Don’t forget the Parks – Merrion Square, St Stephen’s Green and the Phoenix Park offer beautiful green space in the city centre to stroll, picnic, people watch, see historical statues and bike in the Phoenix park. You may even spot Fallow deer and the President of Ireland whilst there!! One has spots and a white bum and the other is short and bald, don’t get them mixed up!

My favourite new attractions in Dublin City are:

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

Living up to it’s name, EPIC just won an award for Best New Visitor Attraction in the Irish Tourism Awards last month and it is a very worthy winner. Really knowledgeable and helpful staff complement the worlds only fully digital museum. It tells the story of the 10 million Irish people who left their homeland and how they influenced and shaped the world.
There are interactive galleries, touchscreens, motion-sensor games, loads of audio and video which bring this fascinating story to life. Every room has a different theme, all interesting and well laid out.  Travel back in time through 1,500 years of history in fun, interactive and entertaining exhibits. You can also stamp an EPIC passport throughout the Irish history experience. If you want to connect with ancestors, you can find out more at the adjoining Irish Family History Centre.

EPIC is located on the northside of the River Liffey in the CHQ building which has lots of lunch options. The museum is in the vaults downstairs which date back to the 1830’s and were used as wine and tobacco warehouse.  Others interesting attractions in the area are the Famine Memorial Sculptures, Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship, Custom House, Dublin Convention Centre and the new Liffey Ferry No 11 back in operation after 35 years! Lots to do in the Dublin Docklands.

14 Henrietta Street

I really enjoyed how this new museum explained how wealthy Georgian life became overcrowded tenement life in one building. Here’s a video from my tour there.

Seamus Heaney Exhibition

If you’re interested in Irish Literature check out “Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again” exhibition. Seamus is one of 4 Irish Nobel Prize winners for Literature.

The exhibition is at the new Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre at College Green. This is the first exhibition to be housed here which already makes it special.  The exhibition takes the visitor on a multi-sensory journey from Heaney’s origins through his remarkable poetic career. Highly recommended and free!

Pearse Lyons Distillery

Excellent guided tour of this newly opened and beautiful distillery.  This distillery is set in a renovated church. The graveyard of which is still being excavated – mind where you step!

The distillery inside the restored church of St James has beautiful new stained glass windows and a new coloured glass spire. The stories of whiskey and the Camino are told in the stained glass windows. Of course the whiskey and gin tastings are excellent and served by wonderful staff.

Rascals Craft Brewery 

A brilliant new addition to the craft beer scene in Dublin city, this is a fun brewery and restaurant to visit for an afternoon brewery tour with tastings and then hang out for some pizza and beer. Nice buzz early evening in a very cool and colourful open area. Here’s a video from my trip to Rascals.

All of these wonderful additions to Dublin are within walking distance of the city centre. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Sláinte and happy St Patrick’s day.