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Dublin or Cork?

We will be travelling to the UK in July (14 days not including arrival/departure days). Flying in/out of London (no option for open jaw, due to ticket type restrictions). We are not planning to spend much time in London, maybe 2 nights, then will head to Scotland for 3-4 nights. This should leave us 5-6 nights in Ireland before we return to London the day before our departure flight.

My husband has been to Dublin before, and would prefer to go to Cork, but has suggested that I do some research to see if there is anything I feel I must see in Dublin so that we can go there if I really want to. Based on the articles I'm reading, I'm leaning towards skipping Dublin and spending our time in Cork and taking some day trips from there.

Is there anything that I absolutely MUST see/do in Dublin that would warrant a day there?

Posted by
2280 posts

I'm leaning towards skipping Dublin and spending our time in Cork

I think you've answered your question already. Too many people are driven by what everyone else says they MUST see, even though they may not actually be that interested in them... With the limited time you have available, don't waste a day doing the must sees in Dublin. There is plenty to see in and around Cork.

Posted by
796 posts

We went to London, Belfast and Dublin last November. While Dublin was perfectly fine, I didn't feel like there were any must see attractions. We liked London and Belfast better than Dublin.

Posted by
932 posts

What interests you in Cork, and why are you not interested in Dublin? This would help people answer your question more effectively. You could stay four or five days in Dublin and not see the sights in the city at all, instead doing day trips to other places and just return to the city to eat and sleep. You could do the same in Cork, but you might want to check what is available from Cork if you aren’t going to have a car. If you are going to have a car then it won’t matter so much. I spent four nights in Dublin, and was glad to leave the big city, but I did enjoy what I saw there, and the day trips I did. I also spent four nights in Belfast, and wished I had more time there. I skipped Cork completely. Maybe it will depend on which place is easiest to get to from Scotland?