin and not end up in one of the most well-known breweries? The Guinness brewery tour is a self-guided exploration through the history of the beer and the brewing process. At the end, you’ll get your chance to drink up (depending on what your ticket includes). What sets this brewery apart from some of the others we’ve been to (like the Heineken brewery) is the food. There are several restaurants for you to choose from and they’re legitimately tasty.

Also, I’m not quite sure of the reasons, but Guinness in Ireland is far, far better than elsewhere in the world. There are more flavor notes that you can taste in the beer when you have it fresh here that simply get lost when it leaves the country. You’ll learn the key is to leave it alone after the bartender pours it, and that can be a painful wait. But even Jenn, who doesn’t like stouts, found herself a fan of Guinness in Ireland.

Think the experience is just intended for adults? Kids are more than welcome to tag along–the brewery even has “family tickets” for sale. When we came, we didn’t have children to worry about, but I certainly wouldn’t be afraid to bring them along the next time we come here.

Jameson Distillery Tour

So you drank to your heart’s content at Guinness and want to know what else to do? Well, walk right on over to the Jameson Distillery Tour. For the record, that’s not what we did (because we did it in the reverse order). The two popular alcoholic destinations are about a 20 minute walk in between, which gives a good opportunity to recover if you choose to stack them on the same day.

If you have more interest in a guided tour, you’re in luck as this one will give you more of that personal touch. However, do note that while this particular location within Dublin used to operate as a distillery, it’s not used that way anymore. The live distillery is at their Midleton, Cork location. The Dublin location is where they started, which is neat to see.

The tour does also come with a comparative tasting, allowing you a chance to test your flavor palette. If you’re not as much of a fan of stronger alcohol, you might not like it as much here. At least, that was Jenn’s own experience, but at least there was a lighter cocktail offered at the end that was more enjoyable for her.

And before you ask, yes, children are allowed inside. Anyone 12 and younger is free, with a reduced rate available for children aged 13 to 17. Remember that the legal drinking age in Ireland is 18, so your 18 year old kids will be charged full price to enter.

Visit Blarney Castle (daytrip from Dublin)

I won’t blame you if you were hoping for that classic castle feel at Dublin Castle and you walked away a little disappointed. Ireland does have other options for you to get your castle fix, with perhaps none more well-known than Blarney Castle. This particular castle, built in the year 1446, sits outside the city of Cork. At the time it was built, it was considered one of the most powerful fortresses.

Nowadays, the castle doesn’t hold quite that same power, but it wields a beautiful picturesque visage from all angles.

What is the castle most known for? Well, the Blarney Stone of course! Kissing the stone will give you the gift of eloquence. We did both kiss the stone and it’s hard for me to confirm if the rumor is true. So you’ll just have to check it out yourself.

The stone is located in quite an awkward position. Simply put, you have to go to the top of the tower, then hang off the side of the castle to kiss the stone upside down. It’s quite an attraction that brings out a lengthy crowd. There are workers present to assist you with kissing the stone and expect it to be a real quick peck that you give the stone. There’s not enough time to get intimate with it–not that you’d want to.

The castle grounds are quite intriguing as well. You’ll have plenty of time to bask in the all the beautiful greens around you. But in particular, there is a poison garden you could check out, which is something I can say I’ve never done before. Just be careful if you do decide to visit.

Where we ate

The Brazen Head

If you’re interested in checking out a cute pub billed as the oldest pub in Ireland, look no further than The Brazen Head. Its location right in the heart of Dublin makes it an easy stroll from just about anywhere. This pub seems to be quite the popular destination, as it seemed pretty packed when we were here. Granted, we were in the area when there were fans watching the World Cup, so naturally that would draw the crowds.

What did we eat here? More beef stew, of course. We didn’t actually have much variety in meals when we were in Dublin. Instead of sitting down for fancy meals, we just hit up different pubs each night to eat beef stew and drink Guinness. And, yeah, we did that for lunch too (just look up at the Guinness tour above).

Most of the pubs we went to aren’t in operation any longer, but this one continues to go strong. The stew is good and I think we would end up getting something different the next time we come. But expect a fun atmosphere here to pair with the good food and drinks.

Where we stayed

The Morrison Dublin (Curio Collection by Hilton)

OK, it’s time for my other confession–we stayed at The Morrison Dublin far before the time when we were thinking of having useful photos to eventually blog about. So all I have of our time here is of the delicious breakfast we ate. While the photo is just of some eggs, I can assure you we ate far more than that.

Now, with that out of the way, we liked the hotel quite a bit. It’s located in a decently efficient spot in town, right along the River Liffey. If you stay here, you’re about a 10 minute walk away from places like The Brazen Head, The Jameson Distillery Tour, and Dublin Castle. We thought the service here was enjoyable and the bed was comfortable enough for a good night’s sleep.

Even though this hotel isn’t one of the bigger brands within the Hilton portfolio, don’t be surprised if you find rates are more expensive here than at the Conrad Dublin. The Morrison Dublin is worth considering for your own trip to Dublin.

When was the last time you explored Ireland?