Dublin can be heaven with coffee at 11 … or tea, if you’re anything like me and Sting. Either way, after grabbing a friend and escaping suburbia for the day to head back into Dublin’s fair city, I was reminded just what a great place town is to be. We may still be living in pandemic times, but after a tough winter there’s finally a hint of hope and normality in the air again. And, as I discovered, lots of reasons to return to the capital’s city centre once more.
Walk into a real shop again
Oh, how I’ve missed thee. Few things are quite as therapeutic as an aimless browse around your favourite shops. The streets are not yet quite as busy as before, but there’s still a buzz around many of the usual shopping hot spots, such as Grafton Street, Henry Street and their surrounding areas. And just seeing the stores open again is a sight for sore eyes.
Shopping itself feels far less nerve-racking than in the early days of the pandemic, with few enough queues, one-way systems in store, and everyone pretty used to the drill of hand-sanitising and social-distancing by now. And for the bargain-hunters among us, there are even a few sales to be found.
Feast your eyes at the National Gallery
You don't need to be an art buff to appreciate what the reopened National Gallery of Ireland has to offer. General admission is by free ticket – so even though you must book ahead, during the week you can even do this once you're in town, and just a few minutes ahead. Timed slots for arrival apply during the weekend, however. Along with access to the permanent collections, free admission grants you access to some of the exhibitions on display, which change over the course of the summer. The National Gallery website has details.
One thing worth bearing in mind, particularly if you have a larger family like me, is that groups are limited to six people. That even applies to the same household. So if you’re bringing lots of kids along, you’re going to need another adult with you.
Make the most of outdoor hospitality’s return
It has been a long time coming, but restaurants, cafes and bars can finally serve you on the premises again, making a day in the city centre even more appealing. Whether it’s for a long-overdue lunchtime catch-up with friends and family, a date night with the other half, an afternoon treat for the kids or just a welcome opportunity to sit down and refuel rather than it always being a case of a coffee on the go, going out-out is en vogue again.
Pedestrianised streets in some parts of Dublin city centre mean more space for outdoor dining. And, let’s be honest, you only had to take a look around in recent weeks to see that people often weren’t eating and drinking on the go anyway but sitting on the ground or nearby steps with their food and beverages. Tables and chairs are the luxury we’ve all been waiting for.
Explore Collins Barracks
There's lots to see at the National Museum of Ireland's Decorative Arts and History branch, which has reopened at Collins Barracks, on Benburb Street – and there's something there for everyone. Admission is free; book your free ticket on the website. Plus, family groups can stay together without the six-person limit. For children, you can download pages from the museum's website to set them on the hunt for their favourite item over the course of exploring the museum, to make for a more engaged experience.
From soldiers’ uniforms, guns, medals and cannons to fashions of the ages and furniture of old to name but some of what is on display, there is plenty of ground and space to cover over several floors in this museum.
One haunting exhibition also on show is by Alison Lowry, called Dressing Our Hidden Truths. Taking the theme of the Magdalene laundries, it includes a display of christening robes made from glass paste. In the background a recorded voice reads out the names of 796 children who died at the Tuam mother-and-baby home.
Take advantage of the city centre’s green spaces
It may be the middle of Dublin, but its green areas are big and plentiful enough to make them ideal locations to meet up with family and friends, especially those with kids. Picnics on the grass, catching some sun, enjoying the playgrounds, visiting the ducks or just watching the world go by (and eavesdropping on the conversations of others) are just some of things to enjoy on a lazy sunny morning or afternoon.
St Stephen's Green, at the top of Grafton Street, is just a very short hop from the shops, while over in Merrion Square there's a host of cuisines to sample in the park if you fancy, while chilling at Spillane World Food Markets.
Stop in at the GPO Museum
At the home of the Easter Rising, the GPO Museum takes you back in time to the events and aftermath of that week in 1916. The museum is interactive throughout, through touchscreen and audio and visual means, and there are previously unseen artefacts on display.
Kids go free this summer, from June 13th until August 31st; adult tickets cost €15; seniors and students pay €12.
And when you’ve finished browsing the museum, the shops of Henry Street are just a stone’s throw away – or take a short walk to the Garden of Remembrance, on Parnell Square, if shopping’s not your thing.
Go back in time at the Archaeology Museum
The National Museum's archaeology branch, on Kildare Street, has also reopened its doors to the public. Entry is free, again with a ticket booked via its website. There's lots to see here for budding archaeologists and adults alike, and much that children will be able to relate to from their school history lessons. From age-old axe heads to Ireland's gold, and from ancient costumes to Viking Ireland, there's plenty to keep inquisitive minds, young and old, occupied.
