I probably will be only staying 1 night because it will be one of the last places that we will be doing a little land tour before flying back to the U.S, after seeing Spain, Italy, France, Portugal on a 15 day transatlantic cruise.
Can you recommend the places we should visit while in Dublin and the best place to stay overnight?
Kathy, With the limited amount of time you have I would highly recommend the hop on hop off bus tour being certain that you visit Kilmainham Jail.
Kilmainham Jail, definitely... and wander Grafton St. There are always musicians playing for tips along the street and it's fun to stop and listen.
Kathy,
The hop-on, hop-off is one way to go. It's about 15euro and wide-ranging. I thought Kilmainham Gaol was moving, but its focus is the civil war. Definitely don't miss the celtic and monastic root of the culture. Best place to get close to it is the Book of Kells and the National Gallery. I stayed a week at the Harding Hotel last time I was in Dublin. It was comfortable, well-located, even had a bus stop just outside if you care to venture further. The staff is friendly and helpful, and sometimes they give discounts to Rick's customers. If you can, fit in a traditional music session, as well.
Actually Kilmainham Gaol is about the Irish war of independence - a very important moment in modern Irish history - the Irish rebels were shot there by the British in 1916. So it is considered to be a tragic but sacred place. Worth a visit.
If you have time, less than 10 miles outside Dublin is Howth - an island with a charming fishing village, monastary ruins and a lighthouse. You can get there on DART. It's a nice contrast to the city, like a visit to the Irish countryside without the time it takes to travel to the countryside.
Take a hop on & off bus for the tour of the city, and definitely go to Kilmainham jail. We also enjoyed our tour of Trinity College. Pay the extra to get the student tour, that ends with visit of the Book of Kells. No matter the great price, don't stay near Temple Bar, unless you are ready to stay up all night (literally...pubs are open til 3 AM and we didn't get much sleep as we aren't the partying type). If you don't mind staying outside the city - near the airport - we stayed at Holiday Inn express and enjoyed it. Just a short walk to the bus stop that goes into the city.
Regarding a place to stay, last year we stayed in the newly opened Morrison Hotel. It's across the River Liffey from Temple Bar, so is close to everything but without the noise. It can be a bit pricey, but if you watch for deals you might find a room you can afford. Rooms are small but elegant, and staff is very helpful.
Kilmainham Gaol is totally awesome, but I agree w/Ennis it is a sacred place. The National History Museum - has the gold neck band found in turf bogs in Clare & you may be lucky to see the 'bog man". The Irish Writers Museum is also very interesting and the park across the street is where the bronze sculptures in rememberence of Famine. All of these are on the hop-off-hop-on.
We're going to be in Dublin for a night in October because of our flights, and we are staying at Avalon House, which is a hostel, but has private rooms. We tried Kinlay House first, but it was booked. We are paying 35 euros per person I think, so it's pricey for what it is, but we'll be right in the middle of the city, and it was the cheapest we could find in the city center.
We stayed at Trinity College and were pleasantly surprised with the nice accommodations. They open up several of their dorm rooms when classes are not in session (not sure the exact dates but we were there in Sept. I highly recommend it, especially for the great location.
Oliver St. John Gogartys (www.gogartys.ie) in Temple Bar was fun. The concierge at the hotel we were staying at had suggested it and I went with a party of about 6-8 people a year or two ago. You can't miss the building :-) At first I wondered if we hit a tourist trap, but no: the entertainment was fun and the food very good. I don't know anything about staying there but can vouch for the restaurant.
