24 HOURS IN DUBLIN

Check into the Schoolhouse Hotel, a really quaint hotel far enough away from the roars of the bars at night, but close enough that after a 20-30 minute walk (or a five minute cab ride), you have all the sights and sounds within reach. The staff is extremely warm, and the rooms are spacious and clean.

To start your day off right, grab some pastries at Hansel and Gretel Bakery & Patisserie. Be warned that at the time of me writing this, the bakery is closed on Saturdays and Sundays! Take your pastries to go and walk the eight minutes to St. Stephen’s Green, a really beautiful park.

After you walk around and take in the greenery of the park, walk ten minutes to the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The cathedral has a wonderful lawn around it to sit and lounge about, but also I implore you to go inside and marvel at the incredible structure and design. It is quite peaceful sitting inside the cathedral and enjoying a bit of stillness.

For lunch, walk thirty minutes to Bread 41. This casual bakery has incredible pastries and breads, but it also has sandwiches and divine sausage rolls!

Then make your way to Dublin Castle. You can walk around or take a tour. Then walk nine minutes to Trinity College. The landscaping and architecture of the campus is beautiful, and The Long Room at The Library of Trinity College is a must see! More specifics about these sights mentioned in this article can be found here.

Then walk five minutes for dinner at Gallaghers Boxty House, a restaurant with customary Irish fare. Boxty is a traditional Irish pancake, and since 1988 the Boxty House has been utilizing boxty in creative ways (the boxty fries are seriously the best fries I’ve ever had). Definitely make a reservation in advance! CJ absolutely loved their own house brew and pulled pork boxty, while I had the corned beef (it was so lean and flavorful.) End the evening at Bowe’s or Mulligan’s with a perfect pint of Guinness, or at The Brazen Head, the oldest bar in Dublin!

MALAHIDE CASTLE

48 HOURS IN CO. WICKLOW