By Leah Gabriella Cardenas

I went to Dublin with two of my friends on the weekend of the World Cup final. Here’s what we managed to do in less than 72 hours and whether it was worth it or not. 

We flew into the Dublin airport on Saturday at around 10 in the morning. From there, we took the Dublin Express bus to the city center. It only cost €10 and took about 30 minutes. Luckily, we were able to check into our hotel early so we left our bags there before heading out for a bite to eat. I would say we arrived in Dublin at a good time considering traffic. 

Mural of “Normal People” by Sally Rooney

After taking a much needed nap, we headed to Trinity College Dublin. I insisted on visiting the Normal People mural, a book and show set in Ireland. It was just right outside the college entrance. We continued walking around the campus admiring the architecture. We did not do the popular Book of Kells experience because there weren’t convenient time slots left when we looked into booking tickets. It also would have cost €26 each which my friends didn’t see as worth it.

From there, we walked down Grafton Street which was filled with stores and restaurants. It had a good mix of souvenir shops and popular retail chains. Eventually, we ended up at St. Stephen’s Green, a public park. There were swans in the small pond and people dancing in one of the gazebos. It was a lovely greenspace right in the middle of the city. Then, we were getting hungry so we ate at a nearby restaurant called Little Dumpling. 

The Temple Bar Pub

The three of us headed back to our hotel to change before going out for the night. We had to stop by the famous The Temple Bar Pub. Its bright lights and red exterior looked especially nice at night. We met up with one of my friend’s friends who is doing the CIEE internship program in Dublin. We walked around the Temple Bar area just enjoying the night life.

We ended the night with a slice of pizza from Bambino. We had seen videos about this place on TikTok so we figured it was worth the long line. I got the ‘Hot Pep’ pizza which had hot honey. I wish I had gotten a second slice because it was truly that good.

The next day, we woke up early to take a day trip out of the city center. First, we stopped by Bread 41, a sourdough bakery, for breakfast. I got a potato danish and pain au chocolat which were both buttery and delicious. 

We took the DART from Pearse Station to Howth. The ticket was only €5.60 including a return and the ride was about 30 minutes long. Upon arriving, we immediately headed to do the Howth Cliff Walk. There were a few different options for the hike, but we decided on the shorter loop which was half through the neighborhood.

Howth Cliff walk

I honestly didn’t expect to be going uphill as much as we did based on videos and articles I saw about the hike. I would still say this was a moderate trail, but do come more prepared than us with lots of water and the proper shoes. The views during the hike made it all worth it though. There were also many places to take a break and admire the ocean view.

Once we made it back down to the main area, we went to Beshoffs of Howth for dinner. We had a nice view of the area from their outdoor seating. There was a mix up with our food but the staff was lovely about it.

My friend had booked us the Howth Cliff Cruise just before sunset. It took us around Dublin Bay. We got to see the cliff we had hiked earlier that day. There were also a few puffins by Ireland’s Eye which was incredible to see so close. It was a lovely way to end the day. 

Molly Malone statue

Then, on Monday, we slept in and just got a quick coffee. This was our last day so we made sure to do all the things that were left on our ‘must see’ list. We visited the Molly Malone statue. For lunch, we had a booking at Masa. Their fish tacos were just what I was craving. I do wish it came with three tacos rather than two because even with a side of chips and guacamole, it did not make me feel full enough. 

We then finished our day walking around River Laffey and saw Ha’penny Bridge. We went into a few vintage shops in the area like Nine Crows and Jenny Vander. Then, it was already time to get our bags from the hotel and head to the airport. 

That night, we flew back to London at 9pm. Though we got to squeeze in a little more sightseeing, I would recommend either requesting a late check-out from your accommodation or getting an earlier flight. After the last two days of exploring, we were tired and wanted to be in bed rather than a plane.

Still, it was an amazing trip. The three of us hadn’t been to Ireland before and it was our first trip out of the United Kingdom since arriving for our internships. It was a memorable experience and I would 100% visit Ireland again.