36 Hours in Dublin

The transformation of 14 Henrietta Street, an imposing red-brick Georgian building on Dublin’s north side, traces the city’s own changing fortunes. The house, built for the aristocracy nearly 300 years ago, was divided into 19 tenement flats in the late 19th century as the area became more deprived and crowded. By 1911, more than 100 people lived here in cramped flats and unsanitary conditions before longstanding calls for change finally spurred housing reforms. The last tenants left in the 1970s. Now, after conservation work that finished in 2018, the house is open to guided tours (10 euros, or about $10.70) that transport visitors into a bygone era and honor the stories of the people who called this place home. As Dublin again reckons with a housing crisis, the lessons of Henrietta Street feel particularly apt.

Slashed canvases, walls splashed with vibrant reds and blues, and paint pots, photos, books and boxes spilled onto the floor: Colorful preserved chaos welcomes visitors to this exhibition of the carefully reconstructed London studio of Francis Bacon, the celebrated Dublin-born artist and one of the great painters of the last century. After Bacon’s death in 1992, his heir donated the studio to the Hugh Lane Gallery, a collection of modern and contemporary art, with each object meticulously surveyed, mapped and moved — including the walls, doors, floor, ceiling and even dust. Now visitors can also listen to Bacon describe his own works on earphones in an adjoining room. It’s just one of a number of notable exhibitions in this free gallery on Parnell Square on the city’s north side.

A short walk away, sidle up to the bar with a pint of Guinness (€5.80) and tap your foot to the free-flowing tunes of tin whistles and fiddle music at the Cobblestone, a north Dublin institution. The understated pub’s laid-back vibe and the musicians who play here every day of the week, by the pub’s front window, make this place special. It’s also a testament to the power of local action: The building was saved from redevelopment after a tireless campaign to prevent it from being swallowed up by yet another hotel. Stay in this decidedly cool Stoneybatter area for dinner. Nearby, Grano serves housemade pastas, like the lemony scialatielli with Connemara clams (€24.50) or the simple spaghettoni with seasonal tomatoes (€18).

At the Fumbally, a beloved and buzzy haunt in the Dublin 8 district, locally grown ingredients take center stage not only on the cafe’s menu, but also in its farm shop, added in 2020. Focaccia and sourdough loaves fill the counters and produce is arranged under handwritten signs that detail the origins at nearby family-run farms. The Fumbally eggs with fermented hot sauce on fresh sourdough (€12) are a must, and coffee (€4 to €6) comes from Dublin specialty roasters like 3fe, Farmhand and more.

Behind a wrought-iron gate near St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Marsh’s Library is an oasis of quiet. The working library looks much as it did when it opened in 1707; the books in the first gallery have even been kept in the same order on the shelves from that time. Listen to a quick history from a guide before meandering through, with the smell of leather bindings and aging paper wafting from packed shelves. Three metal cages at the end of one room are where 18th-century librarians locked readers in to prevent theft. While the enchanting library is less known than the one at Trinity College Dublin, whose picturesque Long Room hosts over a million visitors a year (and will close temporarily in late 2025 for renovation), it offers an alternative glimpse into the past, with fewer crowds, for €7.

Nowhere does Ireland’s struggle for independence come more fully into focus than at Kilmainham Gaol, where the organizers of the 1916 Easter Rising spent their final days. Walk the jail’s limestone halls where rebels from that insurrection were imprisoned alongside others arrested during previous uprisings against British rule. A group of volunteers rescued the jail from near ruin in the 1960s and restored it. (Movie buffs may recognize parts of the prison from “The Italian Job," and, delightfully, “Paddington 2,” which were both filmed here.) After an hourlong tour of the jail (€8 and the only way to visit, book well in advance), explore the adjoining museum packed with details of the uprising, the change in public support after the execution of rebels and the subsequent War of Independence and Civil War.

New and old Dublin fuse in the Liberties, a lively neighborhood once home to one of the world’s largest whiskey distilleries (run by the Roe family) and its biggest brewery, still operating, owned by Guinness. Now a handful of new distilleries are driving a whiskey renaissance near the stalwart brewery. Visit one of the newest additions Roe & Co. — its name an homage to that earlier distillery — to take an hourlong whiskey blending tour (€30) and learn more about uisce beatha, Irish for whiskey and which literally translates as “the water of life.” Then, staying in the neighborhood, grab a quick toastie (€6.95) at Griolladh (it means grilled in Irish), and wander down nearby Meath Street, a time capsule of an earlier Dublin where old-school market stalls have served generations.

The cluster of lively, narrow streets between Grafton Street and South Great George’s Street, now known by some as the city’s creative quarter, blossomed after becoming partly pedestrianized since the coronavirus lockdowns, making it easier to stroll its specialty cafes, restaurants and shops. Stop by the Irish Design Shop on Drury Street for prints, jewelry and pottery from some of the country’s best creators. Independent and thoughtfully curated homeware store Industry and Co., which features many Dublin-based makers, is just next door, and George’s Street Arcade gives you lots of nearby shopping options. Then snag a coveted seat outside Grogan’s Castle Lounge for a creamy pint of Guinness (€6.70) and some excellent people-watching. Afterward, wander the leafy paths of St. Stephen’s Green, an idyllic Victorian park nearby.

The best of modern, seasonal Irish cuisine is on display at Mae Restaurant, the brainchild of the chef Grainne O’Keefe, tucked above the French Paradox wine shop in the leafy Ballsbridge neighborhood. The thoughtful service, with chefs popping over to explain the dishes, sets it apart. You also get to choose your own bespoke steak knife, crafted by different artisanal Irish makers, to use from the restaurant’s collection — you might try it out on the slow-braised beef rib. Set menu €75, with an optional wine pairing from its robust selection starting at €45. If you would rather stick closer to the city center, try Note, a bistro on Fenian Street with Connemara oysters (€4 each) and a crab crumpet (€22), or Bar Pez with delicious tapas like ricotta toast (€8).

The pastries and artisanal bread at Bread 41, an organic bakery on Pearse Street, have patrons flocking from all over town. Try the roulé aux pommes (a spiral-shaped apple pastry), morning bun or a housemade Pop-Tart (all around €4). The 3fe coffee is roasted just up the road (€2.90 for an Americano). The cafe is one of a growing number that doesn’t use disposable take-away cups to cut down on waste, so bring your own or fork over €5 for a deposit on a reusable cup. (Bring it back on your return journey to get your money back.) With coffee and pastry in hand, take the short walk to the Tara Street station and hop onto the DART, Dublin’s regional train, and take the 35-minute trip to the Sandycove and Glasthule station.

A Martello tower — one of a series of defensive forts that were built across the former British empire — overlooks the popular swim spot. The tower was immortalized in the opening scene of James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” the modernist novel that follows a day in the life of Leopold Bloom, as was the Forty Foot. So there’s no better place to delve into the Dublin literary legend’s work. The site is now the James Joyce Tower and Museum (free entry) and a pilgrimage point for Joyce enthusiasts — especially on June 16, the day the novel was set, that has become known as Bloomsday. The museum is dedicated to the life and legacy of the writer, housing his letters, photographs and a rare first-edition copy of “Ulysses.” One room upstairs in the sandy-colored stone fortress attempts to recreate the living conditions that Joyce experienced during his brief six-day stay here in 1904.