Europe: Ireland

Dublin | Howth

I’ve made two spring trips to Dublin now, and this time, I added a morning in the seaside fishing village of Howth. I met and interviewed locals about the school system and saw a few seals there. We ventured into Dublin for a few days and made visits to all the must-see places: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Papal Cross (site of the Pope’s visit), Dublin Castle, the EPIC emigration museum, and Irish Nights at the Belvedere.

How to spend three days in Dublin

Day 1: On arrival day, spend the morning in the nearby town of Howth, having brunch and watching the seals in the port; go into Dublin and visit the National Museum, and be sure to see the bog bodies; get your steps in at the park, Stephen’s Green; see the colorful doors of residences at Merrion Street Upper

Day 2: Complete tour of the Papal Cross and Phoenix Park in the early morning; visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral; have lunch in a pub in Temple Bar District; browse the shops at Grafton Street; spend the evening taking in a Irish music and dance show–the best is Irish Nights at the Belvedere.

Day 3: Complete tour of Phoenix Park (especially the Papal Cross and the deer it) in the early morning; visit Trinity College and see the Book of Kells; after lunch, tour Dublin Castle; in the evening, visit EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum to learn about the famine and more

Trinity College

Trinity College, a noteworthy university, houses a great collection of books in the most beautiful library I’ve ever seen. I first visited in 2018. Unfortunately, in 2025, they are cleaning the books, so the shelves are pretty empty.

Book of Kells

For one ticket price, you can tour the library and see the Book of Kells, one of the oldest known transcriptions of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It sits within a class case in a room near the library.

National Museum

There were so many artifacts in the National Museum of Ireland, but the exhibits that interested my students was the bog bodies, which are preserved corpses found in peat bogs. These bodies have been studied and reveal so much about regional history.

Temple Bar District

Temple Bar District is a colorful and iconic part of Dublin. It is situated along the Liffy River and makes a great atmosphere for an afternoon rest. It’s also close to the best areas for souvenir shopping.

St. Patrick’s

Jonathan Swift, author of “A Modest Proposal” and Guilliver’s Travels is buried here. His death mask and skull cast can also be found here.

Dublin Castle

Constructed during Viking times, Dublin Castle remains open to visitors wanting to learn more about Dublin’s history.

Papal Cross

The Papal Cross was constructed in Phoenix Park in 1979 for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Dublin.

EPIC musem

EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, teaches visitors about the emigration of millions of Irishmen through the centuries. Reasons vary, such as famine and religious persecution. Fascinating!