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Help with jigsaw puzzle of scheduling attraction visits in Dublin

Posted by (Ithaca, NY, USA) on

We will be in Dublin for 4 nights at the beginning of a trip. I am trying to figure out how to schedule everything for which we’ll need advance reservations. Which tickets to get first?

Our visit is in May and unfortunately (due to other scheduling constraints) we’ll arrive on a Thursday and leave on a Monday—which means things are going to be crowded.

I know Killmainham Gaol can’t be scheduled prior to 28 days ahead and that tickets book up right away. Due to proximity I’d love to schedule the Gaol and Guinness Storehouse tours for the same block of time. But if I wait until 28 days in advance to get the Gaol tickets, will it then be too late to get Storehouse tickets for the day and time that would be ideal (I’m thinking Friday might be a tiny bit less crowded than Saturday or Sunday?) Should I go ahead and purchase Storehouse tickets sooner to get a preferred date and time and then hope I’m able to coordinate the visit with a visit to the Gaol?

If I’m hoping to visit 14 Henrietta Street on Saturday afternoon, should I purchase these tickets as soon as they are available and (again) hope that our only option for Gaol tickets isn’t at the exact same date and time? Can I wait longer before purchasing these or are they also liable to sell out for a Saturday in May?

I’m not sure how much priority to put on a visit to Newgrange. If I’m able to schedule a visit there for Sunday it’s going to limit the other major sights I’m hoping to see to Friday and Saturday and could make it more difficult to get tickets to the other sights). But I know the newgrange tour also sells out way in advance so I’m also putting that at risk if I wait…Is a tour to Newgrange worth it?

I don’t plan to schedule anything for our arrival day. It’s a Thursday and I figure we can play it by ear depending on when we get to the hotel and how jet lagged we are. Maybe visit the Famine Ship and EPIC. Would it be necessary to book these in advance? If so would <28 days in advance be risky?

I’m on the fence re the Book of Kells due to reports of massive crowds plus no books in the library, so I’m not going to make my other scheduling contingent on that. I was thinking of maybe trying to book for Monday early morning before we get on a train to Galway.

Has anyone done the Fab Food Trails tour? Do I dare wait to book that (thinking Saturday morning) until everything else is in place?

Thanks for any scheduling advice and suggestions you can provide!

Posted by
463 posts

"Is a tour to Newgrange worth it?"
This is an impossible question to answer, not knowing anything about you or your interests. I suggest you find out more about all of the places you are trying to book so that you can prioritize them based upon your interests combined with their availability.

Posted by
3187 posts

I’ll have 7 days in Dublin in May and Newgrange is not on my list of things I’d like to see.

I don’t like to have too many things scheduled. I like to have plenty of time for just walking around and exploring. And day trips out of the city.

Posted by
784 posts

May is not nearly as crowded as later months, and is the best month for weather.

Although the Storehouse is not on my personal bucket list, I think if you set your alarm clock to log into the Kilmainham website the instant tickets appear, you'll be able to get the time of your choice. A few minutes later, you'll likely fail. If you can summon that middle-of-the-night effort, just get the Storehouse for a complementary time at you leisure. You can experiment with the website in the weeks before to see precisely when the new day is unveiled.

We really enjoyed Newgrange (been there twice) and "The Little Museum" was a hoot. As you mention, the Book of Kells is missing most of the books, but there are still the busts and the crowds. The Dead Museum was also interesting, although my wife was a zoology major. Dublina is also a hoot - where else can you see a talking manikin sitting in an outhouse?

Our absolutely favorite thing on a Sunday afternoon is the 3pm session at the Brazen head, although getting a seat can be a matter of luck.

Posted by
2321 posts

It all depends on what sort of things are important to you. Like jjgurley, Newgrange was the highlight of our visit - especially as we had tickets to see both Newgrange itself as well as Knowth (they are both very different). The Storhouse however just doesn't appeal...

Posted by
3187 posts

I just booked my Book of Kells tickets for May and I noticed that some of the earliest timeslots are already booked up and not available. So, if you are still thinking about booking an early timeslot, I would book soon. 8:30 am is the earliest timeslot Mon. – Sat. Sun. 9:30 am.

Posted by
136 posts

I managed to book both Kilmahain and new grange through the system 30 days out and it wasn't all that difficult. I was booking new grange via my phone because I had a commitment and missed my first choice post but got second. The first slot was gone within 7 minutes.

I had many options at Kilmahain and no issues booking about 15 minutes after it opened.

Storehouse for same day a non issue -- multiple openings.

We are traveling in the winter but I was booking Saturdays which I imagine are popular.

Set an alarm on your phone -- for me 7pm eastern the night before got me into the system at midnight Dublin.

I'm on fence about EPIC and Famine ship - plan to play by ear. Will definitely be visiting Chester Beatty.

Posted by
113 posts

See the Brazen Head Pub Dublin,, Est 1754
Place is awesome , foods very good

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