Dublin

The countryside is definitely the "real" Ireland. On my first trip there, I flew into Shannon and worked my way around the south, ending in Dublin. We only had a morning in Dublin on that trip, but it was enough for the hop-on, hop-off bus tour just to get a taste of the city, and a walk down Grafton St. Then I took a separate trip focusing on the Dublin area. But even on that trip, I spent most of my time OUT of the city. I'm not sure I would completely skip it on a first trip, but you easily could without missing some vital Irish experience.

True about Dublin, I don't think it has much "charm". Prefer the countryside by far,especially small villages..

I think Dublin deserves a couple days if you have more than 10 days. It is a Georgian city, but it has much older roots. If you have even the slightest interest in Irish history, then you need some time in Dublin. Italy it ain't though.

I'm with Michael. Dublin gets a lot of knocks here, but I'm still a fan. It's a different experience than the countryside, of course. But there's so much of Ireland's history wrapped up in that town that, to me, it's a shame to miss it.

You are right - Dublin isn't nearly as charming as the Irish countryside, particularly the southwest and the northern coast. That said, the Book of Kells is exceptional so if you are going to be at the airport and can slip into the city for just a half day, you might want to consider it. On a short trip, if you can, fly in/out of Shannon and focus on the western side of Ireland.

I'm not a big fan of Dublin; I was fairly disappointed in it. It's not particularly beautiful or charming, especially compared to the rest of Ireland. I think it's worth a day though especially to see Trinity Library and the Book of Kells. I would also have liked to have seen the jail (gaol) but it was closed the day we went (Monday).

We really loved the tour of the jail. It is easy to get to by bus which leaves you off at the corner. If you consider it, try to see "In the name of the Father" movie filmed there. Have fun. As previous poster said, it is closed one day a week.

To some people Dublin may not be the "real Ireland" but with it's long and varied history it is much more so than places like, Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Killarney, Ring of Kerry etc. While these places are definitely worth seeing they are all geared to tourism and most of the other people you meet there will be other tourists, mostly American's.
Dublin has unlimited possibilities including live theater, The Gate, Abbey,Gaiety plus several other have great live performances at a reasonable cost. If you are at all interested in Irish History there is Kilmainham Jail, several national museums,which are free, Glasnevin Cemetery, the next door Botanical Gardens and the Gravediggers pub which is not to be missed. Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle and on and on. If you really want to get a feel for the country rent a house that is in , or close to, a small village, preferably up in Donegal or somewhere in the midlands where tourists are not the main means of income. In just a few days you can become acquainted with more locals than you will ever encounter by daily hopping from b&b over the southern half of the country.

I enjoyed the countryside, but I also enjoyed Dublin. Would I spend a week there? No. We did spend 3 nights, which gave us essentially two full days there. We were able to see quite a bit in that time. If you have never been, I would not skip it. Especially if you will be flying in there or be on the East coast anyway.

I didn't mean to imply that Dublin isn't worth seeing, or that it has nothing to recommend it. I like Dublin. It's just that Dublin is a city, and when people think of what Ireland is like, they are generally thinking of the less urban areas. True, many of the areas of scenic beauty and history are geared to tourists, but so is much of Dublin. That doesn't make them not worth visiting. If someone is making a first trip to Ireland, they are most likely interested in seeing what they consider to be the iconic Irish sites, and those are mostly not in Dublin.

I liked the city. There are lots to see, maybe not like Italian cities, but it is worth a trip.

Haven't been to Ireland yet, am going in May and really looking forward to it. But in the other countries I've visited, I thought it was important to experience both the "pretty postcard" sights but also the big cities, if one is going to grasp what the country and culture are about.

Definitely visit Dublin for about a day and a half and then on to the countryside. It is a great country. Enjoy.

Big cities, for the most part, are big cities - they have more sites but usually lack the charm of the countryside. Ireland's charm, more than most places, is in the countryside. That said, there is a concentration of both sites and history in and around Dublin. If you skip Dublin, make sure you plan to include some of the great things around Dublin (e.g. Newgrange, Hill of Tara, Glendalough, etc.). Inside Dublin there are nice parks, Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Cathedrals, Kilmainham Gaol, literary pub crawls and other sites that are worthwhile if they are high on your priority list.