Friday Evening — Arrive & Find a Pub
Drop your bags and go straight for a pint — Dublin rewards this instinct. Skip Temple Bar on your first night; it's loud, overpriced, and full of stag parties. Instead head to Kehoe's on South Anne Street or the Long Hall on South Great George's Street, two of the city's best-preserved traditional pubs, all dark wood, mirrors, and a properly poured pint of Guinness.
Dinner nearby — the streets around Grafton Street and South William Street have a dense cluster of good restaurants. Afterwards, walk down to the River Liffey and cross the Ha'penny Bridge, lit up and reflected in the water. If you've still got energy, Temple Bar is fine for one loud hour later in the evening, just to say you've seen it.
Saturday — The Big Hits
Morning: Trinity College. Get there for opening (usually 09:30) to beat the queues for the Long Room and the Book of Kells — a 9th-century illuminated gospel manuscript housed in one of the most beautiful libraries in Europe. Book tickets online in advance; they sell out on weekends.
Late morning: walk south to St Stephen's Green for a breather, then across to Kilmainham Gaol. Book this well ahead — tours fill up fast. The decommissioned 18th-century prison, where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed, is one of the most powerful historical experiences in Ireland.
Lunch: near Kilmainham or back towards the Liberties, Dublin's oldest neighbourhood, now full of good coffee shops and independent food.
Afternoon: the Guinness Storehouse, a short walk from Kilmainham. Seven floors of brewing history topped by the Gravity Bar, where your included pint comes with a 360-degree view over the city. Touristy but genuinely worth it.
Evening: dinner around Camden Street or Portobello, then a proper pub crawl — Mulligan's on Poolbeg Street for the best-poured pint in the city, then wherever the night takes you.
Sunday — Cathedrals, Markets & Departure
Morning: Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick's Cathedral, a ten-minute walk apart in the old medieval core of the city. Both are Church of Ireland cathedrals with roots in the 12th century — St Patrick's is the larger and holds Jonathan Swift's tomb.
Brunch: Portobello or Ranelagh have Dublin's best brunch scene — sit outside if the weather allows, which is never guaranteed.
If you have time before your flight: the National Museum of Ireland's archaeology branch is free and world-class, with Iron Age bog bodies and the Ardagh Chalice. Even an hour is worthwhile.
Head to the airport with a last soda bread sandwich and, if you're honest with yourself, one more pint.