Dublin 5 days, 4 nights... late NOV

The last time I was looking at it, Trim castle closed for the winter on Nov. 1, though it could be different now. You really should see Kilmainham Gaol, hang out on Grafton St, and wander the Temple Bar area. You might also consider a day trip to Newgrange or Glendalough, both of which are open in the winter season.

Nancy's given some good suggestions. I really liked the 1916 walking tour (I think the website's www.1916.com, it's in Rick's book). It's given by Trinity College history professors and gives you a history of the city and the uprising. Definitely shop in Dublin, Grafton street is good, there's also some malls off of O'Connell street. I'd also suggest going to a play at the Abbey Theater one night while you're there.

My fiance and I were in Dublin for 7 nights in April. We found that buying the 3 day rambler bus pass was the best value. It lets you travel on any bus, and certain ones from the airport, all for the price of your pass. The Jail, just outside the city is really neat to visit. Also, we took a tour of the Wicklow Mountains, and it was fantastic. My fiance had never been to Ireland, so it was a great experience for her. Just north of the city is Newgrange. This is a really cool area for burial mounds that pre-date the pyramids at giza and are very interesting. In Dublin City, Trinity is great, Guinness is worth a visit ( for the view of dublin from the gravity bar), and I would say to make sure you experience the pub culture of live music. Let me know if you have any other questions Evan

Erin, I second Nancy's suggestions. The Kilmainham Gaol is an essential visit, due to the history. "Experiencing" the Temple Bar district is also an excellent way to spend an evening or two. You can visit Christ Church Cathedral, take a walking tour (a great way to get an idea of the turbulent history), take one of the Red Bus tours to get an overall "feel" for the city or visit Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. I have mixed feelings about the Guinness Storehouse. It's interesting to some extent, but not a "must see" IMHO (although having a "free" pint in the Gravity Bar is nice). If you do plan to visit the Guinness Storehouse, try and pick a time when the queues are not too long. At times these can extend around the corner to the Bus Stop!

IS it worth the trip?

Thanks everyone! Had anyone been to trim castle? I understand its open in the winter, but didn't know if it was worth the trek. Please advise. Also, temple bar area seems to be the go-to place at night... anything else.

Trim Castle is open only on weekends between Nov. 1 and Easter, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., so hopefully that fits into your plans.

We were at Trim Castle last month and I thought it was great. The history behind the castle is great. There are also other sites to see in Trim. It is a quiet little town with beautiful scenery. Not much night life there, but lots of pretty sites to see.

Trim castle is very nice. It was partially restored a few years ago to stabilize some of the crumbling stonework. And it's not far from Dublin. You might find a day tour that includes it, though it's less likely in the winter.

The mummies in the crypts under St. Michan's Church are very well preserved and there is no glass between you and the mummies. It's a very small church so only takes maybe 30 to 45 minutes tops to see the church and crypt, doesn't cost much money to get into the crypt either. If you take one of the hop on/hop off double decker buses, there is a stop not far from the Church. You can take public transit to get to that part of Dublin, or you could walk it from the city center if you are not planning on taking one of the double decker tour buses. Whelan's over on Wexford Street (whelanslive.com) has all kinds of different live music playing most nights and it's a nice escape from the drunken stag & hen parties throwing up in trash cans along Temple Bar or the touristy musical pub crawls where they play John Denver tunes with a tin whistle & bodhran. If you can get tickets to a play or theater performance that interests you, that could make for a fun night out. And if you are a serious foodie and want a splurge dinner (or lunch) one day, you could try to snag a reservation at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud before you leave for your trip. If you catch good weather during your trip, it's fun to visit the food hall downstairs in Marks and Spencer on Grafton Street and then have a picnic lunch in Merrion Square or St. Stephen's Green.

I enjoyed the whole setting of Trim Castle. It was a blustery day, which really added to the ambiance. My favorite day trip was Mary Gibbons tour to the hill of Tara and to Newgrange. I get goosebumps remembering standing in the passage grave at Newgrange. I loved eating at Gallagher's Boxty House in Temple Bar. I go back every time I'm in Dublin. The National Art Gallery to see Caravaggio's painting of The Taking of Christ is powerful.

thanks all, so it looks like trim castle is on the list. based on what i've read it also looks like getting a car is a necessity in ireland if i want to leave dublin at all. ive heard the buses and trains leave alot of gaps?? true?

To get a flavor of the history and significance of Kilmainham Gaol, the Post Office, and the "Uprising" in Dublin, I'd recommend you watch the movie "Michael Collins" before your trip. We had seen it years ago, but my husband bought the DVD at Borders, and we all watched it before our trip. It was the first time my nephew had seen it.

dublin is cool. lots to see, but not like most european cities. its not london, paris, rome, florence, etc...why not take the rail to kilkenny or galway for a different look. galway is a big college town with good access to the cliffs or the islands. kilkenny is the prettiest little town there ever was, with proximity to the rock of cashel. i think two days and two nights in dublin could be enough. if you stay all four in dublin, go to the temple bar district each night. it is a riot. have fun, be safe.