24 Hours in Dublin: Ireland Solo Travel

Oh, that Irish humour.

I visited Dublin, Ireland, as a solo traveller from August 13-14, 2024.

I spent hours calculating the cheapest and best possible route for my return from Europe to Canada. It was a game of travel chess that had me grappling at the hair on my head. Then I found a route with a 24-hr layover in Dublin, and I thought, Why not?

So there I was in the coach, fresh from the sky, watching the Irish cityscape go by. I alighted in the Temple Bar area and promptly found my hostel, Clink i Lár.

I hadn’t done any research at all before coming, but it didn’t take long to get some local intel into the best Dublin has to offer.

Clink i Lár

i lár (Irish) — preposition, meaning amid, amidst, in the middle of

“In the middle of” indeed. Clink i Lár is a hostel centrally located in the Temple Bar area, Dublin’s city centre and main tourist district.

I’m going to be honest. After 6 weeks of no air conditioning in the heat of summer, to say Clink i Lár impressed me is an understatement. They almost blew me away with that freezing chill. In fact, it was a little too cold.

Besides AC, the hostel is also deceptively large. Aside from the rooms, they have 2 floors plus a split level of public eating/studying/drinking spaces. In the basement are 2 locker storage areas (5 EUR for 4 hours), fully automated, and a public toilet. Other than a funky smell coming from this one toilet, everything else was swanky, clean, and modern.

Tip: Clink i Lár is very strict with their check-in time. Paying extra to check in early is also 5 EUR, so if you’ve got an extremely early flight, just go for the early check-in. It’ll save you the hassle of moving stuff up and down. Make sure to buy this online at least the night before, or else the cleaners won’t have time for turnover.

It’s so easy to walk around from here, since you’re 5-10 minutes away from every bar, pub, cafe, ice cream parlour, and Chinese restaurant you could want in an overnight layover. I can’t say anything about the public transportation, but I’m sure it’s convenient enough.

Tip: Speaking of convenient, if you’re taking a coach from Dublin Airport, it’s better to get off at Wellington Quay bus station than at any of the Aston Quay stations beforehand. Wellington Quay will put you closer to Millenium Bridge, which is relatively flat and easy for towing luggage (Clink i Lár is on the other side of the river). At the Aston/Crampton Quay station before Wellington, you’d have to climb the staired Ha’penny Bridge up and then back down. Argh.

The Stage Door Cafe

Let’s be honest here. The name is really what attracted me to this place, plus the promise of a true Irish breakfast. As a dance artist and performance technician, “The Stage Door Cafe” is like a guilty calling.

I’m happy to say, though, that their Irish breakfast does actually live up to their claims. For more information: What's the Difference Between a Full English Breakfast And a Full Irish Breakfast? (barepantrycafe.ie)

The portion was hearty, and it was a very interesting introduction to local Irish culture. For one thing, there seems to be no pressure for the server to act like, well, a server in the North American sense. This server was completely relaxed, chilling at the bar and talking to customers when I walked in. He made a slew of cheeky jokes to every customer that came by.

One of the chefs (or managers?), as well, was a delightfully humorous and warm person, and on his way out, he stopped by my table to say, “I expect that plate to be clean… Enjoy your meal, love.”

Endearments like “love,” “sweetheart,” and “darling” are used a lot in both Ireland and the UK. It may not mean anything, but it sure does make you feel fuzzy inside.

According to the server, this place is a hotspot for tourists because they’re one of the few places open from 6 AM in the mornings. Whenever the local hotels kick out their guests at check-out, they send them here — so much so that the cafe actually has a pre-prepared list of recommendations for Dublin (see below).

Tip: The cafe closes around 1:30 PM instead of 3 PM as indicated on Google Maps. Plan your visit accordingly.

When I asked the server what made all the Irish ice cream shops I passed special, he let me in on a secret: the best Irish ice cream in all of Dublin.

Murphy’s — The Best of Irish Ice Cream

Murphy’s Ice Cream is just 5 minutes away by foot from The Stage Door Cafe, and apparently their absolute must-have is the ice cream cookie sandwich — stashed in the freezer in the back of the store. According to the server, you have to ask for it to get it, since it’s not openly advertised.

Now, I don’t know if things have changed, but I did see a signboard for the cookie sandwich outside the store when I went (or maybe that wasn’t the Holy Grail sandwich, and I naively ate a less secret one). Whatever the case, my ice cream cookie sandwich was a-ma-zing.

It’s not like the ice cream sandwiches from your local grocery store. This one was literally a creamy vanilla ice cream mashed between 2 round chocolate chip cookies. The whole thing was smaller than the size of my palm, and the wrapping was very unceremonious (logo-imprinted freezer plastic), but you know what they say — “the best things come in small packages.”

The reason Irish ice cream is famous is because of Ireland’s strict dairy laws. Simply put, it’s a kind of “happy cow” ice cream, and the dairy farms are very focused on producing healthy, whole, natural milk — none of that 1%-, 2% skim milk stuff.

Here’s an article on why Murphy’s, specifically, succeeded in their cream: The Unusual Story Behind The Best Ice Cream in Ireland (landlopers.com).

Five stars! ★★★★★

Shopping & Thrifting

Shop where the locals shop; walk along Drury Street and George’s Street for some ultra cool independent boutiques and food markets.

Om Diva

Vintage casual wear, formalwear, jewelry, and statement pieces. My girly girl heart was squealing. ♥

Jenny Vander

Vintage prom dresses, formalwear, and accessories.

George’s Street Arcade

A buck market featuring local artists’ work, Kpop and J-culture memorabilia, bookstores, and retro vintage clothing.

Asia Market

An unassuming storefront with a hidden grocery store in the back. You have to walk past the front counter (which sells dango! Can you believe it?!) to the beautifully decorated entrance at the far end.

Padison & Yule

Not on Drury or George’s Street, but close by at 14 College Green. Think Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium meets Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, only smaller.

Nine Crows

Not sure if the server meant “Nine Crows Thrift Shop” or “Nine Crows Vintage,” but I’m told “Nine Crows” is the place for thrifting in Dublin. The thrift shop I passed by in the photo is located on Mary Street, while Nine Crows Vintage is in south Temple Bar, near the rest of the shops I’ve mentioned.

The Hairy Lemon

A pub on the south end of Drury Street, it’s highly recommended by the server at The Stage Door Cafe for its famous lamb stew. If anyone figures out a confidence potion to walk into a pub by themself, let me know. The sounds of those Irish fiddles and raucous laughter streaming out of all the pubs in the evening gave me serious FOMO.

The Temple Bar Pub

This pub is an attraction in itself for having the same namesake as the neighbourhood it’s in. Plus, it’s super pretty. It’s been serving cuisine and traditional Irish folk music since 1840 (!), with a building license that goes back even further. Visit their official website to read all about their history: History | The Temple Bar Pub | Dublin, Ireland.

Riverdance 25th Anniversary

Ahh! The regret of my stay!!! I can’t believe I was within mere minutes of The Gaiety Theatre and didn’t see Riverdance in Ireland! This is what I get for not researching beforehand.

Riverdance is the Irish tap dancing show. I’ve seen it once in Toronto back in 2020 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, just before everything was shut down due to the pandemic. My middle school music teacher also showed us the DVD version (that we didn’t finish watching), and my dad later got me a premium DVD for my birthday after asking the store attendant what dance films were popular. So, you see, Riverdance is a big deal.

It’s also actually been 29 years now, not 25, since its first full-length performance in 1995. The “25th Anniversary” is just in the name because it’s part of the title for this specific remount.

I only found out it was in theatres when I returned to my hostel and saw it advertised on a screen in the window. Oh, what a dream it would be to see Riverdance in Ireland! When I checked online, the night was already sold out. No luck of the Irish for me, though it might’ve been a silver lining, as I was thoroughly exhausted already. No matter; I’m sure I’ll have another chance someday. ♥

Dublin has a huge theatre scene in general, if all the theatre houses lining the area near The Stage Door Cafe (ahhhhh, now it makes sense) were any indication. It’s worth checking out a show if you have the time.

Not The Gaiety Theatre, but it's the only shot of a theatre house I have.

Other observations

The demographic

I’ve been noticing this a lot, but there are some places I didn’t expect to find such huge pockets of Chinese populations, and Dublin was one of them (the previous one was Munich). Just north of River Liffey, surrounding the Clink i Lár area, is a plethora of Asian cuisine, from Chinese to Japanese, Viet, Korean, Thai, and more. Being of Chinese heritage myself, it’s always a comfort to find familiar food close by in a foreign place.

Never fear, your bubble tea stores are here!

Jervis Shopping Centre

I also checked out the mall next to my hostel, Jervis Shopping Centre. It’s simple, small, and crowd-free. Most stores in Europe are located individually along the streets outside, so malls aren’t as much of a thing as they are in North America. Definitely not a must-see, but if you’re in need of some quick shopping, Jervis is a nice option.

Some pretty flowers, just ‘cause

The pretty river, just ‘cause

River Liffey.

Dublin in the morning hits different

Morning time is the freshest time for a jog through the quiet city streets. Just look at that light.

Laughter and hoots. Lively is the word! Dublin is a lively place.

It’s got its energy spots and quieter areas just like any other city, though it’s surprising how much the vibe changes in each of these areas that are just minutes away from each other.

Like I often tell anyone who will listen, hearing English in a different accent is more jarring for me than hearing a different language completely, and those Irish accents are thick! But you’ll have a jolly good time as a visitor in Dublin thanks to the locals’ pension for humour and warmth (though I have heard from an Irish colleague one time that if someone says, “Hello,” or, “How are you?” to you on the street, you’re not expected to say anything back; if anyone can verify this, please let me know).

Dublin is a popular destination for Canadians and Americans, especially, because of all the airlines that pass through its borders (looking at you, WestJet). It’s a culture of its own and well worth a visit.

I’m only sad I talked myself out of buying those Irish cider vinegar and sea salt chips.

*All photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.