IF LOS ANGELES FEELS like it was designed for the driver, and New York City for the subway passenger, Dublin, one could say, was made for the pedestrian. Its reputation as a city best experienced on foot was secured a century ago with the publication of James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” a novel with an emphasis on perambulation. It remains true today; few places better suit a weekend of wandering. And you’ll find few better guides than historian Donal Fallon, author of the new book “Three Castles Burning: A History of Dublin in Twelve Streets,” and host of a popular social history podcast. On a recent stroll, Mr. Fallon was repeatedly stopped by denizens, eager to share discoveries and pose for selfies. That a historian can be a local celebrity testifies to the degree to which the past remains present here. Yet this metropolis of 1.4 million people is thrillingly forward-looking too. The waterfront “Silicon Docks” business district—a gleaming tech hub—bears witness to this, while the bar and restaurant scene cleverly blends Irish products with a global perspective. Dublin is an ideal place to indulge, since you’ll be sure to Walk it off.
Dublin’s River Liffey, which flows through the city’s center, divides its north side from its south side.
DAY 1 | SATURDAY
8:30 a.m.: Arrive at Dublin Airport, just over 6 miles north of the city center. In such a compact metropolis, you needn’t rent a car. A taxi will ferry you to your hotel in 30 minutes; mass transit takes about an hour. Buy a three-day Leap Visitor Card, which, for 16 euros, gives you unlimited access to all of the local and regional buses, trains and trams you’ll need.
Illustration:
James Gulliver Hancock
10 a.m.: Drop your bags off at the Wilder Townhouse. This former “Home for Retired Governesses and Unmarried Ladies,” wears its red-brick Victorian splendor lightly. You’ll find its location, on a quiet block that dead-ends at the Grand Canal in the city center’s south end, a good jumping off point for exploration (from about $240 a night).
The Wilder Townhouse, a stylish hotel near the city’s Grand Canal, occupies a former home for ‘retired governesses.’
10:15 a.m.: Take a 10-minute stroll along the Grand Canal to the La Touche Bridge. Cross the span and you’re at the doorstep of the cafe Grove Road, home of “the Big Breakfast,” a fortifying full Irish, with bacon, sausages, black pudding, fried eggs, roasted tomatoes and sourdough toast.
11 a.m.: Head to Parnell Square—25 minutes by tram or bus or 20 by taxi—and the Hugh Lane Gallery, housed in the circa 1765 mansion, Charlemont House. You’re there for a peek inside the studio of Dublin-born painter Francis Bacon. The chaotic piles of newspapers, photographs, art supplies and ephemera—more than 7,000 items in total—were transported from London to Dublin, and exactingly reconstructed. It’s a view, not just into Bacon’s workspace, but also, seemingly, his mind.
12:45 p.m.: A short walk away, the Georgian rowhouses on the cobblestoned block of Henrietta Street went from palatial homes to squalid tenements before finding new life as, among other things, home to the 14 Henrietta Street museum. Guided tours convey a vivid picture of Dublin’s more hardscrabble days.
From left: Noel Kevin at tweed specialist Kevin & Howlin; Mr. Kevin’s father co-founded the shop, which has been a must-visit for the smart set for decades, in 1936.
2 p.m.: Travel 20 minutes down to Kevin & Howlin, specialists in handwoven Donegal tweeds. Sarah-Jayne Kevin oversees the place alongside her father Noel, whose father co-founded the store in 1936. Though the store’s unflashy, the smart set has regarded it as a must-visit for decades. Patrons included Fred Astaire and a young JFK, and poet Allen Ginsberg got a tweed suit here as partial payment for a 1993 speaking engagement.
2:30 p.m.: Walk two blocks to St Stephen’s Green, a 22-acre Victorian park that brewery heir Sir Arthur Edward Guinness gifted to the city. Be sure to stop by the Yeats Memorial garden, where thespians practice and perform their lines near a sculpture by Henry Moore.
Yeats Memorial in St. Stephens Green, a 22-acre Victorian park that was gifted to the city by brewery heir Sir Arthur Edward Guinness.
2:45 p.m.: To put W.B. Yeats and the other giants of Irish letters in context, exit the park to the south and cross the street to the MoLI, the Museum of Literature Ireland. A jumbo tabletop relief map of the city, annotated with Joyce’s life and writings, is there to inspire your own rambles. The literary theme carries through to the garden level Commons Cafe, where prose- and poetry-inspired photographs of food adorn the walls, and carefully turned out comfort food, the tables. Have a sandwich on blaa—a fluffy Irish roll—or the daily casserole.
4:30 p.m.: Exit through the restaurant’s back garden, and wander 15 minutes to the hotel, passing through Iveagh Gardens on the way. Have a wee nap.
From left: Connemara oysters at Library Street restaurant; Library Street’s head chef, Kevin Burke, focuses on Irish ingredients but combines them with worldly flavors.
7:30 p.m.: Walk about 20 minutes to the restaurant Library Street, where the patrons can be counted on for a dinner-party-esque conviviality. Music keeps the energy high, without drowning out conversation. Dublin-native chef Kevin Burke highlights local ingredients, frequently grilled, and gives them punchy flavors not particularly beholden to the Emerald Isle. Grilled cabbage might get a kimchi dressing, while turbot head sports a miso crust,
The Whiskey Palace, an upstairs bar inside the Palace Bar, offers a bespoke bottlings of Irish spirits.
9:30 p.m.: Palace Bar, on the fringes of the raucous Temple Bar neighborhood, is an 8-minute walk from Library Street. Its Victorian-era interior remains remarkably intact, with a portrait-filled backroom and an upstairs whiskey bar, bolstered with bespoke bottlings of Irish spirits, like a 16-year-old Powers single cask.
DAY 2 | SUNDAY
9 a.m.: Some of the best breads and pastries in Ireland can be found beneath a railway overpass at Bread 41, about 20 minutes from the hotel by bus or tram.
10 a.m.: Walk about 5 minutes to Pearse St. station, and take the DART train to Howth. Though just half an hour from the urban thrum of Dublin, this peninsula jutting into the Irish Sea feels a world away. Hit the Cliff Path Loop, along which, on bright, sunny days, the views can look almost Mediterranean. More likely, the skies and the sea will be steely, and you’ll be battling a bit of bluster, with the island known as Ireland’s Eye an apparition in the mist.
From left: Mussels and fries by the fire in the Summit Inn on Howth peninsula; a pint and a bite at the Summit Inn is a good way to punctuate a walk along the peninsula’s Cliff Path Loop or fortify you for a longer hike.
12:30 p.m. Walk until the lighthouse comes into view, then 15 minutes more to the Summit Inn for lunch. A seat near the peat-burning fireplace, a pint of Guinness, and a pot of small, sweet mussels are the ideal balm for any chill in your bones. Take the bus 15 minutes to the DART station and return to the city.
2:15 p.m. Hop off the DART at Tara St and walk 8 minutes to the Irish Emigration Museum. While you’re crossing the Liffey river, take in the view of the Samuel Beckett bridge, designed by
Santiago Calatrava
to resemble Ireland’s national symbol, the harp. The museum delves into the Irish diaspora, and the impact it had on the world, with interactive, high-tech displays.
3 p.m. Back to the hotel for a well-earned rest.
5 p.m. Pick your transit and venture to Bar 1661, in the heart of Dublin 7 (Districts north of the Liffey are odd numbered; south, even.) The focus here is moonshine-like poitín. Sip it straight, or have it in a cocktail. Pride of the house is the Belfast Coffee made with Bán Poitín and cold brew, topped with a crown of cream and a flurry of nutmeg. Afterward, venture two blocks to Capel St. Over the course of about five blocks, the eclectic assortment of shops, bars and restaurants demonstrates Dublin’s diversity: You’ll find a Moldovan grocer, a Portuguese cafe, a few venerable pubs and LGBTQ hotspot Pantibar.
From left: In the Smithfield neighborhood, the tiny Fish Shop is a wine-driven fish and chips joint; the ‘Snacks’ and ‘Shellfish’ portions of the menu lean towards Spanish-style tapas but the star attraction is the beer battered fried fish.
7 p.m. Walk about 15 minutes to the tiny Fish Shop in the Smithfield neighborhood to have fish and chips paired with natural wine (reservations are essential).
8:30 p.m. Billing itself as “a drinking pub with a music problem,” the Cobblestone, a 5-minute walk away, is among the city’s best places to catch a traditional music session.
The Cobblestone pub in Smithfield is among the city’s best places to catch a traditional music session.
DAY 3 | MONDAY
9 a.m. Check out of the hotel, but leave your bags for later. Stroll 20 minutes west along the tree-lined Grand Canal to 3fe, which helped kick off Dublin’s obsession with serious coffee. Order an espresso and fig-and-blackberry porridge.
10 a.m. Walk 5 minutes to Merrion Square Park. Stroll the perimeter to take in the Georgian architecture, or wander through the park to see sculptural tributes to great Dublin wits: Oscar Wilde, depicted reclining on a boulder, and actor Dermot Morgan, honored with the bronze “Joker’s Chair.”
Trinity College Library’s Long Room, home to the ‘Brian Boru’ harp, the national symbol of Ireland (and the logo of Guinness Brewery) .
10:15 a.m. Continue another 10 minutes to the Trinity College Library, home of the Book of Kells. The illuminated manuscript, dating from around the early 9th century, is one of medieval Europe’s great treasures. It’s also one of Ireland’s great tourist attractions so purchase a timed ticket in advance. Even more awe-inspiring: The library’s bust-lined Long Room, 213-feet-long with a soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling. Hold on to that amazement tightly as you exit through the gift shop.
11 a.m. You may not have a stunning antique library, but you can have a stunning antique book. Take a 5 minute walk to Ulysses Rare Books, which specializes in valuable volumes from the giants of Irish literature, as well as doing a brisk trade in “children’s” books (if you need a signed, 1st-edition Harry Potter, this is your place.)
A whiskey tasting flight in Teeling distillery.
11:45 a.m. When the Teeling Whiskey distillery opened in 2015, it was the first new distillery in Dublin in 125 years. Walk 20 minutes to the neighborhood known as the Liberties to pay them a visit, passing by Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and park on the way. At Teeling, take a 45-minute tour to learn about the making, history, and revival of Irish whiskey, finishing with a taste of uisce beatha—the water of life.
Grogan’s, a busy city centre pub on South William Street.
1 p.m. Amble 20 minutes back to South William Street, and the Creative Quarter. Take a peek into Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, which Mr. Fallon called “one of the finest interiors we can freely walk into in the city,” But go across the street to the decidedly more modest Grogan’s Castle Lounge, where the decor is more 1970s basement than Victorian opulence. There’s no music and no TV here, but the walls are covered in works by local and international artists, all of which are for sale, without commission. The pub, said Mr Fallon, developed a reputation for drawing an eclectic crowd of “house painters, canvas painters, poets, writers, playwrights, revolutionaries. In time, hipsters,” They’re drawn here for the same reason you are—conversation and some of the best-built pints of Guinness in the city, as well as Dublin’s favorite toasties: simple toasted variations on the ham and cheese sandwich. There’s no better way to while away the time you have before you need to fetch your bags and head to the airport.
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